Vocabulary — Synonyms, Antonyms & Analogy - Cheat sheet
Your last-minute revision companion for mastering vocabulary, word relationships, and verbal reasoning in college entrance exams.
Root Words, Prefixes & Suffixes
Common values
Value
not, opposite
Symbol
Negative prefixes
Quantity
un-, in-, dis-
Value
again, before, under
Symbol
Position/time prefixes
Quantity
re-, pre-, sub-
Value
adverb, noun, adjective
Symbol
Common suffixes
Quantity
-ly, -tion, -able
Important facts
- Many English words can be decoded by breaking them into parts
- Knowing common prefixes helps guess meanings of unfamiliar words
- Suffixes often indicate grammatical function (noun, verb, adjective)
- Process: identify prefix + root + suffix to understand meaning
Key definitions
Root Word
Example
act (from action, active, actor)
The simplest form of a word from which other words are formed
Prefix
Example
un- + happy = unhappy
Letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning
Suffix
Example
quick + -ly = quickly
Letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning
Synonyms and Antonyms
Common values
Value
Pretty/Ugly
Symbol
Syn/Ant
Quantity
Beautiful
Value
Begin/Stop
Symbol
Syn/Ant
Quantity
Start
Value
Vital/Trivial
Symbol
Syn/Ant
Quantity
Important
Important facts
- Context determines which synonym fits best in a sentence
- Not all synonyms are interchangeable in every situation
- Antonyms must be the same part of speech as the original word
- Some words have multiple antonyms depending on context
Key definitions
Synonym
Example
beautiful = pretty, gorgeous, lovely
A word that has the same or similar meaning as another word
Antonym
Example
beautiful ≠ ugly, hideous, unattractive
A word that has the opposite meaning of another word
Verbal Analogy
Formulas
A : B :: C : D
Meaning
A is to B as C is to D (relationship pattern)
Watch out
Make sure the relationship is the same direction, not reversed
When to use
When solving any analogy question
Important facts
- Always identify the relationship first before looking at options
- Look for narrower relationships when multiple answers seem correct
- Maintain parallel grammar structure (noun:noun, verb:verb)
- Never reverse the relationship pattern
- Eliminate obviously wrong choices using POE
Key definitions
Verbal Analogy
Example
chicken : animal :: cactus : plant
A comparison showing the relationship between two pairs of words
Single-Word Approach
Example
planet : Mars :: fabric : denim
Given pair + third word, find the fourth word that completes the analogy
Paired-Word Approach
Example
fraternity : sorority :: brother : sister
Choose the pair that has the same relationship as the given pair
Diagrams to know
- Analogy relationship tree showing common types
- Step-by-step analogy solving flowchart
Types of Analogy Relationships
Important facts
- Classification: profiteroles : dessert (specific to general)
- Gender: stag : doe, duchess : duke
- Sequence: caterpillar : butterfly (development stages)
- Geography: Nile : Egypt (location relationships)
- Famous people: Mendel : genetics (person and field)
- Complement: mortar : pestle (pairs that work together)
Key definitions
Synonyms
Example
clean : tidy :: bright : radiant
Words with same meaning in analogy
Function-Purpose
Example
pen : writing :: oven : baking
Tool and its use relationship
Cause and Effect
Example
study : knowledge :: exercise : fitness
Action and its result
Context Clues and Vocabulary in Reading
Important facts
- Use sentence context when meaning is unclear
- Look for definition clues within the same sentence
- Contrast clues show opposite meanings
- Example clues provide specific instances
- Don't stop reading when encountering unknown words
Key definitions
Context Clues
Example
The bucolic countryside was peaceful (bucolic = rural, pastoral)
Hints in surrounding text that help determine word meaning
Inference
Example
Drawing conclusions not directly stated but supported by details
Educated guess based on evidence and reasoning from text
Must remember
- Always identify the relationship first in analogies before looking at choices
- Use POE (Process of Elimination) to narrow down options
- Never reverse analogy relationships - maintain the same direction
- Break unfamiliar words into prefix + root + suffix parts
- Context clues help determine meaning without a dictionary
- Synonyms must fit the context, not just have similar meaning
- Maintain grammatical parallelism in analogies (noun:noun)
- Look for narrower relationships when multiple answers seem correct
- Common analogy types: function, cause-effect, part-whole, synonym-antonym
- Inference questions ask for conclusions not directly stated but supported by text
Last minute tips
- Practice identifying the exact relationship between word pairs using complete sentences
- When stuck on vocabulary, look for familiar word parts (prefixes, roots, suffixes)
- In reading comprehension, underline key words that might appear in vocabulary questions
- For analogy questions, eliminate choices that break grammatical parallelism first
- Use context clues methodology: definition, contrast, example, and inference clues
Comparison tables
Single-Word vs Paired-Word Analogy Approaches
| Aspect | Single-Word | Paired-Word |
|---|---|---|
| Format | A : B :: C : ___ | A : B :: ___ : ___ |
| Given | Complete first pair + third word | Complete first pair only |
| Task | Find fourth word | Find complete second pair |
| Strategy | Apply same relationship to third word | Match relationship pattern |
Common Prefix Categories
| Type | Prefixes | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negative | un-, in-, dis- | not, opposite | unhappy, inactive |
| Position | sub-, super-, inter- | under, above, between | submarine, superman |
| Time/Repetition | pre-, re-, post- | before, again, after | preview, rewrite |
| Number | uni-, bi-, multi- | one, two, many | uniform, bicycle |
Diagrams
Vocabulary Components Overview
Complete overview of vocabulary components and their relationships for exam mastery
Analogy Problem-Solving Strategy
Step-by-step process for solving analogy questions systematically and accurately
Context Clue Identification Process
Process for systematically identifying and using different types of context clues to determine word meanings