11+ Verbal Reasoning Types

This extensive guide features alphabet and word pattern recognition exercises, designed for students at varying levels of cognitive development. The patterns increase in complexity, pushing students to advance their problem-solving and pattern recognition skills.

Alphabet Patterns

No.	Type	Explanation	Example	Skill Used	Example Question
A1	Alphabet Position	Assign numerical positions to letters (A=1 to Z=26).	C = 3, T = 20	Coding, Decoding	A, C, E, G, ?
A2	Reverse Alphabet Position	Assign reverse numerical positions (A=26 to Z=1).	A = 26	Lateral Thinking	Z, X, V, T, ?
A3	Letter Shifting (+/-)	Shift letters forward or backward by a fixed number.	D + 3 = G	Sequencing, Decoding	J, M, P, S, ?
A4	Mirror Alphabet	Mirror letters from the center of the alphabet (A↔Z, B↔Y, etc.).	F↔U, M↔N	Spatial Reasoning	A, Z, B, Y, C, ?
A5	Odd/Even Letter Check	Determine if letter positions are odd or even.	E = 5 (odd)	Pattern Recognition	A, C, E, G, ?
A6	Vowels/Consonants	Identify patterns using vowel/consonant alternation.	CAT (CVC)	Phonics Awareness	A, E, I, O, ?
A7	Alphabet Arithmetic	Add or subtract positions to form new letters.	C (3) + E (5) = H (8)	Logical Operations	A, C, F, J, ?
A8	Alphabet Gaps	Skip letters at fixed intervals.	A, D, G, J, ?	Logical Sequencing	B, F, J, N, ?
A9	Alternating Letters	Skip every other letter in a pattern.	A, C, E, G, ?	Pattern Skipping	Z, X, V, T, ?
A10	Repeated Letter Patterns	Identify repeated sequences in letters.	ABCABCABC	Sequential Reasoning	MNO, MNO, MNO, ?
A11	Code Words	Substitute letters using a specific code (e.g., A=Z, B=Y).	A↔Z, B↔Y	Cryptography	Z, Y, X, W, ?
A12	Letter Sandwich	Patterns with the same letter surrounding another.	EYE, BOB	Spatial Recognition	DAD, MOM, NUN, ?
A13	Letter Frequency Count	Count repeated letters in sequences.	Banana → 3 A’s	Attention to Detail	ABBA, BOBBY, DADDY, ?
A14	Paired Letter Sequences	Identify patterns in pairs of letters.	AS, BR, CQ, DP, ?	Sequential Reasoning	AS, BR, CQ, DP, ?
A15	Letter Series with Increasing Steps	Identify sequences with increasing steps between letters.	A, C, F, J, ?	Pattern Recognition	A, C, F, J, ?
A16	Letter Multiples Pattern	Use multiples of alphabet positions.	2×A=2, 2×B=4	Numerical Reasoning	A, C, F, J, O, ?
A17	Diagonal Letter Shift	Shift by increasing amounts diagonally in the alphabet.	A, D, H, M, ?	Visual-Spatial Memory	A, D, H, M, ?
A18	Mixed Direction Sequences	Alternate forward and backward letter shifts.	A, C, B, D, C, E	Alternating Reasoning	D, F, E, G, F, ?
A19	Letter Pair Mapping	Match letters in pairs with rules (A↔F, B↔G).	A↔F, B↔G	Relationship Reasoning	A, F, B, G, C, ?
A20	Positional Alternation	Use positions of odd/even letters alternately.	A(1), C(3), E(5)	Number-Letter Mapping	A, C, E, G, I, ?
A21	Embedded Code Rules	Use positional differences within a letter code.	ACEG → BDHF	Abstract Reasoning	ACEG, BDHF, CEIG, ?
A22	Base-10 Alphabet Encoding	Use base-10 or binary logic on positions.	A=00001, Z=11010	Logical Coding	00001, 00011, 00101, ?
A23	Clockwise Alphabet Cycle	Loop letters in a cyclic pattern (like a clock).	A, L, W, H, ?	Modular Arithmetic	A, L, W, H, ?
A24	Half-Alphabet Mapping	Map A–M to N–Z and vice versa.	A↔N, B↔O	Reflection Reasoning	A, N, B, O, C, ?
A25	Alphabet Sums with Steps	Add letter values cumulatively.	A(1), C(3), F(6)	Stepwise Reasoning	A, C, F, J, ?
