Analogy questions

Reasoning Updated 11 Oct 2026

These analogy questions test how well you spot the relationship between two words, numbers or letter groups and apply it to a new pair. The page has word analogies, number analogy questions, letter analogies and choose-the-pair questions, each with four options and a worked explanation.

Analogy reasoning questions appear in almost every SSC, bank, railway and placement test. Work out the rule in the first pair yourself before you look at the options, then read the explanation to check your thinking.

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Word analogy questions

Q1. Chef : Kitchen :: Pilot : ?
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Answer: C. Cockpit
A chef works in a kitchen and a pilot works in the cockpit of an aircraft (worker : workplace).
Q2. Horse : Stable :: Bee : ?
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Answer: D. Hive
A horse is kept in a stable and a bee lives in a hive (creature : home).
Q3. Needle : Sew :: Knife : ?
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Answer: B. Cut
A needle is used to sew and a knife is used to cut (tool : function).
Q4. Tongue : Taste :: Ear : ?
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Answer: A. Hear
The tongue is the organ of taste and the ear is the organ of hearing (organ : function).
Q5. Cow : Calf :: Dog : ?
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Answer: B. Puppy
The young one of a cow is a calf and the young one of a dog is a puppy (animal : young one).
Q6. Thermometer : Temperature :: Barometer : ?
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Answer: C. Pressure
A thermometer measures temperature and a barometer measures atmospheric pressure (instrument : quantity measured).
Q7. Carpenter : Wood :: Tailor : ?
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Answer: A. Cloth
A carpenter works with wood and a tailor works with cloth (worker : material).
Q8. India : Rupee :: Japan : ?
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Answer: D. Yen
The rupee is the currency of India and the yen is the currency of Japan (country : currency).
Q9. Lion : Roar :: Snake : ?
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Answer: D. Hiss
A lion roars and a snake hisses (animal : sound).
Q10. Petal : Flower :: Page : ?
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Answer: C. Book
A petal is a part of a flower and a page is a part of a book (part : whole).
Q11. Water : Thirst :: Food : ?
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Answer: A. Hunger
Water removes thirst and food removes hunger (remedy : need).
Q12. Author : Novel :: Sculptor : ?
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Answer: B. Statue
An author creates a novel and a sculptor creates a statue (creator : creation).
Q13. Kilogram : Mass :: Metre : ?
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Answer: D. Length
The kilogram is the SI unit of mass and the metre is the SI unit of length (unit : quantity).
Q14. Fish : Gills :: Human : ?
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Answer: C. Lungs
A fish breathes through gills and a human breathes through lungs (living being : breathing organ).
Q15. Mumbai : Maharashtra :: Bhopal : ?
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Answer: A. Madhya Pradesh
Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra and Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh (capital : state).
Q16. Bold : Timid :: Generous : ?
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Answer: B. Miserly
Timid is the opposite of bold, and miserly is the opposite of generous (word : antonym).
Q17. Square : 4 :: Hexagon : ?
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Answer: B. 6
A square has 4 sides and a hexagon has 6 sides (shape : number of sides).

Number analogy questions

Q18. 4 : 64 :: 6 : ?
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Answer: C. 216
64 = 4³, so the answer is 6³ = 216 (number : its cube).
Q19. 4 : 17 :: 6 : ?
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Answer: D. 37
17 = 4² + 1, so the answer is 6² + 1 = 37.
Q20. 7 : 56 :: 9 : ?
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Answer: A. 90
56 = 7 x 8 = 7 x (7 + 1), so the answer is 9 x 10 = 90.
Q21. 12 : 144 :: 15 : ?
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Answer: A. 225
144 = 12², so the answer is 15² = 225.
Q22. 25 : 5 :: 64 : ?
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Answer: B. 8
5 is the square root of 25, so the answer is the square root of 64, which is 8.
Q23. 6 : 35 :: 8 : ?
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Answer: C. 63
35 = 6² - 1, so the answer is 8² - 1 = 63.
Q24. 2 : 9 :: 4 : ?
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Answer: D. 65
9 = 2³ + 1, so the answer is 4³ + 1 = 65.
Q25. 5 : 30 :: 7 : ?
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Answer: D. 56
30 = 5² + 5, so the answer is 7² + 7 = 56.
Q26. 11 : 121 :: 13 : ?
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Answer: A. 169
121 = 11², so the answer is 13² = 169.

