Topics / Verbal Reasoning
Anagrams and word ladders
Anagram questions ask you to rearrange letters into a word that fits a clue or a category. Word ladders change one word into another one letter at a time, making a real word at every step.
What is tested
- Rearranging letters into a word that matches a meaning
- Spotting which anagram fits a category
- Word ladders: changing one letter at a time
Worked example
Rearrange the letters of LISTEN to make a word meaning 'making no sound'.
- Count the letters: L, I, S, T, E, N - six letters, all must be used.
- Think of words meaning 'no sound': quiet, silent, hushed.
- SILENT uses exactly S, I, L, E, N, T.
- Check: no letters left over and none used twice.
Answer: SILENT
Exam-day checklist
- Every letter must be used exactly once.
- Start from the meaning, then check the letters.
- For ladders, change only one letter per step.
- Every step of a ladder must be a real word.
Common mistakes
- Leaving a letter out or using one twice.
- Changing two letters in one ladder step.
- Accepting a made-up word in the middle of a ladder.
Try it yourself
1. Rearrange the letters of EARTH to make the organ that pumps blood.
Show answer
HEART
HEART uses E, A, R, T and H once each.
2. Change COLD into WARM, one letter at a time, making a real word each time.
Show answer
COLD, CORD, CARD, WARD, WARM
Each step changes exactly one letter and every step is a real word.
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