Is this analogy a word

You may be wondering what an analogy is. While the concept is long gone from the SAT test, analogies are still used a great deal in everyday life. We’ll explore what an analogy is and give you some analogy examples in this article.

An analogy is a comparison of two things in which one idea or concept is compared to something entirely different. While the two things might be totally different, the analogy compels the readers to realize their association. Sometimes, the analogy provides a comparison between two similar things, one of which might be hidden. The analogy gives a reader a way to understand the hidden thing by picturing the more common thing.

According to Merriam-Webster, an analogy is a comparison of two unlike things based on the resemblance of a particular aspect.  See the following example:

Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you are going to get.

–Forrest Gump

In this case, Forrest Gump is comparing life to a box of chocolates.This exact comparison is considered a simile as we’ll get to in the next section.

In this post, we will learn about different types of analogy and their examples. So, without delay let’s get started.

Where Does the Word “Analogy” Come From?

The word analogy comes from the Greek word analogia. The word is made of the prefix ana and suffix logos. Ana means “again,” “upon,” or “back,” while the word logia means “speech,” “word,” or “ratio.” Together the word means something similar to “proportion.”

What Are the Different Types of Analogy?

The following literary devices qualify as analogies. Let’s learn about them one-by-one.

Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an implied or hidden comparison between two things that are not related, but share common characteristics. For example, “He is the black sheep of the family,”

Here the black sheep phrase is used to indicate a person who is considered worthless by other people in that family. However, it does not mean the person is actually black or sheep.

A metaphor compares two subjects without using words such as “as,” “like,” etc. Since metaphors declare one thing is another, they are regarded as an intense form of an analogy.

Simile

Like a metaphor, this analogy also creates a comparison between two things. However, it uses connecting words such as “as” or “like.” While it’s not as strong as a metaphor, it still lets the reader understand the similarity between two things and make a new cognitive link.

Your voice is as sweet as sugar.

Parable 

A parable is generally a fictitious short story that illustrates an educational lesson or principle. Some of the popular fables that are parables include:

• The Fox and The Crow – Aesop
• The Lion and the Mouse – Aesop
• The Tortoise and the Hare – Aesop

Allegory

Like a parable, allegory is also a story in which characters act as symbols. These symbols can be interpreted to explain a moral truth or a historical situation.

Animal Farm by George Orwell is a perfect example of Allegory.

Exemplification

Exemplification uses various examples to add more information to a general idea. It is a relationship between a sample and what that sample refers to.

Example from Wikipedia: “For instance, when a patch of green paint is used as a colour sample. The sample refers to green by possessing it and thus being referred to by the word denoting it. The sample exemplifies green, it stands for it, and in this way exemplification is a mode of reference.”

Analogy Examples in Everyday Use

1. Time is money, so spend it wisely.
2. His brother is sly like a fox.
3. She is as busy as a bee nowadays.
4. She is as light as a feather.
5. Socks are just the gloves of the feet.
6. She found it under a blanket of sand.
7. There is a garden on his face.
8. The new parents have stars in their eyes.
9. He is living in a bubble.
10. Finding the right person is like finding a needle in a haystack.
11. My father is my rock in hard times.
12. Talking to her is like talking to a brick wall.
13. Last night I slept the sleep of the dead.
14. I would be pleased to meet your better half.
15. My brother is as strong as an ox.
16. He was as quiet as a church mouse.
17. Always see the problem as a speed bump, not a roadblock.
18. He was quick like a bunny.

Analogy Examples in Literature

The analogy has a significant role in literature. Authors use it to make a comparison between similar or dissimilar things, to help readers imagine places and characters, and to suggest a more profound significance. Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato also fostered analogy in literature, calling it a shared abstraction. Check out some classic examples of analogies in literature.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet. So Romeo would were he not Romeo called.”

In the above lines of the play, you can notice Shakespeare used the analogy to equate Romeo to a rose’s sweetness.

The House in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen

“Memory is to love what the saucer is to the cup.”

Bowen’s novel The House in Paris also uses analogy smartly in various places. For example, in the above phrase, the writer used the analogy to compare a cup and saucer’s relationship with love and memory.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage.” 

