What is Odd Ones Out?
Odd one out questions give you a group of words (usually five) where four share something in common and one does not. Your job is to find the odd one out.
The connection might be about meaning (all are fruits except one), word structure (all have double letters except one), or a more subtle link. These questions test both vocabulary and logical thinking.
Step-by-Step Method
Read all the words
Look at every word in the group before trying to find the odd one out. You need to see the full picture.
Look for a connection
Ask yourself: what do most of these words have in common? Think about meaning, category, word structure, number of letters, etc.
Test the connection
Check that your connection works for exactly four of the five words.
Identify the odd one
The word that does not share the connection is your answer. Verify by checking it definitely does not fit.
Worked Examples
Which is the odd one out? apple, banana, carrot, grape, plum
Working
- Apple, banana, grape, plum are all fruits.
- Carrot is a vegetable.
- Connection: fruits. Odd one out: carrot.
Which is the odd one out? happy, jolly, merry, sad, cheerful
Working
- Happy, jolly, merry, cheerful all mean feeling good or pleased.
- Sad means the opposite.
- Connection: positive emotions. Odd one out: sad.
Which is the odd one out? book, look, cook, took, boot
Working
- Book, look, cook, took all end in “-ook”.
- Boot ends in “-oot”.
- Connection: words ending in -ook. Odd one out: boot.
Common Mistakes
Jumping to an answer based on the first connection you notice without checking all the words.
Make sure your connection works for exactly four words and excludes exactly one.
Looking only at word meanings and missing connections based on spelling or structure.
Consider all types of connections: meaning, spelling patterns, word length, number of syllables, and letter patterns.
Top Tips
- Start by looking for the most obvious connection – category (animals, colours, etc.).
- If no category jumps out, look at word structure: do most words rhyme, have the same length, or share letters?
- Sometimes the connection is grammatical – four might be verbs and one a noun.
- If two words seem like they could be the odd one out, choose the one where the other four have a stronger connection.
Ready to practise?
Put these techniques into action with our free practice papers.
Practise Verbal Reasoning Questions