SSAT Analogy Worksheet 23

The following questions ask you to find relationships between words. For each question, select the answer choice that best completes the meaning of the sentence.

Sample Question:

Kitten is to cat as

1. fawn is to eagle
2. reptile is to lizard
3. cow is to bull
4. puppy is to dog
5. spider is to fly

1. Scalpel is to surgeon as

1. chisel is to sculptor
2. paint is to canvas
3. stethoscope is to patient
4. microscope is to bacteria
5. needle is to thread

2. Euphoria is to happiness as

1. sadness is to joy
2. rage is to anger
3. fear is to courage
4. confusion is to clarity
5. boredom is to excitement

3. Architect is to blueprint as

1. teacher is to classroom
2. composer is to symphony
3. carpenter is to hammer
4. actor is to audience
5. engineer is to bridge

4. Barren is to fertility as

1. wealthy is to poverty
2. silent is to noise
3. empty is to fullness
4. dark is to light
5. cold is to heat

5. Tadpole is to frog as

1. caterpillar is to butterfly
2. egg is to chicken
3. fish is to whale
4. snake is to lizard
5. bird is to nest

6. Drought is to precipitation as

1. flood is to rain
2. famine is to food
3. storm is to wind
4. winter is to snow
5. heat is to summer

7. Petal is to flower as

1. branch is to tree
2. leaf is to root
3. seed is to fruit
4. scale is to fish
5. thorn is to rose

8. Meticulous is to careful as

1. reckless is to cautious
2. gigantic is to large
3. ordinary is to special
4. rapid is to slow
5. difficult is to easy

9. Erosion is to canyon as

1. rain is to cloud
2. fire is to ash
3. wind is to storm
4. earthquake is to mountain
5. wave is to ocean

10. Thermometer is to temperature as

1. telescope is to astronomer
2. speedometer is to velocity
3. clock is to alarm
4. scale is to weight
5. ruler is to length

11. Novice is to expert as

1. student is to teacher
2. amateur is to professional
3. beginner is to learner
4. child is to parent
5. apprentice is to trainee

12. Forge is to metal as

1. carve is to stone
2. melt is to ice
3. burn is to fire
4. freeze is to water
5. break is to glass

13. Apiary is to bees as

1. aviary is to birds
2. aquarium is to water
3. zoo is to cages
4. barn is to hay
5. kennel is to food

14. Verbose is to concise as

1. talkative is to quiet
2. lengthy is to short
3. wordy is to brief
4. articulate is to clear
5. eloquent is to graceful

15. Journalist is to article as

1. author is to novel
2. editor is to newspaper
3. librarian is to book
4. publisher is to company
5. reader is to magazine

16. Whisper is to shout as

1. murmur is to speak
2. talk is to yell
3. silence is to noise
4. breeze is to gale
5. quiet is to loud

17. Insomnia is to sleep as

1. fatigue is to rest
2. amnesia is to memory
3. hunger is to food
4. illness is to health
5. pain is to comfort

18. Philanthropist is to charity as

1. miser is to wealth
2. benefactor is to donation
3. volunteer is to time
4. donor is to money
5. recipient is to gift

19. Rudder is to ship as

1. anchor is to boat
2. wheel is to car
3. wing is to airplane
4. engine is to train
5. sail is to wind

20. Cacophony is to harmonious as

1. discord is to peaceful
2. chaos is to orderly
3. noise is to quiet
4. music is to melodious
5. sound is to loud

21. Osmosis is to membrane as

1. diffusion is to gas
2. evaporation is to liquid
3. conduction is to heat
4. filtration is to filter
5. condensation is to vapor

22. Emaciated is to thin as

1. obese is to heavy
2. starving is to hungry
3. exhausted is to tired
4. wealthy is to rich
5. ancient is to old

23. Tanner is to leather as

1. miller is to grain
2. weaver is to fabric
3. carpenter is to wood
4. mason is to brick
5. farmer is to soil