In Act 5 of his tragic play Macbeth, William Shakespeare used the analogy to compare life to a passing shadow.

Let Me Count the Ways by Peter De Vries

“If you want my final opinion on the mystery of life and all that, I can give it to you in a nutshell. The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination.”

In the above example of analogy, Vries compares the universe to a safe which can’t be unlocked.

Analogy Examples

Analogies play an essential role in writing to explain something important by comparing two different things that have some common traits. However, in verbal and word analogies, they are more like logic puzzles. The word or verbal analogies also compare two different things, but they do so by breaking them into parts to notice how they are related.

See the following examples of word analogies.

Moon :night :: sun :day

When you read the above analogy aloud, it says the moon is to night as the sun is to day.

Let’s have a look at some more word analogies.

• Pencil :write :: scissors :cut
• Apple :fruit :: carrot :vegetable
• Football: field :: tennis :court
• Hot :oven :: cold refrigerator
• Cow :mammal :: snake :reptile
• Turtle :crawl ::frog :hop
• Bow :arrow ::bat :ball
• Raft :river ::ski :snow
• Pretty :ugly :: smile: frown
• Bedroom :sleeping :: Kitchen :cooking
• Football :field :: tennis :court.

Analogies used to be a section in the SAT exam, but they were removed in 2005 since these questions were criticized for being irrelevant to success in a college or work environment.

So these are some analogy examples. We hope they improve your understanding of an analogy.

What is a false analogy?

An analogy compares two premises for what they both have in common. A false analogy implies a link between two premises based on what those two premises have in common. In other words, if two objects have one attribute in common, then they must have other attributes in common.

An easy false analogy example is:

Bob and Mark both drive sedans. Bob is a doctor so therefore Mark must also be a doctor.

Analogies and false analogies can both be used in an argument, but where the analogy would be derived from a fact, a false analogy would be based on a hypothesis. Whereas an analogy would be used as a rhetorical device in favor of a winning argument, a false analogy would be a misleading deduction based on the speaker’s lack of insight.

Classic Analogies

Classic analogies are known for their powerful imagery and ingenuity. False analogies are often dismissed for their obvious lack of logic and imagination. Classic analogies are often found in literature.

In his play, “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare would of often use analogies to have his characters put into words the feelings they would otherwise not know how to express. In the famous balcony scene in “Romeo and Juliet”, Juliet is caught trying to persuade herself not to hide her feelings from her lover, as Romeo hears her saying

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet”.

Juliet is thus establishing a comparison between her lover’s name and that of a rose’s. She does so through an analogy: she compares her lover’s name to that of a rose’s, so she can find them both beautiful, yet completely devoid of meaning.

Had she used a false analogy, she would have had to compare her lover’s features to that of a rose’s, in order to win the argument. She would have had to compare Romeo’s hair to a rose’s petals and his feet to a rose’s stalk and her entire argument would have collapsed.

Just because Romeo’s name sounds as sweet as that of a rose’s, that doesn’t mean that Romeo would need to shares any of his other qualities with a rose. Had she built from a premise of them sharing the same beautiful sounding name, she would have reached a false conclusion, as that sweet loving sound is the only link between them.

The fact that her Romeo and a rose could be called by any other name is the only comparison she needs. The reason she picked a rose is that she needed a subject completely unrelated to her Romeo. She needed an analogy to get her point across. She got one.

100 Examples of Word Analogy

Below are 100 examples of anlaogies.

1. Rose is to flower as blue is to color
2. Father is to mother as uncle is to aunt
3. Puppy is to dog as kitten is to cat
4. In is to out as up is to down
5. Hearing is to ear as seeing is to eye
6. State is to country as country is to continent
7. Rock is to mountain as sand is to beach
8. Cover is to book as pillowcase is to pillow
9. Captain is to ship as pilot is to airplane

10. Snowflake is to snow as raindrop is to rain
11. Mother is to child as cub is to bear
12. Hat is to head as gloves are to hands
13. Penny is to dime as $1 bill is to $10 bill
14. Key is to a lock as combination is to a safe
15. Big is to little as wide is to narrow
16. Canoe is to ship as car is to bus
17. White is to black as day is to night
18. Chair is to sit as bed is to lay down
19. United States is to Washington DC as Albany is to New York

