Concept 1 of 5
Word Analogy: A is to B as C is to ?
Today's big idea
Name the link between A and B in words, then apply that same link to C.
Whatever hidden link joins the first pair must join the second in the very same way.
How it works
👀 What's going on?
An analogy hands you one finished pair and half of a second one. A is to B as C is to what? The two pairs share a hidden relationship, and finding it is the whole question.
💡 Here's the trick
Look at the pair above. Bird goes with Sky because a bird lives in the sky, so the link is lives in. Apply that same link to Fish and you land on Sea. Say the relationship out loud in plain words before you go hunting for an answer, because a vague link produces a vague guess.
🪄 How to do it
- 1.Work out how A and B connect, as the picture above names lives in.
- 2.Say that link out loud as a full sentence.
- 3.Apply the very same link to C.
✍️ Try it
Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ? Then Pen : Write :: Knife : ? Name each link before you answer either.
The first link is works in, so a teacher works in a school. The second is is used to, so a knife is used to cut. Naming the link first is what stops you picking something that merely feels related.
⚠️ Watch out
You might be thinking any word connected to C will do. Cat and Kitten are related, but so are Cat and Milk, and only one of them matches the link you named. Read the whole analogy back as a sentence to test your answer.
🌟 Why this matters
Saying a scooter is to a road what a boat is to a river is how people explain new ideas to each other. Spotting the shared relationship is the thinking underneath every comparison.
Exam tip: Write the link in words between A and B, because the options are built to tempt anyone who skipped that step.
Watch me solve one
Quanta solves it
“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”
THE PROBLEM
“Finger : Hand :: Toe : ?”
- 1
Spot the rule
A finger is a part of a hand.
- 2
Apply
A toe is part of a Foot.
- 3
Answer ✓
Foot
Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇
See it in action
⚡ Time to play!
A is to B as C is to ? — first name the link, then complete C.
WORD ANALOGY · ROUND 1 OF 3
Step 1 · Cow __ Calf
Quick check
✅ VERIFICATION
Shoe : Foot :: Glove : ?
⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.
Keep going!
Up next: Numeric Analogy
Add, multiply, square or cube, apply the same to C.