24. Dormant is to active as

1. sleeping is to awake
2. inactive is to moving
3. latent is to obvious
4. resting is to working
5. 静is to energetic

25. Catalyst is to reaction as

1. spark is to fire
2. fuel is to engine
3. match is to flame
4. ingredient is to recipe
5. chemical is to laboratory

26. Cartographer is to map as

1. navigator is to compass
2. photographer is to photograph
3. explorer is to territory
4. surveyor is to land
5. pilot is to airplane

27. Peninsula is to land as

1. island is to ocean
2. bay is to water
3. mountain is to peak
4. valley is to hill
5. plateau is to elevation

28. Innocuous is to harm as

1. beneficial is to help
2. dangerous is to safety
3. harmless is to injury
4. toxic is to poison
5. safe is to protection

29. Audition is to actor as

1. interview is to candidate
2. rehearsal is to performer
3. performance is to audience
4. stage is to theater
5. script is to playwright

30. Opaque is to transparent as

1. clear is to cloudy
2. dark is to bright
3. solid is to liquid
4. obscure is to obvious
5. thick is to thin

STOP

IF YOU FINISH BEFORE TIME IS CALLED, YOU MAY CHECK YOUR WORK ON THIS SECTION ONLY.
DO NOT TURN TO ANY OTHER SECTION IN THE TEST.

Answer Key

1. Ans: (A) chisel is to sculptor
Explanation: Tool to user relationship. A scalpel is the primary cutting tool used by a surgeon, just as a chisel is the primary cutting tool used by a sculptor. Choice (B) is wrong because paint is not a tool but a material, and canvas is the surface, not the user. Choice (C) is wrong because a patient is not the user of a stethoscope; the doctor is.

2. Ans: (B) rage is to anger
Explanation: Degree of intensity relationship. Euphoria is an extreme or intense form of happiness, just as rage is an extreme or intense form of anger. Choice (A) is wrong because sadness and joy are antonyms, not degrees of the same emotion. Choice (C) is wrong because fear and courage are opposites, not related by intensity.

3. Ans: (B) composer is to symphony
Explanation: Specialist to work product relationship. An architect creates a blueprint as their professional output, just as a composer creates a symphony. Choice (C) is wrong because a hammer is a tool, not a product created by a carpenter. Choice (E) is wrong because while an engineer may design a bridge, the more precise parallel is the design document, not the physical structure.

4. Ans: (C) empty is to fullness
Explanation: Lack of quality relationship. Barren means lacking fertility, just as empty means lacking fullness. Choice (A) is wrong because wealthy is not defined by lacking poverty; it is the opposite state. Choice (B) is wrong because silent is the absence of sound but not defined as "lacking noise" in the same way barren is defined as lacking fertility.

5. Ans: (A) caterpillar is to butterfly
Explanation: Immature form to mature form relationship. A tadpole is the larval stage that develops into a frog, just as a caterpillar is the larval stage that develops into a butterfly. Choice (B) is wrong because an egg is not itself a living developmental stage but a protective container. Choice (C) is wrong because fish and whale are different species, not developmental stages of the same organism.

6. Ans: (B) famine is to food
Explanation: Lack of essential element relationship. A drought is a severe lack of precipitation, just as a famine is a severe lack of food. Choice (A) is wrong because a flood is an excess of rain, not a lack of it. Choice (C) is wrong because a storm contains wind rather than lacking it.

7. Ans: (D) scale is to fish
Explanation: Part to whole relationship (external covering). A petal is one of the external parts that make up a flower, just as a scale is one of the external parts that cover a fish. Choice (A) is wrong because while a branch is part of a tree, the relationship is less parallel since petals are the distinctive outer layer of flowers. Choice (C) is wrong because a seed is inside the fruit, whereas petals are on the outside of flowers.

8. Ans: (B) gigantic is to large
Explanation: Degree of intensity relationship. Meticulous means extremely or intensely careful, just as gigantic means extremely or intensely large. Choice (A) is wrong because reckless is the opposite of cautious, not an intensification. Choice (C) is wrong because ordinary and special are antonyms.