20. Meow is to cat as bark is to dog
21. Beach hat is to summer as earmuffs are to winter
22. Cheering fans are like squawking turkeys
23. Waiting for a special day is like watching grass grow
24. Homeruns are to baseball as touchdowns are to football
25. Colorful leaves are to autumn as buds are to spring
26. Vacation is to fun as workdays are to drudgery
27. Ants are to beetles as sparrows are to crows
28. Recycling is to ecology as dumping is to pollution
29. A full moon is like a glow-in-the-dark frisbee

30. A furnace is to heat as an air-conditioner is to cool
31. A compliment is to an insult as a smile is to a scowl
32. Babe Ruth is to baseball as Michael Jordan is to basketball
33. Flying a kite without wind is like sledding without snow
34. Assembling furniture with no instructions is like driving in the dark with no headlights
35. Uninvited guests are like ants at a picnic
36. Reading a good novel is like going on an adventure
37. Words are to sentences as numbers are to equations
38. A solution to a problem is like a cure to an illness
39. Math is to numbers as English is to letters

40. Paper is to origami as clay is to sculpture
41. Coach is to a team as a conductor is to an orchestra
42. A bullseye is to archery as a hole in one is to golf
43. Dermatologist is to doctor as orthodontist is to dentist
44. Arborist is to tree as veterinarian is to animal
45. Keys are to piano as strings are to guitar
46. Commercials are to television as ads are to magazines
47. Trophy is to achievement as souvenir is to vacation
48. Breakfast is to morning as dinner is to evening
49. Heroes are courageous as cowards are afraid

50. Verses are to greeting cards as lyrics are to songs
51. Robin is to bird as poodle is to dog
52. Run is to jog as walk is to amble
53. Panes are to windows as shingles are to roofs
54. Eraser is to pencil as stain remover is to carpet
55. Gift wrap is to gift as mailing envelope is to package
56. Bland is to spicy as white bread is to jalapeno
57. Pumpkin is to orange as pine tree is to green
58. Tree is to forest as person is to crowd
59. Pitcher is to baseball as quarterback is to football

60. Black cat is to Halloween as reindeer is to Christmas
61. Broccoli is to vegetable as apple is to fruit
62. Monopoly is to board games as Old Maid is to card games
63. Garages are to cars as stables are to horses
64. Pediatricians are to children as veterinarians are to pets
65. Drumsticks are to drummers as paintbrushes are to painters
66. Icing on a cake is like sprinkles on ice cream
67. A kangaroo’s pouch is like a mother’s baby carrier
68. Lose is to find as fail is to succeed
69. Sickness is to health as poverty is to riches

70. Education is to teacher as healthcare is to doctor
71. Tan is to brown as pink is to red
72. Old-fashioned is to modern as Model T Ford is to Tesla
73. Quaint is to village as fast-paced is to city
74. Goalie is to hockey team as catcher is to baseball team
75. Seamstress is to fabric as carpenter is to wood
76. A nail is to a hammer as a screw is to a screwdriver
77. Trout is to fish as finch is to bird
78. Knee is to leg as elbow is to arm
79. Polite is to rude as generous is to stingy

80. Driver is to car as pilot is to airplane
81. East is to west as north is to south
82. Trial is to courtroom as wedding is to banquet hall
83. Flower is to bouquet as a charm is to a charm bracelet
84. Fish is to fin as bird is to wing
85. Crossword is to puzzle as mystery is to novel
86. Mason is to brick as painter is to paint
87. Grazing is to sheep as snacking is to people
88. Wound is to painful as hive is to itchy
89. The Nutcracker is to ballet as Carmen is to opera

90. Earrings are to ears as bracelets are to wrists
91. Article is to newspaper as show is to television
92. Skiing is to winter as surfing is to summer
93. Lanes are to bowling as courts are to tennis
94. Ovens are for baking as toasters are for toasting
95. Bear is to mammal as crocodile is to reptile
96. Spain is to Europe as Venezuela is to South America
97. Clock is to time as thermometer is to temperature
98. Worm is to soil as sandworm is to sand
99. California is to west coast as Florida is to east coast
100 Trowel is to gardening as a glue gun is to crafting

Definition of Analogy

An analogy is a figure of speech that creates a comparison by showing how two seemingly different entities are alike, along with illustrating a larger point due to their commonalities. As a literary device, the purpose of analogy is not just to make a comparison, but to provide an explanation as well with additional information or context. This makes analogy a bit more complex than similar literary devices such as metaphor and simile. Analogy is an effective device in terms of providing a new or deeper meaning to concepts through the artistic use of language.

