Analogy
🔒 Log in to trackLetter / letter-cluster analogy
🔒 Log in to trackHere A, B, C are letters or clusters, and the relation is a letter-position rule. Convert every letter to its alphabet position (A=1 ... Z=26) and compare positions of B against A. The rule is almost always one of:
- Constant shift: every letter moves +k or −k (e.g. CAT → FDW is +3).
- Different shifts per position: shifts form their own pattern (+1, +2, +3, ...).
- Opposite letter (Atbash): A↔Z, B↔Y, ... position p becomes 27−p.
- Reversal: the cluster order flips (EAT → TAE), sometimes combined with a shift.
EJOTY anchor table — learn these five positions and every shift becomes a ±1 to ±5 jump from a familiar letter:
| Letter | E | J | O | T | Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
Opposite pairs: 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.
Detailed notes
What is a letter analogy?
Here the terms are letters or groups of letters (called clusters), such as CAT : FDW :: PIN : ?. The link is always a rule about alphabet positions. There is no meaning to find — only counting.
Step 1: turn letters into numbers
Give every letter its place in the alphabet: A = 1, B = 2 ... Z = 26. Counting from A every time is slow, so learn the EJOTY anchors:
| Letter | E | J | O | T | Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
Now any letter is a small hop from an anchor: R = T − 2 = 18, L = J + 2 = 12, W = Y − 2 = 23.
Also learn the opposite pairs (they add 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. A handy memory line: "Go To Hell Sir" gives G-T and H-S.
Step 2: subtract slot by slot
Write the position of each letter of the first cluster, then of the second cluster, and subtract. The list of changes is called the shift tuple. Example: CAT → FDW. C(3)→F(6) is +3, A(1)→D(4) is +3, T(20)→W(23) is +3. Tuple = (+3, +3, +3). Apply it to PIN: P+3 = S, I+3 = L, N+3 = Q → SLQ.
Wrap-around
After Z the alphabet starts again at A. So Y + 3 = B (25 + 3 = 28, and 28 − 26 = 2 = B). Going back from A also wraps: B − 3 = Y (2 − 3 = −1, and −1 + 26 = 25 = Y).
The rule bank
- Constant shift — every letter moves the same number of places. EHKN : GJMP is +2 on every letter.
- Different shift per slot — the tuple is not flat but has a pattern: (+1, +2, +3, +4) or (+2, −1, +2, −1). Copy the whole tuple exactly.
- Opposite letters — each letter becomes its opposite (position 27 − p). GOLD : TLOW. Spot it when the pairs of letters add up to 27.
- Reversal — the cluster is written backwards (LAMP : PMAL). It may be combined with a shift: RING → reverse GNIR → +1 → HOJS.
- Rearrangement — letters are swapped in pairs (PLAY : LPYA), or each half is reversed (WINTER : NIWRET), or the first and last letters change places.
How to pick the rule fast
- Read the second cluster backwards first. If you see the first cluster (or it shifted), it is reversal.
- If the second cluster has the same letters in a new order, it is rearrangement.
- Check the first pair of letters: do they add to 27? Then test opposite letters.
- Otherwise subtract positions and read the tuple.
Worked example
DRIVE : FUMAK :: PLANT : ? D→F +2, R→U +3, I→M +4, V→A +5 (22 + 5 = 27 → A), E→K +6. Tuple (+2, +3, +4, +5, +6). PLANT: P+2 = R, L+3 = O, A+4 = E, N+5 = S, T+6 = Z → ROESZ.
Quick revision
- EJOTY: E5, J10, O15, T20, Y25. Opposite pairs add to 27.
- Subtract slot by slot; the tuple is the rule; apply the same tuple.
- Past Z subtract 26; before A add 26.
- Same letters, new order → rearrangement. Backwards → reversal (maybe + shift).
- Missing first cluster → run the tuple backwards (subtract instead of add).
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: Constant shift letter-cluster analogyvery common2 practice Q
Every letter of the second cluster is the same number of places ahead of (or behind) the matching letter of the first cluster.
- Subtract positions slot by slot (use EJOTY).
- Confirm the tuple is flat (+k, +k, +k).
- Add k to every letter of the third cluster, wrapping past Z.
Why it works: the whole cluster moves as one block, so one number describes the rule.
Example: EHKN : GJMP :: RUXA : ?
E→G, H→J, K→M, N→P are all +2. RUXA + 2: R→T, U→W, X→Z, A→C → TWZC.
Type 2: Different shift for each slot (rising or alternating tuple)common2 practice Q
The changes are not equal but form a pattern: +1, +2, +3, +4 or +2, −1, +2, −1.
