Finding relationships between words.

One-word substitution replaces a long phrase with a single word that has the same meaning. Analogies ask you to find the word that relates to a third word in the same way that a given pair of words are related. Both test vocabulary and the ability to see how words connect.

One-word substitution

• Break the phrase into its key idea and look for a word that carries it, such as "one who loves books" for bibliophile.
• Learn common word parts: -phile (lover of), -phobia (fear of), -cracy (rule by), and anthropo- (human).
• Watch for similar-looking words with different meanings, such as apiary (bees) and aviary (birds).

Common analogy relationships

• Synonym or antonym: big : large, or hot : cold.
• Part to whole: petal : flower.
• Tool to function: pen : write.
• Worker to workplace: doctor : hospital.
• Animal to home: bird : nest.
• Cause to effect, or degree: fire : smoke, or warm : hot.

How to solve questions

1. For an analogy, state the relationship in a sentence, for example "a petal is a part of a flower".
2. Apply the same sentence to the third word and each option.
3. Keep the order of the pair the same: part to whole stays part to whole.
4. For one-word substitution, eliminate words that match only part of the phrase.