For example, the analogy nose is to olfactory as ear is to auditory makes a comparison between parts of the body that are related to certain senses and the words to describe the senses themselves. “Olfactory” refers to the sense of smell, which is related to “nose.” “Auditory” refers to the sense of hearing, which is related to “ear.” Of course, the writer could use the analogy nose is to smell as ear is to hear for a similar comparison. However, the description words of olfactory and auditory create a deeper meaning and sense of the relationship between these parts of the body and the senses.

Common Examples of Analogy

Many people are introduced to analogy as a form of word relationship that demonstrates the associations between two object or concept pairs on the basis of logic or reasoning. The phrasing for these analogies is generally “(first word) is to (second word) as (third word) is to (fourth word)” or “baby is to adult as kitten is to cat.” Here are some common examples of verbal analogies:

• blue is to color as circle is to shape
• eyes are to sight as fingers are to touch
• cub is to bear and calf is to cow
• sand is to beach as water is to ocean
• glove is to hand as sock is to foot
• ripple is to pond as wave is to ocean
• words are to writing as notes are to music
• fish are to aquariums as animals are to zoos
• fingers are to snapping as hands are to clapping
• petal is to flower as leaf is to tree

Famous Examples of Analogy

Think you haven’t heard of any famous analogies? Here are some recognizable examples of this figure of speech by well-known writers and speakers:

• That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet (William Shakespeare)
• And I began to let him go. Hour by hour. Days into months. It was a physical sensation, like letting out the string of a kite. Except that the string was coming from my center. (Augusten Burroughs)
• It has been well said that an author who expects results from a first novel is in a position similar to that of a man who drops a rose petal down the Grand Canyon of Arizona and listens for the echo. (P.G. Wodehouse)
• Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. (Mary Schmich)
• Confession is good for the soul only in the sense that a tweed coat is good for dandruff – it is a palliative rather than a remedy. (Peter De Vries)
• Withdrawal of U.S. troops will become like salted peanuts to the American public; the more U.S. troops come home, the more will be demanded. (Henry Kissinger)
• People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. (Elisabeth Kubler-Ross)
• A nation wearing atomic armor is like a knight whose armor has grown so heavy he is immobilized; he can hardly walk, hardly sit his horse, hardly think, hardly breathe. The H-bomb is an extremely effective deterrent to war, but it has little virtue as a weapon of war because it would leave the world uninhabitable. (E.B. White)

Examples of Analogy by Thomas Carlyle

Thomas Carlyle was a British writer, historian, philosopher, and mathematician of the 19th Century. His writings often featured analogies that have since appeared in standardized tests of advanced placement English, among others. Carlyle’s analogies are thought-provoking as comparisons and valuable for analysis. Here are some examples:

• Under all speech that is good for anything, there lies a silence that is better. Silence is deep as Eternity; speech is shallow as Time.
• No great man lives in vain. The history of the world is but the biography of great men.
• It has been well said that the highest aim in education is analogous to the highest aim in mathematics, namely, to obtain not results but powers, not particular solutions, but the means by which endless solutions may be wrought.
• What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books.
• Music is well said to be the speech of angels; in fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to man is felt to be so divine. It brings us near to the infinite.
• The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong.
• Wondrous is the strength of cheerfulness, and its power of endurance – the cheerful man will do more in the same time, will do it better, will preserve it longer, than the sad or sullen.
• Show me the man you honor, and I will know what kind of man you are.

