Why it matters
"Pen is to write as knife is to ___." You already know the answer is cut. That small jump of thinking is called an analogy, and it is one of the quickest scoring areas in Reasoning.
Plain definition: An analogy is a comparison of two pairs that share the same relationship. It is written as
A : B :: C : D — read as "A is to B as C is to D".
The single colon ( : ) means "is related to", and the double colon ( :: ) means "in the same way as". Your job is to find how A is linked to B, and then find the D that is linked to C in exactly the same way.
In the Reasoning / Mental Ability part of the Constable written test, analogy questions come in three flavours:
- Word analogy — meanings, uses, workers, animals, instruments.
- Number analogy — squares, cubes, simple arithmetic rules.
- Letter analogy — positions of letters in the alphabet and shifts.
These questions are short and need no long calculation, so a prepared student can solve them in 20–30 seconds and save time for harder questions. With about 54 seconds per question and no negative marking, every analogy you solve quickly is a gift.
Core concept
Step 1 (beginner): find the relationship, not the topic
Students often look at what the words are about (animals, tools, places). The examiner tests how the two words are connected. "Cow : Calf" and "Dog : Kennel" are both about animals, but the first is adult : young one and the second is animal : home. Same topic, different relationship.
Step 2: the bridge-sentence method
Make one short sentence that links A and B. Then put C into the same sentence.
- Bee : Hive → "A bee lives in a hive."
- Horse : ? → "A horse lives in a ___" → Stable.
If two options both fit, make the sentence more exact. "A bee lives in a hive" is better than "A bee is connected to a hive".
Step 3: word analogy — the common relationship types
| Relationship | Example pair | Bridge sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Synonym | Brave : Courageous | same meaning |
| Antonym | Ancient : Modern | opposite meaning |
| Tool : Function | Pen : Write | a pen is used to write |
| Worker : Tool | Carpenter : Saw | a carpenter works with a saw |
| Worker : Product | Cobbler : Shoes | a cobbler makes or mends shoes |
| Worker : Workplace | Pilot : Cockpit | a pilot works in a cockpit |
| Part : Whole | Petal : Flower | a petal is part of a flower |
| Young one : Adult | Lamb : Sheep | a lamb is a young sheep |
| Animal : Sound | Donkey : Bray | a donkey brays |
| Animal : Home | Lion : Den | a lion lives in a den |
| Instrument : What it measures | Anemometer : Wind speed | an anemometer measures wind speed |
| Quantity : SI unit | Force : Newton | force is measured in newtons |
| Country : Currency | India : Rupee | India's currency is the rupee |
| Country : Capital | Nepal : Kathmandu | Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal |
| Cause : Effect | Fire : Smoke | fire produces smoke |
| Degree (small : large) | Drizzle : Downpour | a downpour is heavy rain, a drizzle is light rain |
| Male : Female | Lion : Lioness | lioness is the female of lion |
Step 4: number analogy — common rules
| Rule | Example | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Square (n²) | 7 : 49 | 7 × 7 = 49 |
| Cube (n³) | 4 : 64 | 4 × 4 × 4 = 64 |
| Square ± 1 | 6 : 37 | 36 + 1 = 37 |
| Cube + n | 3 : 30 | 27 + 3 = 30 |
| n × (n + 1) | 7 : 56 | 7 × 8 = 56 |
| Fixed multiple | 9 : 45 | 9 × 5 = 45 |
| Reverse the digits | 36 : 63 | digits swapped |
| Next prime | 13 : 17 | 17 is the prime just after 13 |
| Product of digits | 48 : 32 | 4 × 8 = 32 |
Try the simple rules first (square, cube, ×k). Only if none fits, try the two-step rules (n² + 1, n³ + n).
Step 5: letter analogy — the three tools
Tool 1 — position numbers. A = 1, B = 2 … Z = 26. Convert letters to numbers, do the arithmetic, then convert back.