A26	Symmetric Alphabet Mirroring	Letters mirror around the midpoint (M/N).	A↔Z, B↔Y, C↔X	Spatial Awareness	A, Z, B, Y, C, ?
A27	Fibonacci Letter Sequence	Letter positions follow Fibonacci numbers.	A(1), B(2), C(3), E(5)	Mathematical Logic	A, B, C, E, H, ?
A28	Triangular Alphabet Series	Use triangular numbers for positions (1, 3, 6, 10, …).	A, C, F, J, ?	Number Series Pattern	A, C, F, J, O, ?
A29	Alphabet Mirror-Flip	Mirror half the alphabet across a vertical axis.	A↔M, B↔L, C↔K	Mirror Mapping	A, M, B, L, C, ?
A30	Multiples of 5 Letter Jumps	Jump 5 positions at a time.	A, F, K, P, ?	Arithmetic Sequences	B, G, L, Q, ?
A31	Alternating Step Pattern	Alternate increasing and decreasing letter steps.	A, C, B, D, C, E	Alternating Thinking	M, O, N, P, O, ?
A32	Vowel/Consonant Switching	Switch between vowels and consonants only.	A, B, E, F, I, J	Classification	U, V, A, B, E, ?
A33	Word → Position → Shift	Use letter positions in word to generate next letters.	CAT (3,1,20) = C+A+T	Synthesis + Position Logic	HAT → H+A+T = ?, ?
A34	Reverse Positional Encoding	Reverse the position numbers before mapping to letters.	A=1→1, Z=26→62	Positional Reversal	1, 21, 6, ?, ?
A35	Alternating Alphabet Groups	Jump between two subsets of the alphabet (e.g., A-M, N-Z).	A, N, B, O, C, ?	Subgroup Awareness	D, Q, E, R, F, ?
A36	Layered Alphabet Shift	Apply 2 or more shifts per step (e.g., +1 then +2)	A, B, D, G, K, ?	Compound Reasoning	B, C, E, H, L, ?
A37	Prime Position Letters	Only letters at prime-numbered positions	B, C, E, G, K, M	Prime Number Identification	A, C, E, G, ?
A38	Arithmetic-Geometric Alternation	Alternate arithmetic and geometric jumps	A(+1), B(×2)=D, D(+1)=E	Alternating Pattern Logic	A, B, D, E, G, ?
A39	Fibonacci Positional Gap	Use Fibonacci gaps between letters	A, B, D, G, L, ?	Pattern Memory + Math	A, B, D, G, ?
A40	Vowel/Consonant Balancer	Match vowel with consonant of same position sum	A(1)+Z(26)=27	Balanced Pairing	A, Z, B, Y, C, ?
A41	Exponential Letter Jump	Letters increase based on exponential growth	A(1), B(2), D(4), H(8)	Exponential Reasoning	A, B, D, H, ?
A42	Central Reflection Code	Mirror sequence around a central pivot letter	A, D, G, D, A	Symmetric Logic	F, I, L, I, ?
A43	Clockface Letter Rotation	Treat alphabet as clock hours and rotate	A (12), D (3), G (6)	Circular/Clock Reasoning	B, E, H, K, ?
A44	Modular Alphabet Shifting	Use modulo operations (e.g., position mod 5)	A(1), F(6), K(11)	Modular Arithmetic	C, H, M, R, ?
A45	Alphabet Binary Code	Convert positions to binary; decode pattern	A=00001, B=00010	Binary Code Understanding	A, C, G, O, ?

Word Patterns

Number	Type	Explanation	Example	Skill Used	Example Question
B1	Same Letter Word Pattern	Identify words with mirrored or repeated letters.	DEED, NOON	Symmetry	ABBA, DEED, NOON, ?
B2	Word within a Word	Find a hidden word inside a larger one.	PLANET → NET	Visual Tracking	PLANET, INSERT, SPRINT, ?
B3	Anagram	Rearranged letters form a new word.	LEAST → STEAL	Logical Thinking	STARE, RATES, TEARS, ?
B4	Synonyms	Identify words with similar meanings.	Big → Large	Vocabulary Knowledge	TINY, SMALL, PETITE, ?
B5	Antonyms	Identify words with opposite meanings.	Hot → Cold	Vocabulary Knowledge	TALL, SHORT, BIG, ?
B6	Homophones	Identify words that sound alike but have different meanings.	Bare → Bear	Phonetics	MAID, MADE, MEAD, ?
B7	Rhyming Words	Identify words that rhyme.	Night → Light	Phonological Awareness	CAT, HAT, MAT, ?
