Word Classification Notes & Questions | Class 3 Reasoning | Drishti OS

Word Classification

What you'll learn

Sort words into a group by what they have in common.
Spot the one word that does not belong with the rest.
Use everyday groups: animals, fruits, colours, days, and more.

Key concepts

Level 1 — Core idea

Verbal: Look at four words. Three share something (they are all fruits, or all animals). One is different — that is the odd one out.

Symbolic: Group = {a, b, c}; Odd = d, where d ∉ Group.

Visual: Picture three friends wearing the same colour shirt and one friend wearing a different colour — the different one stands out.

Level 2 — Going deeper

Sometimes two words could each start a different group. Always ask: "Which three words share the strongest, clearest link?" Pick the odd word only after checking all four.

NCERT anchor

NCERT EVS/Math Mela, Class 3 — grouping and classification of objects by common properties (living/non-living, shape, use) builds this same skill.

Worked example

Which word does NOT belong: Apple, Mango, Carrot, Banana?

Step 1 — Apple, Mango, Banana are all fruits.
Step 2 — Carrot is a vegetable, not a fruit.
Answer: Carrot

Which word does NOT belong: Monday, Tuesday, January, Friday?

Step 1 — Monday, Tuesday, Friday are all days of the week.
Step 2 — January is a month, not a day.
Answer: January

Common mistakes

Mistake	Why	Fix
Picking a random word	No group checked first	Name the group out loud before choosing
Confusing similar groups	E.g. birds vs pets	Check the exact category, not just "animal"
Ignoring plurals/spelling	Distracted by word length	Focus on meaning, not spelling
Choosing two odd words	Rushed reading	Re-check that three really do match

Quick check

Which does NOT belong: Dog, Cat, Rabbit, Eagle?
Which does NOT belong: Red, Blue, Green, Chair?
Which does NOT belong: Cricket, Football, Hockey, Guitar?
Stretch: Which does NOT belong: Doctor, Teacher, Engineer, Delhi?

Revision tip: Say the group name first, then find the word that breaks it.

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Word Classification.

Word Classification