- A1 B2 C3 D4 E5 F6 G7 H8 I9 J10 K11 L12 M13
- N14 O15 P16 Q17 R18 S19 T20 U21 V22 W23 X24 Y25 Z26
Tool 2 — EJOTY. E = 5, J = 10, O = 15, T = 20, Y = 25. From these anchors you can reach any letter in one or two steps (for example, R = T − 2 = 18).
Tool 3 — opposite letters. Write the alphabet forward and backward; letters in the same place are "opposites". Each opposite pair adds up to 27:
A–Z, B–Y, C–X, D–W, E–V, F–U, G–T, H–S, I–R, J–Q, K–P, L–O, M–N.
So the opposite of a letter at position n is at position 27 − n.
Wrap-around: if a shift goes past Z, subtract 26. Example: Y (25) + 3 = 28 → 28 − 26 = 2 → B.
Step 6 (advanced): multi-step and "choose the pair"
Harder questions mix rules: letters shifted by +1, +2, +3 in turn, or numbers following n³ + n. Another format gives one pair and asks you to choose the pair with the same relationship. Here, form the bridge sentence for the given pair and test it on every option; usually only one option survives an exact sentence.
- ✓- Analogy format: A : B :: C : D — the relationship of A to B must equal that of C to D.
- ✓- Find the relationship, not the topic; use a bridge sentence.
- ✓- Keep the order — if the first pair is young : adult, the answer pair must also be young : adult.
- ✓- Squares to learn: 11² = 121, 12² = 144, 13² = 169, 14² = 196, 15² = 225, 16² = 256, 17² = 289, 18² = 324, 19² = 361, 20² = 400.
- ✓- Cubes to learn: 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, 216, 343, 512, 729, 1000 (for 1 to 10).
- ✓- Letter positions: A = 1 … Z = 26; EJOTY = 5, 10, 15, 20, 25.
- ✓- Opposite letters add to 27 (opposite of n = 27 − n).
- ✓- If a letter shift crosses Z, subtract 26 (wrap around).
Worked examples
Example 1 (easy — word)
Pen : Write :: Knife : ?
(a) Sharp (b) Cut (c) Kitchen (d) Steel
- Bridge sentence: "A pen is used to write."
- Put in knife: "A knife is used to ___."
- Only cut completes it. Sharp is a quality, Kitchen is a place, Steel is a material.
Answer: (b) Cut
Example 2 (easy — word, order matters)
Calf : Cow :: Puppy : ?
(a) Cat (b) Dog (c) Kitten (d) Kennel
- Bridge: "A calf is the young one of a cow." Young comes first, adult second.
- "A puppy is the young one of a ___" → dog.
- Kitten is another young one (wrong order and wrong animal). Kennel is the dog's home, a different relationship.
Answer: (b) Dog
Example 3 (medium — number)
5 : 26 :: 8 : ?
(a) 64 (b) 63 (c) 65 (d) 72
- 26 is just above 25, and 25 = 5². So the rule may be n² + 1.
- Check: 5² + 1 = 25 + 1 = 26. ✓
- Apply: 8² + 1 = 64 + 1 = 65.
- Option (a) 64 is the trap — it forgets the "+1".
Answer: (c) 65
Example 4 (medium — letter shift)
ACE : FHJ :: KMO : ?
(a) PRT (b) PQR (c) OQS (d) QSU
- Positions: A C E = 1, 3, 5; F H J = 6, 8, 10.
- Each letter moves +5.
- K M O = 11, 13, 15 → 16, 18, 20 = P, R, T.
Answer: (a) PRT
Example 5 (hard — opposite letters)
DOG : WLT :: CAT : ?
(a) XZG (b) XYG (c) DBU (d) XZH
- Check simple shifts: D → W is +19, but O → L is −3. No common shift, so test opposites.
- D (4) + W (23) = 27; O (15) + L (12) = 27; G (7) + T (20) = 27. Each letter is replaced by its opposite.
- CAT: C (3) → 27 − 3 = 24 = X; A (1) → 26 = Z; T (20) → 7 = G.