B8	Word Families	Identify words derived from the same root.	Kind → Kindly	Morphological Awareness	ACT, ACTION, ACTIVE, ?
B9	Prefixes and Suffixes	Identify consistent additions to word bases.	Un-, -ness	Word Construction	KIND, KINDNESS, DARK, DARKNESS, ?
B10	Plural/Verb Tense Rules	Identify patterns in grammatical word forms.	Run → Ran	Grammar Awareness	SWIM, SWAM, BEGIN, ?
B11	Double Letters	Identify words with repeated letters.	Letter, Bubble	Spelling Awareness	BOTTLE, KETTLE, FETTLE, ?
B12	Palindromes	Identify words that read the same forwards and backwards.	LEVEL, RADAR	Visual Pattern Matching	CIVIC, NOON, DEED, ?
B13	Compound Words	Combine two words to form another.	Rain + Bow	Vocabulary Expansion	RAIN, COAT → ?
B14	Word Formation	Create new valid words using all letters.	LATER → ALTER	Rearrangement	STARE, RATES, TEARS, ?
B15	Category Sorting	Group words by theme or topic.	Apple, Mango	Categorisation	LEMON, LIME, ORANGE, ?
B16	Word Chains	Create a sequence where each word changes by one letter.	CAT → COT → DOT	Logical Sequencing	CAT, COT, DOT, ?
B17	Hidden Words in Sentences	Find words hidden within sentences.	"He'll eat" → HEAT	Visual Tracking	"She'll earn" → ?
B18	Odd One Out	Identify the word that doesn't fit in a group.	Apple, Banana, Carrot, Grape	Categorisation	Which word is the odd one out: Apple, Banana, Carrot, Grape?
B19	Word Analogies	Identify relationships between word pairs.	Hand : Glove :: Foot : ?	Logical Reasoning	Hand : Glove :: Foot : ?
B20	Word Codes	Decode words using a specific letter-to-number code.	LUCK → JSAI	Cryptography	If LUCK is coded as JSAI, how is GOOD coded?
B21	Word Bridges	One letter connects two words.	HAT, TAP → A	Linking Words	CAT, ANT → ?
B22	Incremental Word Construction	Each word adds a letter and rearranges.	AT → EAT → TEAR	Logical Spelling	AT, EAT, TEAR, RATE, ?
B23	Sound-Alike Word Sequences	Words that sound alike form patterns.	NIGHT, KNIGHT	Auditory Discrimination	MAID, MADE, MEAD, ?
B24	Cross-Letter Patterns	Form new words using diagonals or corners from letter grids.	HAT, ART, TAR	Visual-Motor Skills	HAT, TAR, RAT, ?
B25	Word Grid Patterns	Words that can be read in rows/columns in a grid.	READ, DEAR, DARE	Spatial Word Construction	Fill the blank in a 3×3 grid
B26	Compound Pattern Chains	Build compound word sequences.	SUN+FLOWER, FLOWER+POT	Word Construction	EARTH+QUAKE, QUAKE+?
B27	Backward Word Construction	Word is built in reverse order.	GOD → DOG	Reversal Recognition	LEV → VEL → ?
B28	Embedded Word Overlap	Two words overlap to form a new one.	TIME + MEAL = TIMEL	Vocabulary Construction	BOOK + KEEPER = ?
B29	Foreign Root Recognition	Words with Greek/Latin roots.	TELE → TELEPHONE	Etymology Awareness	BIO, LOGY, BIOLOGY, ?
B30	Word-Number Connection	Match a word with a number by letter positions.	CAT = 3+1+20=24	Letter-Numerical Logic	DOG = ?, EGG = ?
B31	Shape-Based Words	Visualize the word shape (tall/short letters).	hill vs DROP	Visual Spelling	hat, lip, mug, ?
B32	Morphological Alternation	Change affixes while keeping the root.	PLAY, PLAYER, PLAYING	Morphology Skills	SING, SINGER, ?
B33	Opposite-Syllable Words	Match words with opposite syllables.	FULL–EMPTY, NIGHT–DAY	Semantic Opposites	SLOW, FAST, TALL, ?
B34	Prefix Chain	Create a chain by keeping prefix and changing suffix.	UN+KNOWN → UN+LOCKED	Derivation Logic	IN+SIDE, IN+SANE, ?
B35	Rhyming Ending Chain	Words that follow the same rhyming pattern.	BELL, SELL, TELL	Phonetic Rhymes	RAIN, GAIN, PAIN, ?