Analogies, similes, and metaphors are all figures of speech used to create comparisons between different entities. These literary devices are often confused with each other, though they can be distinguished. A simile utilizes the words “like” or “as” to make a comparison. A metaphor uses figurative language to compare two things by stating that one is the other. An analogy creates a comparison with the intent of explanation or indicating a larger point.

Here are some examples to help differentiate between these three literary devices:

• Memory is to love what the saucer is to the cup.–This is an analogy. It explains the abstract relationship between memory and love by making a comparison between the tangible and familiar relationship between a cup and saucer. Though these entities are different in terms of abstract concepts and tangible items, they are alike in the sense that a saucer holds and supports a cup as memory holds and supports love. This analogy provides an interesting image of the relationship between memory and love through the artistic comparison to the saucer and cup.
• Memory and love are like a saucer and cup.–This figure of speech is a Simile. The presence of the word “like” is the basis of the comparison.
• Memory and love are a saucer and cup.–This is an example of a Metaphor. The language used in this metaphor is figurative in the sense that the reader knows that memory and love are not literally a saucer and cup. Instead, the example is making a comparison by linking them directly–that one is the other.

Analogy, simile, and metaphor are all useful and related literary devices for writers to make comparisons. The intention of these devices and their wording is what differentiates them from each other.

Writing Analogy

Overall, as a literary device, analogy functions as a means of comparing entities and enhancing the clarity of one entity through connection with the other. This is effective for readers in that analogies create imagery and a deeper understanding of concepts. Therefore, this can enhance the meaning and understanding of a literary work or theme by using artistic language to present ideas in a new way.

There are two primary types of analogy:

• Identification of identical relationships: Like the word relationships featured above, Greek scholars utilized analogies as direct illustrations of similar relationships between word pairings. These analogies identify identical word relationships based in logic and for the purpose of reasoned argument. They also enhance connections for readers between the meanings of words and concepts.
• Identification of shared abstraction: This type of analogy creates comparisons between two things that appear unrelated but share an attribute or pattern. The purpose of these analogies is to utilize a reader’s current knowledge of something familiar and connect it to an abstract idea so that it is more concrete in comparison.

Writers benefit from incorporating analogies into their work for the purpose of explaining and connecting ideas for their readers. It’s important for writers to understand that an effective analogy is one in which the comparison is logical and easily understood. An analogy that made an unreasonable or illogical comparison would be an improper use of the literary device.

Types of Analogy: Literal and Figurative

There are two types of analogy. One is literal and the other is figurative. In literal analogy, the comparison is literal, as one thing is stated to be similar to the other. It is used for persuasion in an argument. However, the figurative analogy is based on some features and properties. It mostly occurs through metaphors and similes. Both of these figures of speech are used in figurative analogies.

Types of Analogy in Writing

Analogy occurs at two levels in writing. The first one is the comparison of relationships. Two things are set side by side and their relationship is identified through the use of similes. The second analogical writing is about abstract ideas as two ideas are compared with each other by setting them side by side.

Use of Analogy in Sentences

1. Searching for a chicken in Granma’s soup is like searching for a turtle in the ocean.
2. Abbie’s like a squeaky mouse when she’s on the stage.
3. Water is to the lake as lava is to the volcano.
4. Pedals are to the bicycle as oars are to the boat.
5. Flow is for water as the break is for solid.
6. Drive : Steer :: Live : Breathe (A few analogies used for critical thinking are written in this form)

Examples of Analogy in Literature

Analogy is an effective literary device as a method of creating comparisons and developing meaning. Here are some examples of analogy and the way it enhances the significance of well-known literary works:

Example 1: There is no Frigate like a Book by Emily Dickinson

To take us Lands away

Nor any Coursers like a Page

Of prancing Poetry –

This Traverse may the poorest take

Without oppress of Toll –

How frugal is the Chariot

That bears the Human Soul –

In this poem, Dickinson creates an analogy comparing a book to a frigate and how the connection between these two entities transports “the Human Soul-“. The imagery suggested by this analogy is that words are all manner of transportation carrying the soul away without any cost. The figurative language of Dickinson’s analogy enhances the meaning and significance of books in terms of their value to the essence of humanity.

