Many kinds of word relationships are possible. When looking at relationships the order of the words is important. Changing the order changes the relationship. In word relationships, the colon (:) is an abbreviation of the phrase "is to." For example, instead of "white is to black," "white: black" is written. Like all abbreviations, this one saves space and time. Again, remember that there are countless kinds of relationships that can be constructed.
Common Word Relationships
| Relationship | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Synonym | Two words have the same or nearly the same meaning | dirty : nasty worn : used calm : peaceful |
| Antonym | One word means the opposite of another | hot : cold late : early new : old |
| Homonym | Two words sound alike | blue : blew lie : lye here : hear |
| Part to whole | A piece or portion of something is related to the total object | toe : foot sole : shoe leaf : plant wall : room |
| Whole to part | The whole is related to one of its parts | tree : trunk house : room coat : sleeve |
| Age or size | An animate (living) or inanimate (nonliving) object is related to a younger or older object of the same type | fawn : deer freshman : senior calf : cow mother : child |
| Rhyme | Although items do not begin with the same sound/letter, the ending sounds are the same | goat : boat trouble : bubble slow : toe light : kite |
| Person to location | A person is related to the place with which he is associated | sailor : ship criminal : jail President : White House |
| Object to use | Something is related to its function | oven : bake soap : clean broom : sweep |
| Source to object | The place from which an item is taken and the item are compared | pound : stray dog bakery : cookies mind : thought |