- Write the full tuple from the first pair.
- Do not average it or 'correct' it — copy it exactly.
- Apply slot 1's change to letter 1, slot 2's to letter 2, and so on.
Why it works: the rule is attached to the position in the cluster, not to the letter.
Example: CFIL : DHLP :: GJMP : ?
C→D +1, F→H +2, I→L +3, L→P +4. GJMP: G+1 = H, J+2 = L, M+3 = P, P+4 = T → HLPT.
Type 3: Opposite-letter analogy (and opposite + reverse)common2 practice Q
The letters of the first pair add up to 27 (G + T, O + L). Sometimes the opposite cluster is also written backwards.
- Check one pair: position sum 27 means opposite letters.
- Replace each letter of the third cluster by its opposite (27 − position).
- If the model cluster was also reversed, reverse your result too.
Why it works: opposite letters are a fixed swap table (A-Z, B-Y ... M-N).
Example: GOLD : TLOW :: IRON : ?
G(7)+T(20) = 27, so opposite letters. I↔R, R↔I, O↔L, N↔M → RILM.
Type 4: Reversal and reverse-plus-shift analogycommon2 practice Q
Reading the second cluster backwards gives the first cluster, or gives it with every letter moved by the same step.
- Reverse the second cluster and compare with the first.
- Same letters → pure reversal. Every letter off by k → reverse then shift by k.
- Do the same two steps, in the same order, on the third cluster.
Why it works: reversal changes order, the shift changes letters; the two steps are independent.
Example: RING : HOJS :: BELL : ?
RING backwards = GNIR; +1 on each gives HOJS. BELL backwards = LLEB; +1 → MMFC.
Type 5: Rearrangement analogy (swapped pairs, halves reversed)occasional2 practice Q
The second cluster uses exactly the same letters as the first, only in a new order.
- Number the letters of the first cluster 1, 2, 3 ...
- Write the order in which they appear in the second cluster (e.g. 2-1-4-3).
- Rearrange the third cluster in the same order.
Why it works: the rule is a fixed position map, so letter values do not matter.
Example: PLAY : LPYA :: GIFT : ?
PLAY (1-2-3-4) → LPYA is order 2-1-4-3 (pairs swapped). GIFT in order 2-1-4-3 → IGTF.
Formulas
Q = alphabet position; k is constant for a constant-shift analogy.
Atbash: A↔Z, M↔N. Two-letter quick check: sum of positions = 27.
Position i gets shift i — common in 4-letter clusters (BDFH from ABCD).
Shortcut tricks
⚡ Subtract positions, then copy the shift pattern
Write positions of A under A, positions of B under B, subtract slot by slot. The shift tuple you get (e.g. +3, +3, +3) is the whole question. Apply the same tuple to C and read the answer with EJOTY.
Example: Q. 'GKM' : 'IQN' :: 'SUX' : ?
Sol. G(7)→I(9): +2; K(11)→Q(17): +6; M(13)→N(14): +1. Shift tuple (+2, +6, +1). S(19)+2=U(21), U(21)+6=A(27→A), X(24)+1=Y(25) → UAY.
One subtraction row is faster than 'feeling' the pattern; shifts never lie.
⚡ Spot Atbash by the 27-sum
If corresponding letters of A and B always add to 27 (C=3, X=24 → 27), the rule is opposite letters. Then answer = opposite of each letter of C — no shifting at all.
Example: Q. 'HE' : 'SV' :: 'GO' : ?
Sol. H(8)+S(19)=27, E(5)+V(22)=27 → Atbash. Opposites: G↔T, O↔L → TL.
Opposite pairs table A-Z ... M-N applied letter by letter takes 5 seconds.
⚡ Reversal check: read B backwards
If B read backwards is a constant shift of A (or of A reversed), the rule is reversal ± shift. Apply: reverse C, then shift by the same k.
Example: Q. 'DEB' : 'BED' :: 'LAP' : ?
Sol. BED is DEB reversed (no shift). So LAP reversed = PAL.
Only two things can hide in reversal questions: pure reversal, or reversal + fixed shift — test both.
Where students lose marks
Applying the shift to positions instead of letters (adding 3 to '26' giving '29' instead of wrapping to C). Positions wrap mod 26.
Ignoring a mixed shift tuple: treating (+1, +2, +3) as 'constant +2' gives wrong cluster; check every slot.
Confusing opposite-letter (Atbash) with a 13-shift: both map A to N? No — Atbash maps A to Z. Verify with the 27-sum before using the table.
Practice sets — 15 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 7 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.