Verbal reasoning is the 11+ subject that most parents didn't sit themselves — which makes it the hardest to help with. The good news: it's highly learnable. Each question type follows a pattern, and once your child has a method for each, it becomes a matter of practice. Here are the most common types, with an example and a technique for each.
Verbal reasoning questions fall into three broad families:
- Word meaning — analogies, synonyms, antonyms, odd one out, word association.
- Codes and sequences — letter codes, number codes, letter sequences, number sequences.
- Word building — compound words, hidden words, missing letters, move a letter.
Word-meaning questions
1. Analogies
Glove is to hand as sock is to … (shoe · foot · leg · wool)
Answer: foot
Technique: say the relationship as a sentence — "a glove is worn on a hand" — then test each option in the same sentence. "A sock is worn on a foot." Common relationships: part and whole, object and use, young and adult (puppy : dog), group names (flock, shoal), and opposites.
2. Synonyms (closest in meaning)
Pick one word from each group that are closest in meaning:
(tired · loud · cold) (bright · weary · quick)
Answer: tired and weary
Technique: check every combination, not just the first match that jumps out. Watch for words with more than one meaning (fair, bark, light).
3. Antonyms (opposite in meaning)
Which word is most opposite in meaning to reluctant? (slow · eager · sad · careful)
Answer: eager
Technique: define the word first in your own words ("not wanting to"), then find the word that means the reverse ("really wanting to").
4. Odd one out
Which two words do not belong? violin · trumpet · cello · harp · flute
Answer: trumpet and flute — they're wind instruments; the others have strings.
Technique: find what three words have in common first. The two left over are the answer.
5. Word association (a word that fits both pairs)
(ring · telephone) (shout · yell) bell · call · noise · dial
Answer: call
Technique: these rely on words with two meanings. Try each option with both pairs — it must work equally well with each.
Codes and sequences
6. Letter codes
If LAMP is written as NCOR, what does FKUJ mean?
Answer: DISH — each letter was moved forward two places, so move each back two.
Technique: where rough working is allowed, write the alphabet out with numbers beneath each letter. Work out the shift for each letter — sometimes it changes (+1, +2, +3…) or goes backwards. Double-check the direction when decoding.
7. Number codes
Here are three words and their codes, but not in the same order: TEAM · MEAT · TAME → 4231 · 1342 · 1234. What is the code for MATE?
Answer: 4312. Two words start with T and two codes start with 1, so T = 1. That makes MEAT = 4231, so M = 4, E = 2, A = 3. MATE is therefore 4 3 1 2.
Technique: look for a letter that appears in a distinctive position (first, last, doubled) and match it to a number that does the same.
8. Letter sequences
AB · DE · GH · JK · ?
Answer: MN — each pair starts three letters after the last.
Technique: track each letter position separately. Write the gaps between them (+3, +3…) above the sequence.
9. Number sequences
2 · 6 · 12 · 20 · 30 · ?
Answer: 42 — the gaps go up by 2 each time (+4, +6, +8, +10, +12).
Technique: write the difference between each pair. If the differences don't form a pattern, try multiplying, or look for two alternating sequences.
Word-building questions
10. Compound words
Take one word from each group to make a new word:
(hat · cup · sock) (board · ten · rot)
Answer: cup + board = cupboard
Technique: try the first word of group one with each word in group two, then move on. Say the new word aloud — it should be a real single word, not two words.
11. Hidden words
Find a four-letter word hidden across the end of one word and the start of the next: The dog ate a bone.
Answer: gate (dog ate)
Technique: the hidden word always crosses a word boundary. Slide a four-letter "window" one letter at a time across every join between two words, and ignore letters that sit inside a single word.
12. Missing letters and move a letter
Move one letter from the first word to the second to make two new words: bread · lip
Answer: move the b — read and blip.
Technique: try removing each letter of the first word in turn, checking a real word remains, then try placing that letter in each position of the second word.
General verbal reasoning tips
- Master one type at a time before mixing them.
- Vocabulary and spelling underpin everything. A child who knows more words solves more questions. Start with our 100 essential 11+ words.
- Check every option. The first plausible answer is often a trap.
- Don't get stuck. If a question takes too long, mark it, move on and come back.
- Review mistakes by type. If letter codes keep going wrong, spend a week on letter codes.
Elevenplus FC includes learn and test modes for eight core verbal reasoning types — analogies, odd one out, compound words, letter codes, number codes, number sequences, hidden words and word association — with "Help me think" hints after wrong answers. See 11+ verbal reasoning practice.
Frequently asked questions
How many verbal reasoning question types are there in the 11+?
GL Assessment verbal reasoning is often described as having around 21 question types. Other tests use similar families of questions. Most can be grouped into word-meaning questions, code and sequence questions, and word-building questions.
What is the hardest type of verbal reasoning question?
It varies by child, but many find letter codes, letter sequences and 'move a letter' questions hardest at first, because they need care and working memory. They also improve fastest with a consistent method.
How long should my child spend on each verbal reasoning question?
In many 11+ papers it works out at well under a minute per question. Build accuracy first; speed follows as your child recognises each pattern instantly.