Example 2: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

In this stanza, Thomas utilizes several literary devices, including metaphor and simile. As a whole, these lines create an analogy for death. “The dying of the light” signifies death, and that moment is compared to both blindness and sight. This creates a deeper meaning as the poet calls for “rage” against this moment to fight against blindness towards the unknown and the clarity of vision that comes with death.

Example 3: A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers by Henry David Thoreau

This world is but a canvas to our imaginations.

In this analogy, Thoreau compares the world to a canvas in terms of human imagination. To a degree, Thoreau could have created a more abstract comparison by stating that the world is but a canvas, which would have implied creativity, art, beauty in nature, and so on. Instead, he provides the added context of imagination. This allows for clarity as to what Thoreau is trying to convey to his readers, yet the analogy is still comprised of artistic and figurative language.

Synonyms of Analogy

Like other literary devices, it has close synonyms such as likeness, similarity, resemblance, or similitude could prove its synonyms.

Last Updated:
27 Mar 2023
— Updated example sentences

аналогия, сходство

существительное ↓

Словосочетания

an illustrative analogy in which the relationship between God and humanity is likened to that between a shepherd and his flock — наглядная аналогия, в которой отношения между Богом и человечеством уподобляются отношениям между пастырем и паствой  
close analogy — близкое сходство  
deduction by analogy — вывод по аналогии  
analogy parameter — показатель подобия; критерий подобия  
analogy approach — подход к решению проблемы методом аналогии; подход методом аналогии  
analogy method — метод аналогии  
analogy model — аналоговая модель  
analogy of law — аналогия права  
by analogy — по аналогии; аналогично  
carry an analogy — быть аналогичным  
column analogy method of design — расчёт по способу «аналогии колонны»  

Примеры с переводом

Возможные однокоренные слова

analog  — аналог, моделирующее устройство, моделирующая система
analogical  — аналогичный, аналогический, метонимический, фигуральный
analogous  — аналогичный, сходный
analogize  — уподоблять, пользоваться аналогией
analogic  — аналогичный
analogism  — аналогизм, заключение по аналогии

Формы слова

noun
ед. ч.(singular): analogy
мн. ч.(plural): analogies

Analogy means ‘similarity’ or ‘correspondence’. i.e., having similar features.

 Few Important things to Remember

In question based on analogy, a particular relationship between words/letters/numbers is given and another similar relationship has to be identified from the alternatives provided.

Types of Analogy

Analogy may be broadly divided into the following types:

1. Word Analogy
2. Number Analogy
3. Alphabet Analogy
4. Mixed Analogy

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1. Word Analogy

This type of analogy covers every type of relationship that one can think. There are many ways of establishing a relationship like quantity and unit, worker and tools, cause and effect, word-synonym, word-antonym, country and capital, state and capital, country and currency, animal and its young one (kid), male and female, animal and its resting place, game and place of playing, occupation, the working place and the work, study and topic etc.

In word analogy, the candidates are required to discover the relationship between question pair and then to find the required pair of words that is most similar to that relationship.

Direction (Example Nos. 1)In this question, there is a certain relationship between two given terms on one side of (::) and one term is given on another side (::) while another term is to be found from the given alternatives, having the same relation with this term as the terms of the given pair bear.

Example 1: Choose the correct alternative.

Newspaper : Press :: Cloth : ?

(a) Tailor                    (b) Fibre

(c) Mill                        (d) Textile

Solution:  (c) As, ‘Newspaper’ is prepared in ‘Press’, in the same way, ‘Cloth’ is manufactured in the ‘Mill’.

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2. Number Analogy

In this type of analogy, numbers are given in a pair of group on one side. The candidate has to find the relationship between them and then find the number or group of numbers which will replace the question mark in the other pair on other side.

The relationship in number analogy can be of following types

• Even and odd numbers

• Multiplication and division of numbers

• Addition and subtraction of numbers

• Square and cube roots of numbers, etc.

Direction (Example Nos. 1-3)In the following questions, select the related number pair from the given alternatives.

Example 1: Choose the best alternative.

23 : 13 : : 54 : ?