9. Ans: (B) fire is to ash
Explanation: Cause to effect relationship (process to result). Erosion is the process that can create or form a canyon over time, just as fire is the process that creates ash. Choice (A) is wrong because rain comes from clouds, not the other way around. Choice (D) is wrong because earthquakes don't create mountains; tectonic processes do.

10. Ans: (E) ruler is to length
Explanation: Instrument to measurement relationship. A thermometer is an instrument that measures temperature, just as a ruler is an instrument that measures length. Choices (B) and (D) also show this relationship correctly and are equally valid, but (E) is the most fundamental and clear parallel. Choice (A) is wrong because a telescope is a tool used by an astronomer, not a measure of something. Choice (C) is wrong because an alarm is a function of a clock, not what it measures.

11. Ans: (B) amateur is to professional
Explanation: Antonym relationship (inexperienced to experienced). A novice is someone with little experience, the opposite of an expert who has extensive experience, just as an amateur lacks the training and status of a professional. Choice (A) is wrong because while related, student and teacher are role-based rather than experience-level antonyms. Choice (C) is wrong because beginner and learner are synonyms, not antonyms.

12. Ans: (A) carve is to stone
Explanation: Action to object relationship (shaping process). To forge is to shape metal through heating and hammering, just as to carve is to shape stone through cutting. Choice (B) is wrong because melting changes the state of ice but doesn't shape it into a final product. Choice (C) is wrong because fire is the agent of burning, not the object being shaped.

13. Ans: (A) aviary is to birds
Explanation: Specialized enclosure to inhabitant relationship. An apiary is a place specifically designed to house bees, just as an aviary is a place specifically designed to house birds. Choice (B) is wrong because water is a medium, not the primary inhabitants. Choice (D) is wrong because hay is food stored in a barn, not the primary purpose of the barn.

14. Ans: (C) wordy is to brief
Explanation: Antonym relationship. Verbose means using too many words, the opposite of concise which means using few words, just as wordy is the opposite of brief. Choice (A) is also a valid antonym pair but less precise than (C). Choice (B) is wrong because it refers to physical length rather than word usage. Choice (D) is wrong because articulate and clear are not antonyms.

15. Ans: (A) author is to novel
Explanation: Professional to product relationship. A journalist produces articles as their primary work product, just as an author produces novels. Choice (C) is wrong because a librarian organizes and manages books but doesn't create them. Choice (B) is wrong because while editors work on newspapers, they refine rather than create the primary content.

16. Ans: (D) breeze is to gale
Explanation: Degree of intensity relationship (low to high). A whisper is quiet speech while a shout is loud speech, spanning from low to high intensity, just as a breeze is gentle wind while a gale is strong wind. Choice (A) is wrong because murmur and speak don't span the same range of intensity. Choice (C) is wrong because silence and noise are not degrees of the same thing but presence versus absence.

17. Ans: (B) amnesia is to memory
Explanation: Medical condition to affected function relationship. Insomnia is a condition characterized by the inability to sleep, just as amnesia is a condition characterized by the loss of memory. Choice (A) is wrong because fatigue is a state that makes you need rest, not the inability to rest. Choice (D) is wrong because illness is too general and doesn't specify what function is impaired.

18. Ans: (B) benefactor is to donation
Explanation: Agent to action relationship. A philanthropist is someone who gives to charity, just as a benefactor is someone who gives a donation. Choice (C) is wrong because while a volunteer gives time, the relationship is less parallel since "charity" is the recipient/cause while "time" is the resource. Choice (D) is wrong because donor is essentially synonymous with philanthropist rather than representing the same structural relationship.

19. Ans: (B) wheel is to car
Explanation: Steering mechanism to vehicle relationship. A rudder is the device used to steer a ship, just as a wheel is the device used to steer a car. Choice (A) is wrong because an anchor stops or holds a boat rather than steering it. Choice (C) is wrong because a wing provides lift, not steering control.

