Letter-Pair Analogies
A letter-pair analogy question shows one pair of letters changing into a second pair by a hidden rule, then asks a pupil to apply that rule to a third pair to find the missing letters. It tests the ability to spot how each letter's alphabet position moves, including swaps, mirrors and unequal shifts. A staple of GL Assessment-style 11+ verbal reasoning papers.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Work out how the first letter of the pair changes into the first letter of the second pair, counting the number of alphabet places moved.
- Separately work out how the second letter of the pair changes into the second letter of the second pair.
- Check whether both letters move by the same amount, a simple shift, or by different amounts, an unequal shift.
- Watch for special rules such as the two letters simply swapping places, or each letter being replaced by its mirror partner counting from the other end of the alphabet, A with Z, B with Y, and so on.
- Apply the confirmed rule to the third pair, working out each new letter separately.
- Check your answer pair against the options, making sure you have not swapped the order of the two letters by mistake.
Worked example
CD is to EF as GH is to ?
- Compare CD with EF: C+2=E and D+2=F, so both letters move 2 places forward in the alphabet.
- Apply the same rule to GH: G+2=I and H+2=J.
- Final answer: IJ.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
GJ is to KH as MO is to ? A) NP B) PN C) OP D) PO E) OQ
BE is to DG as HK is to ? A) IJ B) JM C) IL D) KM E) JL
CF is to FJ as LP is to ? A) OS B) OT C) NT D) PT E) OU
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the letter-pair analogies worksheet pack - 9 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. No sign-up, no email wall - just the PDF, free for personal and classroom use.
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