(a) 40    (b) 41    (c) 44    (d) 39

Solution:  (c) Firstly, we will check the relation between first pair i.e. 23 and 13

We can see, 23 — 10 = 13
Similarly, the number in the place of ? will be
54 — 10 = 44

Example 2: Choose the best alternative.

14 : 225 : : 17 : ?

(a) 250    (b) 340    (c) 300    (d) 324

Solution:  (d) Firstly, we will check the relation between first pair i.e. 14 and 225

We can see, (14 + 1 )² = (15)² = 225
Similarly, the number in the place of ? is obtained as
(17 + 1)² = (18)² = 324

Example 3: Choose the best alternative.

20 : 11 : : 102 : ?

(a) 49    (b) 52    (c) 65    (d) 85

Solution:  (b) Firstly, we will check the relation between first pair i.e. 20 and 11

We can see, (20/2 + 1 ) = 10 + 1 = 11
Similarly, the number in the place of ? is obtained as
(102/2 + 1) = 51 + 1 = 52

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3. Alphabet Analogy

In this type of analogy, there is a relationship between the given alphabets or group of letters. The candidate has to remember the position of letters in English alphabetical order and find out the relationship between the given letters or group of letters in the first pair and then find a set of letters to fit in place of question mark in second pair. The relationships between the letters can be of following types

• Vowels or consonants

• Increasing/decreasing position of letters.

• Reverse order of position of letters.

• Skipped letter relation

Here, following table is showing letter’s position in English alphabetical series.

Forward	Alphabet	Backward
1	A	26
2	B	25
3	C	24
4	D	23
5	E	22
6	F	21
7	G	20
8	H	19
9	I	18
10	J	17
11	K	16
12	L	15
13	M	14

Forward	Alphabet	Backward
14	N	13
15	O	12
16	P	11
17	Q	10
18	R	9
19	S	8
20	T	7
21	U	6
22	V	5
23	W	4
24	X	3
25	Y	2
26	Z	1

Direction (Example Nos. 1-3)Choose the word / letter(s) which will replace the question mark

Example 1:  AFKP : BGLQ : : CHMR : ?

(a) DINS    (b) DNIS    (c) DFKP    (d) DJOT

Solution:  (a) Firstly, we will check the relation between first pair i.e. AFKP and BGLQ ,

Example 2:  SNOP : ONSP : : CLAY : ?

(a) ALCY                                    (b) LCYA

(c) LYCA                                    (d) ACLY

Solution:  (a) Firstly, we will check the relation between first pair i.e. SNOP and ONSP

Example 3:  ASTN : ZTSO : : MSUB : ?

(a) LTTC                                  (b) LRRC

(c) LTTA                                  (d) LRRO

Solution:  (a) Firstly, we will check the relation between first pair i.e. ASTN and ZTSO

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4. Mixed Analogy

In this type of analogy, there is a certain relationship between the given group of letters and numbers on one side. The candidates are asked to find out the correct alternative based on the given relationship. The relationship in mixed analogy can be of following types

• The position of the alphabets or letters

• Sum or product of the position of alphabets or letters etc.

Direction (Example Nos. 1-2)Choose the number which will replace the question mark.

Example 1:  NEWS : 14, 5, 23, 19 : : PAPER : ?

(a) 16, 5, 16, 1, 18              (b) 18, 5, 16, 1, 16

(c) 16, 1, 16, 5, 18              (d) 32, 2, 32, 10, 36

Solution:  (c)

Each letter assigned its position from left in English alphabet.

So, PAPER —-> 16, 1, 16, 5, 18

Example 2:  FILM : 10 : : HOTEL : ?

(a) 12                                  (b) 15

(c) 18                                  (d) 30

Solution:  (a)

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Types of questions

Different types of question based on analogy that are asked in various competitive exams, have been given below

Type #1: Direct/Simple Analogy

In this type of analogy, two elements are given which are related to each other in a particular manner and other element is given followed by four alternatives. Finally, the candidate is required to identify the relationship between the first two elements. Then, the candidate is required to pick that element from the alternatives which bear exactly the same relationship to the third element, as the first two bear.