20. Ans: (B) chaos is to orderly
Explanation: Antonym relationship. Cacophony refers to harsh, discordant noise (the opposite of harmonious sound), just as chaos is the opposite of orderly. Choice (A) is close but less precise. Choice (C) is wrong because noise and quiet represent presence and absence rather than the quality of disorder versus harmony.

21. Ans: (D) filtration is to filter
Explanation: Process to medium relationship. Osmosis is the process of liquid passing through a membrane, just as filtration is the process of separating substances through a filter. Choice (A) is wrong because gas is what diffuses, not the medium through which it occurs. Choice (C) is wrong because heat is what is conducted, not the medium of conduction.

22. Ans: (C) exhausted is to tired
Explanation: Degree of intensity relationship. Emaciated means extremely thin (to the point of being unhealthily so), just as exhausted means extremely tired. Choice (A) is wrong because obese is extreme but represents the opposite end of the weight spectrum. Choice (D) is wrong because wealthy and rich are essentially synonyms without the extreme degree implied by emaciated.

23. Ans: (B) weaver is to fabric
Explanation: Craftsperson to product relationship. A tanner is someone who processes hides into leather, just as a weaver is someone who creates fabric from thread. Choice (C) is wrong because a carpenter shapes wood but doesn't transform it into a different material. Choice (A) is wrong because a miller processes grain into flour, but the parallel is less exact than weaver to fabric.

24. Ans: (A) sleeping is to awake
Explanation: Antonym relationship (inactive state to active state). Dormant means in an inactive or resting state, the opposite of active, just as sleeping is the opposite of awake. Choice (B) is also correct but (A) is more precise. Choice (C) is wrong because latent means hidden, not inactive, and obvious refers to visibility rather than activity level.

25. Ans: (A) spark is to fire
Explanation: Initiator to process relationship. A catalyst initiates or speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed, just as a spark initiates fire. Choice (B) is wrong because fuel is consumed in the engine, while a catalyst is not consumed. Choice (D) is wrong because an ingredient becomes part of the final product, unlike a catalyst.

26. Ans: (B) photographer is to photograph
Explanation: Specialist to product relationship. A cartographer is a professional who creates maps, just as a photographer is a professional who creates photographs. Choice (A) is wrong because a compass is a tool used by a navigator, not a product they create. Choice (D) is wrong because a surveyor measures land but doesn't create it.

27. Ans: (B) bay is to water
Explanation: Geographic feature defined by surrounding element relationship. A peninsula is a piece of land that extends into water (surrounded on three sides by water), just as a bay is a body of water that extends into land (surrounded on three sides by land). Choice (A) is wrong because an island is completely surrounded by water, not partially like a peninsula. Choice (C) is wrong because a peak is the top part of a mountain, not a separate feature defined by what surrounds it.

28. Ans: (C) harmless is to injury
Explanation: Lack of quality relationship. Innocuous means lacking the ability to cause harm, just as harmless means lacking the ability to cause injury. Choice (A) is wrong because beneficial implies actively helping, not merely lacking harm. Choice (B) is wrong because dangerous is the opposite of safe rather than showing a "lack of" relationship.

29. Ans: (A) interview is to candidate
Explanation: Selection process to person being evaluated relationship. An audition is a tryout where an actor is evaluated for a role, just as an interview is a process where a candidate is evaluated for a position. Choice (B) is wrong because a rehearsal is practice, not an evaluative selection process. Choice (C) is wrong because a performance is the final product, not the selection process.

30. Ans: (D) obscure is to obvious
Explanation: Antonym relationship (unclear to clear). Opaque means not allowing light to pass through (you cannot see through it), the opposite of transparent (you can see through it clearly), just as obscure means unclear or hidden, the opposite of obvious. Choice (A) is wrong because it reverses the order. Choice (B) is wrong because dark and bright refer to the amount of light, not the ability to see through something.