Letter analogy questions

Q27. ABC : ZYX :: DEF : ?
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Answer: C. WVU
Each letter is replaced by its opposite letter in the alphabet (A and Z, B and Y, C and X). So D, E, F become W, V, U.
Q28. CAT : DBU :: DOG : ?
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Answer: B. EPH
Each letter moves one place forward: C to D, A to B, T to U. So D, O, G become E, P, H.
Q29. AZ : BY :: CX : ?
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Answer: C. DW
The first letter moves one step forward and the second moves one step back: C to D and X to W.
Q30. BDF : CEG :: MOQ : ?
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Answer: B. NPR
Each letter moves one place forward: M to N, O to P, Q to R.
Q31. PQR : RQP :: LMN : ?
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Answer: D. NML
The letters are written in reverse order, so LMN becomes NML.
Q32. BOOK : CPPL :: PAGE : ?
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Answer: A. QBHF
Each letter is moved one place forward: P to Q, A to B, G to H, E to F.
Q33. FISH : EHRG :: BIRD : ?
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Answer: B. AHQC
Each letter is moved one place back: B to A, I to H, R to Q, D to C.
Q34. ACE : CEG :: JLN : ?
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Answer: D. LNP
Each letter moves two places forward: J to L, L to N, N to P.

Choose the pair with the same relationship

Q35. Choose the pair that has the same relationship as Oxygen : Gas.
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Answer: A. Gold : Metal
Oxygen is a type of gas, just as gold is a type of metal (item : class).
Q36. Choose the pair that has the same relationship as Chennai : Tamil Nadu.
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Answer: C. Patna : Bihar
Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu and Patna is the capital of Bihar; the other cities are not state capitals.
Q37. Choose the pair that has the same relationship as Teeth : Chew.
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Answer: A. Nose : Smell
Teeth are used to chew and the nose is used to smell (organ : function); the other pairs are body part : something worn on it.
Q38. Choose the pair that has the same relationship as Hot : Cold.
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Answer: D. Light : Dark
Hot and cold are opposites, and so are light and dark; the other pairs are words with the same meaning.

How to prepare

To solve analogy reasoning questions, first state the relationship in the given pair as a short sentence, such as "a doctor works in a hospital" or "27 is the cube of 3". Then put the third term into the same sentence and find the option that completes it. If two options seem to fit, make your sentence more exact.

For number analogies, test the common rules in order: square, cube, n² plus or minus 1, n x (n + 1), and the square root. For letter analogies, write the alphabet positions (A = 1 to Z = 26) and check for a forward or backward shift, reversal, or opposite letters (A and Z, B and Y, where the positions add up to 27). Practise until you can name the rule within 15 seconds.

Study tips

Make a sentence that links the first pair, then use the same sentence for the second pair.
Learn the squares up to 30 and cubes up to 15 to spot number analogies instantly.
Memorise the opposite letter pairs and alphabet positions such as E = 5, J = 10, O = 15, T = 20.

Questions people ask

What is an analogy question in reasoning?

An analogy question gives a pair of words, numbers or letters that are related in some way and asks you to find a term that has the same relationship with a third term. It tests your ability to see patterns and connections.

How do I solve number analogy questions quickly?

Check the most common rules first: square, cube, square plus or minus one, n x (n + 1) and square root. Once you know the squares and cubes of small numbers by heart, most number analogies take a few seconds.

What types of relationships appear in word analogies?

Common ones are worker and workplace, tool and use, animal and young one, animal and sound, part and whole, word and antonym, instrument and what it measures, and country and currency.

How are letter analogies solved?

Write down the position of each letter in the alphabet and check how each letter moves in the first pair. The usual patterns are a fixed forward or backward shift, reversal of order, or replacing each letter with its opposite letter.

Every question on this page is written and fact-checked by the GK Quizzes team. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it. How we make our questions.