- Quantitative and Math Reasoning 15 of 50
- Verbal Reasoning 15 of 50
- Logic and Deductive Reasoning 13 of 50
- Clerical Speed and Accuracy 8 of 50
Free · 2026 · 15 of 50 questions on this practice test Wonderlic Verbal Reasoning practice questions
Verbal Reasoning: 15 of 50 questions on this practice test. Answer 10 questions (6 on Verbal Reasoning) and see your score by domain and your weakest area. Free, no sign-up.
These words can be rearranged into a sentence: "was inspector the building by approved the" Which word would come LAST?
Tap an answer, or press A to D
Synonyms, antonyms, analogies, odd word out, words in context and proverb meanings.
What the Wonderlic-style cognitive ability test tests in Verbal Reasoning
- Synonyms and antonyms of everyday and workplace vocabulary
- Analogies (part/whole, tool/user, degree, function, location, young/adult)
- Odd word out
- Word comparisons (which pair are opposites / mean the same)
- Word meaning in context and sentence completion
- Proverb meaning
- Scrambled words and sentences, spelling
High-yield verbal reasoning facts
- Check the direction first: SAME (synonym) or OPPOSITE (antonym). Antonym items almost always include the synonym as a distractor.
- Test a word in a short phrase: 'a brief meeting' = a short meeting. If two choices fit, take the closest, most common meaning.
- Look-alike words are a standard trap (abundant/abandoned, brief/brisk, eminent/imminent). Read every letter of the choice.
- Word-pair comparisons ('which two words mean the same / opposite?'): find the strongest pair. A synonym pair and an opposite pair often appear together as mutual distractors.
- Analogies: make a specific bridge sentence from the first pair, then apply it word for word. 'A glove covers a hand' → 'a sock covers a foot'. Keep the order: if A:B is tool:user, the answer must also be tool:user, not user:tool.
- Odd word out: name the category most of the words share, and the one left over is the answer. Apple, cherry, plum, carrot: three are fruits, so carrot is the odd one. If two groupings seem to work, the tighter one wins.
| Type | Bridge sentence | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Part / whole | A is part of B | page:book, petal:flower, key:keyboard, spoke:wheel |
| Tool / user | A is used by B | scalpel:surgeon, gavel:judge, chisel:sculptor, stethoscope:doctor |
| Function | A is used to B | pen:write, knife:cut, thermometer:measure temperature, broom:sweep |
| Degree | A is a milder form of B | warm:hot, damp:soaked, annoyed:furious, chilly:frigid, tired:exhausted |
| Location / worker | A works in B | chef:kitchen, pilot:cockpit, teacher:classroom, actor:stage |
| Young / adult | A is a young B | puppy:dog, kitten:cat, calf:cow, foal:horse, fawn:deer, cub:bear, kid:goat, gosling:goose, joey:kangaroo, eaglet:eagle |
| Opposite | A is the opposite of B | expand:contract, ascend:descend, conceal:reveal |
| Synonym | A means the same as B | frugal:thrifty, candid:frank |
The full Wonderlic High-Yield Cram Sheet comes with full prep.
Common verbal reasoning traps
- Choosing the synonym on an antonym question (or the reverse).
- Picking a look-alike word (abandoned for abundant, brisk for brief).
- Reversing the analogy order (user:tool when the stem is tool:user).
- Accepting a loose analogy bridge when a more specific one rules it out.
- Using a word's common meaning when the sentence uses a secondary one (sanction, table, novel).
- Ignoring 'although/despite', which flips the needed meaning.
- Choosing the literal reading of a proverb.
- Naming a weak category in odd-word-out when a tighter group isolates a different word.
Free Wonderlic verbal reasoning practice questions
Question 1
Which word means the opposite of RELUCTANT?
- Aeager
- Bable
- Chesitant
- Dcalm
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Reluctant means unwilling or hesitant, and eager means keen and ready to act.
Why not B: Able is about capability, and a person can be able yet still reluctant.
Why not C: Hesitant is a synonym of reluctant, not its opposite.
Why not D: Calm describes a relaxed state, not willingness to do something.
Remember: Reluctant = 'dragging your feet.' The opposite is 'can't wait to start': eager.
Question 2
The clerk recognized the caller's voice but couldn't quite PLACE it. PLACE most nearly means:
- Arank
- Bposition
- Cidentify
- Dhire
- Efinish
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. To place a voice is to work out whose it is or where you know it from.
Why not A: Ranking orders things by quality, which does not fit recognizing someone.
Why not B: Positioning means physically putting something somewhere, which you cannot do with a voice on the phone.
Why not D: Placing a worker in a job is a different sense that does not apply to a voice.
Why not E: Placing in a race means finishing near the top, a sports sense unrelated to the sentence.
Remember: 'Recognized but couldn't quite...' means familiar but unknown, so the missing step is naming who it is: identify.
Question 3
Next year the sales team will COURT larger clients in the region.
- Atry to win over
- Bsteer clear of
- Cpass judgment on
- Dtake legal action against
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. To court clients is to pursue them and seek their business.
Why not B: This is the opposite of what a sales team does with desirable clients.
Why not C: This borrows the courtroom sense, but salespeople seek clients rather than judge them.
Why not D: A sales team wants clients' business, not lawsuits against them.
Remember: Sales teams chase business: courting clients means trying to win them over, not anything legal.
Question 4
SUPERFICIAL is most nearly OPPOSITE to:
- Aartificial
- Bprofound
- Cshallow
- Dcomplicated
- Esuperior
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Superficial means on the surface only, and profound means deep and thorough.
Why not A: Artificial means fake or man-made, which is not the opposite of surface-level.
Why not C: Shallow is a synonym of superficial, not its opposite.
Why not D: Complicated means having many parts, and depth of thought is not the same as complexity.
Why not E: Superior looks similar because of the prefix, but it means better, not deep.
Remember: Superficial = surface-level. Opposite of surface is depth, so pick the 'deep' word: profound.
Question 5
WOLF is to PACK as FISH is to ___?
- AFLOCK
- BFIN
- CPOND
- DSCHOOL
- EHERD
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. A group of wolves is a pack, and a group of fish is a school.
Why not A: Flock is the group name for birds or sheep, not fish.
Why not B: A fin is a body part of a fish, not a group of fish.
Why not C: A pond is where fish may live, which is a location relation, not a group name.
Why not E: Herd is a group name for animals such as cattle, not fish.
Remember: Read it as "a group of wolves is a pack; a group of fish is a..." school. Skip other animals' group names.
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