Answer: (a) XZG
Example 6 (exam-hard — two-step number rule)
6 : 222 :: 4 : ?
(a) 64 (b) 68 (c) 72 (d) 60
- 222 is close to 216, and 216 = 6³. Difference: 222 − 216 = 6, which is the number itself.
- Rule: n³ + n. Check: 6³ + 6 = 216 + 6 = 222. ✓
- Apply: 4³ + 4 = 64 + 4 = 68.
- Option (a) 64 is the trap (cube only).
Answer: (b) 68
Example 7 (exam-hard — choose the pair)
Select the pair that has the same relationship as Thermometer : Temperature.
(a) Barometer : Rain (b) Odometer : Speed (c) Hygrometer : Humidity (d) Ammeter : Voltage
- Bridge: "A thermometer measures temperature."
- (a) A barometer measures atmospheric pressure, not rain. ✗
- (b) An odometer measures distance travelled; speed is shown by a speedometer. ✗
- (c) A hygrometer measures humidity. ✓
- (d) An ammeter measures electric current; voltage is measured by a voltmeter. ✗
Answer: (c) Hygrometer : Humidity
Real-world connection
Police work runs on analogies. An investigator thinks: "A fingerprint identifies a person in the same way a number plate identifies a vehicle." When a new case looks like an old one — same method, same time of day, same kind of target — officers reason that the same kind of suspect may be involved. That is A : B :: C : D thinking.
Even daily life uses it. If ₹50 buys 2 notebooks, you already guess that ₹100 buys 4 — the same relationship applied to a new pair. Practising analogies trains your mind to spot a pattern once and reuse it quickly, which is exactly what the exam rewards.
- Reversing the order. Calf : Cow is young : adult, so Puppy : ? needs the adult, Dog. A pair written as Dog : Puppy is adult : young — the wrong order, even though the words are related.
- Mixing relationship types. Tailor : Needle is worker : tool, but Tailor : Clothes is worker : product. Pick the option of the same type as the question pair.
- Stopping at the first rule that fits. 2 : 8 fits both "cube" and "× 4". For 3 : ?, cube gives 27 and × 4 gives 12. Check which value is actually in the options and test the rule on every number given.
- Off-by-one in letters. Counting on fingers often adds or skips a letter. Always convert to position numbers (A = 1) and do the arithmetic.
- Forgetting the second step. In 5 : 26, writing 64 for 8 instead of 65 — always verify your rule on the first pair before answering.
- Bridge sentence first, options second. Form the sentence before reading the options, so a clever distractor does not pull you in.
- Eliminate by type. In word analogy, if the answer must be a place, cross out options that are actions or qualities. In letter analogy, cross out clusters whose letters do not follow the gap pattern of the first pair.
- Number quick-checks: look for a nearby square or cube (25 → 26, 216 → 222). Check the last digit: n² + 1 for n = 8 must end in 5 (64 + 1 = 65).
- Letters: if no simple shift works, add the two positions — a total of 27 means "opposite letters".
- Mnemonic — "EJOTY": E5, J10, O15, T20, Y25. For opposite pairs, remember a few words: BY (B–Y), IR — Indian Railway (I–R), HS — High School (H–S), LOve (L–O), MaN (M–N).
How it is asked in the exam
Common formats in the Reasoning section:
- Find the missing term: A : B :: C : ? (the most common).
- Missing term in the first pair: ? : B :: C : D.
- Choose the pair: "Select the pair in which the words/numbers/letters are related in the same way as A : B."
- Number sets: "(3, 9, 27) is related to (4, 16, 64)" — find the set that follows the same rule (here n, n², n³).
- Letter clusters: three- or four-letter groups like ACE : FHJ.
Time: about 54 seconds per question on average. Aim to finish an analogy in 20–30 seconds and carry the saved time to arithmetic.
Difficulty levels:
- Easy: one obvious relationship — Pen : Write, 7 : 49, AB : CD.
- Medium: one extra step or a close distractor — 5 : 26 (n² + 1), Calf : Cow with "Kitten" as a trap, letters shifted by +5.