B36	Abstract Vocabulary Chains	Chain of abstract concepts forming logical order.	IDEA, THOUGHT, PLAN	Abstract Thinking	PLAN, ACTION, RESULT, ?
B37	Alphabetical Word Chain	Words in strict alphabetical order.	APPLE, BANANA, CHERRY	Alphabetical Reasoning	DOG, ELEPHANT, FOX, ?
B38	Backward Word Rhymes	Words that rhyme when reversed.	STOP → POTS, GOD → DOG	Sound Reversal Logic	TIP, PIT, ?
B39	Shape Rhyme Pattern	Match based on rhyme and shape similarity.	MOP, TOP, POP	Visual Phonetics	SIT, KIT, BIT, ?
B40	Word Fusion Challenge	Combine overlapping parts to make a real word.	BLANK + ANKLE → BLANKLE	Creative Synthesis	BALL + ALLEY → ?
B41	Partial Anagram Sequences	Rearranged words with one consistent letter kept.	TEAR, RATE, TARE	Partial Anagram	DUST, STUD, TUDS, ?
B42	Synonym Chain	A chain of words that are synonyms of each other.	BIG, LARGE, HUGE	Vocabulary Knowledge	TINY, SMALL, MINI, ?
B43	Antonym Chain	Each word is the opposite of the previous.	HOT, COLD, WARM, CHILLY	Antonym Matching	LOVE, HATE, LIKE, ?
B44	Palindromic Word Series	Each word reads the same forwards/backwards.	EYE, POP, WOW	Symmetry Awareness	PIP, TIT, ?
B45	Word Number Tally (Odd/Even)	Count odd/even-position letters in word to determine pattern.	CAT (C=A=T=3), DOG (4)	Numerical Word Logic	BAT, RUG, JAM, ?
B46	Start-End Letter Swaps	Swap first and last letters of each word.	DOG → GOD, TIP → PIT	Reversal + Wordplay	MAP, PAM, NAP, ?
B47	Double-Letter Trigger	All words contain double letters in specific places.	BOOK, FEED, MEET	Spelling Feature	TREE, PEEK, FEEL, ?
B48	Word Length Ladder	Words increase or decrease by one letter in length.	IT, SIT, SITE, SITES	Word Length Reasoning	GO, GOT, GATE, GATES, ?
B49	Vowel Rotation Words	Vowels rotate while consonants remain.	HAT → HIT → HOT	Vowel Manipulation	NET, NIT, NOT, ?
B50	Word Positional Shift	Shift letters left or right in position.	FAST → ASTF → STFA	Spatial Memory	TONE, ONET, NETO, ?
B51	Rhyme Chain with Letter Swap	Rhyming pattern with 1-letter variation	BAT, CAT, HAT, MAT	Rhyme + Letter Identification	HUT, CUT, BUT, ?
B52	Word Pyramid Pattern	Build a pyramid with 1 added letter per row	A, AT, BAT, BEAT	Sequential Construction	O, TO, TOP, ?
B53	Silent Letter Pattern	Words include silent letters in same position	KNOW, KNEE, KNOB	Spelling Rule Recognition	WRITE, WRAP, WREN, ?
B54	Prefix Removal Series	Strip prefixes to reduce to base word	UNHAPPY → HAPPY	Prefix Understanding	DISLIKE, LIKE, DISAGREE, ?
B55	Rhyming Prefix Change	Change prefix while keeping the rhyme	CAT, BAT, HAT, RAT	Rhyming + Prefix Awareness	LIT, SIT, MIT, ?
B56	Letter Rotation in Word Body	Rotate interior letters while keeping 1st/last	SAND → SAND, ANDS, NDSA	Internal Letter Manipulation	FAST, ASTF, STFA, ?
B57	Interleaved Word Pattern	Interleave two different words together	CAT + DOG → CDATOG	Layered Word Synthesis	PEN + TOP = PTENOP, ?
B58	Word Ladder with Meaning Shift	Each word differs by 1 letter and shifts meaning	COLD → GOLD → GOLF	Semantic Awareness	MAKE → TAKE → TALE → ?
B59	Word Sound Inversion	Reverse sound pattern, not spelling	MOOD (sounds like DOOM)	Phonemic Awareness	NOW, WON, TON, ?
B60	Anagram + Vowel Swap	Rearranged letters with swapped vowels only	BITE → TIBO	Anagram + Vowel Manipulation	SING, GINS, GENS, ?