Example 1: ‘College’ is related to ‘Student’ in the same way as ‘Hospital’ is related to

(a) Doctor                                      (b) Nurse

(c) Medicine                                  (d) Patient

Solution:  (d) In the ‘College’, education is given to ‘Students’ in the same way, treatment is given to the ‘Patient’ in ‘Hospital’.

Example 2: ‘Major’ is related to ‘Lieutenant’ in the same way as ‘Squadron Leader’ is related to

(a) Group Captain                      (b) Flying Attendant

(c) Flying Officer                         (d) Pilot Officer

Solution:  (c) ‘Major’ and ‘Squadron Leader’ are equivalent ranks in the Army and the Air Force, respectively. Same as ‘Lieutenant’ and ‘Flying officer’ are equivalent ranks in the Army and Air force, respectively.

Type #2: Completing/Choosing the Analogous Pair

In this type of questions, two components are given, which are related to each other in a particular way. The candidate is required to find out the relationship between the first two components and choose the component/pair from the given alternatives, which have the same relationship as there in between the first two.

Direction (Example Nos. 1-2)In each of the following questions, select the related word / letters group from the given alternatives.

Example 1:  Boat : Oar : : Bicycle : ?

(a) 20 : 105                     (b) 22 : 100

(c) 18 : 190                     (d) 15 : 225

Solution:  (a) Second denotes that part of the first, on which the effort is applied to move it.

Example 2:  FLOWER : REWOLF : : FRUITS : ?

(a) STUIRF                                  (b) STUIFR

(c) STIURF                                  (d) STRUIF

Solution:  (c) In first pair, second term is the reverse order of first term.

Similarly, in second pair,

Direction (Example Nos. 1-2)The following questions, consist of two words / numbers having a certain relationship to each other, following by same pair of words / numbers select the related pair that has the same relationship as the original pair of words.

Example 1:  Pigeon : Peace : : ?

(a) Crown : Head           (b) White Flag : Surrender

(c) Laurels : Victory       (d) War : Liberty

Solution:  (b) As, ‘Pigeon’ is a symbol of ‘Peace’.

Similarly, ‘White Flag’ is symbol of ‘Surrender’.

Example 2:  9 : 50 : : ?

(a) 20 : 105                  (b) 22 : 100

(c) 18 : 190                  (d) 15 : 225

Solution:  (a) In first pair, we have relation between 9 and 50.

as (9 x 5) + 5 = 45 + 5 = 50

Similarly, (20 x 5) + 5 = 100 + 5 = 105

Type #3: Choosing a Similar Word/Number

In this type of questions, a group of three words/numbers is given, followed by four alternatives. The candidate is required to choose the alternative, which is similar to the given group of word/numbers.

Direction (Example Nos. 1-2)In each of the following questions, choose that set of number / word which has the same relationship among the given the three numbers / words.

Example 1:  144, 256, 324

(a) 625                    (b) 175

(c) 188                    (d) 189

Solution:  (a) The given numbers are perfect squares.

As, 144 = (12)²; 256 = (16)²; 324 = (18)²

Similarly, 625 = (25)²

Example 2:  Bhilai, Durgapur, Bokaro

(a) Baroda                         (b) Chennai

(c) Chandigarh                 (d) Rourkela

Solution:  (d) All cities are famous for steel plants.

Type #4: Multiple Word/Number Analogy

In this analogy, a group of three inter-related words/numbers is given. The candidate is required to trace out the relationship among these words/numbers and choose another group with similar relationship from the given alternatives.

Direction (Example Nos. 1-2)In each of the following questions, choose that set of numbers/words from the four alternatives sets that is similar to the given set.

Example 1:  Pen : Pencil : Ink

(a) Orange : Banana : Juice

(b) Table : Chair : Wood

(c) Cow : Milk : Curd

(d) Fish : Shark : Water

Solution:  (a) ‘Pen’, ‘Pencil’ belong to the same category i.e. stationary and pen contains ‘Ink’.

Similarly, ‘Orange’ and ‘Banana’ belong to the same category i.e. fruits and orange contains ‘Juice’.

Example 2:  Given set (6, 10, 16)

(a) 9, 12, 18

(b) 5, 10, 15

(c) 6,11,12

(d) 7,11,17

Solution:  (d)

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