- Hard: two-step rules (n³ + n), opposite letters, mixed shifts (+1, +2, +3), or "choose the pair" where three options are related but only one has the exact same relationship.
- Bee : Hive :: Horse : ? — Answer: Stable (animal : home).
- 9 : 81 :: 11 : ? — Answer: 121 (square).
- BD : FH :: JL : ? — Answer: NP (each letter +4: J10 → N14, L12 → P16).
- Seismograph : Earthquake :: Barometer : ? — Answer: Atmospheric pressure (instrument : what it measures).
- 7 : 50 :: 9 : ? — Answer: 82 (n² + 1: 49 + 1 = 50, so 81 + 1 = 82).
- ✓- Analogy = two pairs with the same relationship: A : B :: C : D.
- ✓- Make a bridge sentence for A and B; apply it word-for-word to C.
- ✓- Keep the order of the first pair in the answer pair.
- ✓- Word types: synonym, antonym, tool–function, worker–tool/product/place, part–whole, young one, sound, home, instrument–measure, unit, currency, capital.
- ✓- Number rules: n², n³, n² ± 1, n³ + n, n(n + 1), ×k, reverse digits, next prime.
- ✓- Letters: A = 1 … Z = 26, EJOTY, opposite letters sum to 27, subtract 26 to wrap.
- ✓- Spend 20–30 seconds; no negative marking, so never leave one blank.
తెలుగు సారాంశం (Telugu summary)
సాదృశ్యం (Analogy) అంటే రెండు జతల మధ్య ఒకే రకమైన సంబంధం ఉండటం. దీనిని A : B :: C : D అని రాస్తారు.
మొదటి జతలో A కి B కి ఉన్న సంబంధాన్ని కనుగొని, అదే సంబంధాన్ని C కి వర్తింపజేసి D ని కనుగొనాలి.
పద సాదృశ్యంలో పర్యాయపదాలు, వ్యతిరేక పదాలు, పనివాడు–పనిముట్టు, భాగం–మొత్తం, జంతువు–పిల్ల, పరికరం–కొలత వంటి సంబంధాలు ఎక్కువగా వస్తాయి.
ముందుగా ఒక చిన్న "వంతెన వాక్యం" తయారుచేసి, దానిని ప్రతి ఆప్షన్కు పరీక్షించండి.
జత క్రమాన్ని మార్చకూడదు — మొదటి జతలో పిల్ల ముందు ఉంటే, జవాబులోనూ పిల్లే ముందు ఉండాలి.
సంఖ్యా సాదృశ్యంలో వర్గం (n²), ఘనం (n³), n² + 1, n³ + n, అంకెలను తిరగరాయడం వంటి నియమాలను పరిశీలించండి.
అక్షర సాదృశ్యంలో అక్షరాల స్థానాలు (A = 1 … Z = 26), EJOTY (5, 10, 15, 20, 25) గుర్తుంచుకోండి.
వ్యతిరేక అక్షరాల స్థానాల మొత్తం ఎప్పుడూ 27 అవుతుంది (A–Z, B–Y, M–N).
ఒక్కో ప్రశ్నకు సుమారు 54 సెకన్లు ఉంటాయి; సాదృశ్య ప్రశ్నను 30 సెకన్లలో పూర్తి చేసి సమయం ఆదా చేయండి.
నెగటివ్ మార్కులు లేవు, కాబట్టి ఏ ప్రశ్ననూ వదిలిపెట్టకండి.
Key terms (English — తెలుగు):
- Analogy — సాదృశ్యం
- Relationship — సంబంధం
- Synonym — పర్యాయపదం
- Antonym — వ్యతిరేక పదం
- Square — వర్గం
- Cube — ఘనం
- Prime number — ప్రధాన సంఖ్య
- Letter position — అక్షర స్థానం
- Opposite letter — వ్యతిరేక అక్షరం
- Option elimination — ఆప్షన్ల తొలగింపు