This week's brain test: What is an analogy?

Have you ever tried to explain something but ended up just making a comparison instead? 

Whether you realized it or not, you were using an analogy. 

An analogy is a comparison that helps you understand a complex idea by relating it to something more familiar. Elizabeth Bowen said in her novel House in Paris: "An analogy is like a signpost that points to an unfamiliar destination." 

Analogies are an essential part of daily communication and reasoning. They help you make sense of new information and connect it to what you already know. 

While analogies are often confused with similes and metaphors, there are important differences between these three literary devices:

• A simile uses "like" or "as" to make a comparison. 
• A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes something as if it were something else. 
• An analogy highlights the similarities and differences between two things in order to explain one of them in terms of the other.

Understanding the different types of analogies is crucial for effective communication and problem-solving. So keep reading to learn more about them. 

The 3 types of analogies (with examples!)

There are three main types of analogies: part to whole analogies, opposites analogies, and synonym analogies. Each type has its own unique characteristics and importance in different contexts.

Part to whole analogies + examples

Part to whole analogies compare a part of something to the whole thing. They're used to help you understand how the parts of something relate to the whole. For example:

• The roof is to the house as the lid is to the box.
• The hand is to the body as a petal is to a flower.

Part to whole analogies are often used in science and engineering to explain complex systems. They're also useful in defining hierarchies and organizational structures.

Opposites analogies + examples

Opposites analogies compare two things that are opposite to each other. They're used to help you understand the relationship between two things that are seemingly different. For example:

• Hot is to cold as up is to down.
• Memory holds on to love, as a saucer holds the cup.

Opposites analogies are commonly used in literature and poetry to create contrast and emphasize differences. They're also useful in problem-solving and decision-making, as they can help you identify contradictions and inconsistencies.

Synonym analogies + examples

A synonym analogy compares two words that have similar meanings. They're used to help you understand how words are related to each other. For example:

• Happy is to joyful as sad is to sorrowful.
• Big is to large as small is to tiny.

Synonym analogies are important in language and communication because they help you expand your vocabulary and express yourself more precisely. They're also useful in test-taking and academic settings, as they can help you learn and remember new words.

Have you used any of these types of analogies before? 

How to solve analogy problems

There’s a good chance you’ve come across analogy problems in the past, whether it’s through a school assignment, trivia, or, you know, a brain-teaser on social media. 

And solving these analogy problems involves a series of steps and strategies: 

1. Identify the relationship between the first pair of words. This can be done by looking for common characteristics, actions, or qualities.
2. Find a word that has a similar relationship to the second pair of words. This can be done by applying the same relationship found in Step 1 to a new set of words.
3. Check to make sure the analogy makes sense. Does the word you chose accurately reflect the relationship between the second pair of words? 

For example, consider the analogy "tree is to leaf as flower is to ___." The relationship between tree and leaf is that a leaf is part of a tree. Applying this relationship to the second pair of words, you can deduce that a petal is part of a flower. Therefore, the answer is petal.

While you’re solving the analogy, consider these strategies: 

• Look for keywords that indicate the type of relationship, such as cause-and-effect or part-and-whole.
• Break down complex words into their root components to find similarities with other words.
• Use context clues from the sentence or passage to help you understand the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Solving analogies in this way isn’t just fun—it’s also a powerful tool for developing your critical thinking skills because they require you to recognize patterns and make connections between seemingly unrelated things. By understanding analogies, you can:

• Develop flexible thinking skills by learning how to apply different types of relationships to different situations.
• Improve problem-solving skills by identifying similarities and differences between different scenarios.
• Enhance creativity by learning how to use analogies to generate new ideas and perspectives.

Ready to put your skills to the test? Here are a few practice exercises to help you improve your analogy problem-solving skills:

Dog is to bark as cat is to _____

Knife is to cut as hammer is to _____

Water is to wet as fire is to _____

Do you know the answers? Here's one more to try:

Applying analogies in real-life situations

As we’ve mentioned, analogies are not just for academics and intellectuals. They're also useful in everyday life because, since analogies are comparisons between two things that highlight their similarities and differences, they help you relate unfamiliar concepts to things you already know and understand.

For example, "finding a needle in a haystack" is an analogy that describes a difficult task. "Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic" is an analogy that describes a futile effort.

Specifically, analogies are used in a wide range of real-life situations, including teaching, business, and storytelling.

Teaching

Analogies are frequently used in education to help students understand complex concepts. For example, a teacher might use an analogy to explain how electricity works by comparing it to water flowing through pipes, which helps students visualize the flow of electricity and understand how it travels through wires.

Business

Analogies are also useful in business for explaining complex ideas to non-experts. For example, a salesperson might use an analogy to explain how a new product works by comparing it to a product that the customer is already familiar with, which helps the customer understand the benefits of the new product and why they should consider purchasing it.

Storytelling

Analogies are often used in storytelling to create vivid images and make emotional connections with readers or listeners. For example, the phrase "life is like a box of chocolates" from the movie Forrest Gump is an analogy that describes the unpredictability of life, which helps viewers relate to the character and understand the challenges he faces.

Using the Elevate app to understand analogies

If you’re looking for a fun and effective tool to help you better understand analogies and confidently communicate them yourself, you’ve come to the right place. 

Meet: the Elevate app, available on iOS and Android. Elevate’s 40+ games and themed workouts are designed to boost your cognitive abilities, making it the perfect tool for anyone looking to take their communication—from speaking, to vocabulary, to reading, and even writing skills—to the next level. 

Here’s a preview of some of Elevate’s games to help you excel at analogies: 

1. Elevate’s Transitions game teaches you how to connect complex ideas and become a more persuasive speaker. 
2. The Recall game helps you practice rapidly retrieving words from memory.
3. The Eloquence game teaches you how to choose the best words to communicate tone and meaning.
4. The Clarity game helps you learn how to express yourself clearly and directly. 
5. The Synonyms game teaches you how to expand your vocabulary to avoid sounding repetitive. 

And if you want to see how your communication skills stack up, we have good news: You can track your progress with the Elevate app. 

That’s because when you play Elevate, your difficulty level will automatically adjust based on your performance over time. And you can see where you stand any time with Elevate’s Performance Tab. More specifically, you can see the Skill Groups you’re excelling in, as well as where you rank against other Elevate members in your age group. 

If that sounds like fun to you, why not give it a try for free? 

Beat the brain test: start learning analogies today 

Whether you're trying to write an analogy, solve an analogy problem, or use analogies in everyday life, analogies are an essential part of logical argument and communication. As William Shakespeare once said, "Call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Analogies, similes, and metaphors are all figures of speech that help us express ourselves more vividly and creatively.

Plus, solving them is also a fun way to improve your critical thinking skills and better understand real-life situations while also having a good time. 

But if you want to continue learning how to effectively communicate analogies yourself, download the Elevate app on iOS or Android to play 40+ brain training games that'll help improve your vocabulary, spelling, and other cognitive skills, all while helping your brain stay sharp.