Wonderlic SLE key terms

A word that carries the same or nearly the same meaning as another word, so replacing one with the other leaves a sentence's meaning largely unchanged.

A word whose meaning is opposite to another word, such as hot and cold; recognizing opposites helps you eliminate incorrect answer choices quickly.

A comparison between two pairs of words that share the same relationship; you must pick the pair linked in the same direction and manner as the given pair.

A conclusion you draw from clues in a passage rather than from a statement written outright; you supply the missing link using evidence on the page.

The central point a passage is built around; every supporting detail explains, proves, or illustrates it. Asking what the text is mostly about usually identifies it.

Surrounding words in a sentence that hint at the meaning of an unfamiliar word, letting you work out its sense without reaching for a dictionary.

The emotional shade or attitude a word carries beyond its literal meaning, as in the difference between calling someone thrifty or stingy.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, stripped of emotional coloring; it is the plain definition a word points to rather than the feelings it stirs.

A letter group attached to the front of a root word that changes its meaning, as un- turns happy into not happy.

A letter group attached to the end of a root word that shifts its meaning or its part of speech, as -less does in fearless.

The core part of a word that carries its basic meaning and remains once prefixes and suffixes are removed, as act in reaction.

To restate a sentence or passage in your own words while keeping the original meaning intact, often used to check whether you understood what you read.

Reaching a guaranteed conclusion by applying rules to statements already accepted as true, so that if the premises hold the conclusion must follow.

A comparison of two quantities by division, showing how many times one amount contains another and written in forms such as 3:4 or 3/4.

An equation stating that two ratios are equal, used to find an unknown quantity when amounts scale up or down at the same rate.

A number expressed as a part out of one hundred, so 45% means 45 per 100 and can be used in calculations as 0.45.

A number written as one whole number over another to represent parts of a whole, such as 3/5 meaning three of five equal parts.

A number written with a decimal point to express tenths, hundredths, and smaller parts, such as 0.75, which equals three quarters.

The top number of a fraction; it tells how many of the equal parts named by the denominator are being counted.

The bottom number of a fraction; it names the total number of equal parts into which the whole has been divided.

The arithmetic average, found by adding all the values in a set and dividing that total by how many values there are.

The middle value in a list of numbers arranged from smallest to largest; with an even count, it is the mean of the two middle values.

The value that appears most often in a set of numbers; a set may have one mode, several modes, or no mode at all.

A ratio comparing quantities measured in different units, such as miles per hour or dollars per item, describing how one amount changes with another.

Changing a measurement from one unit to another, such as hours to minutes, by multiplying by a fraction that equals one.

The total distance around the outside edge of a flat shape, found by adding together the lengths of all its sides.

The amount of flat surface a two-dimensional shape covers, measured in square units such as square inches or square meters.

The agreed sequence for evaluating an expression: parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction, working left to right.

Turning a shape around a fixed point by a set number of degrees; its size and proportions stay the same while its orientation changes.

Flipping a shape across a line so it appears as a mirror image; left and right swap places while the size stays unchanged.

Sliding a shape to a new position without turning or flipping it, so every point of the shape moves the same distance in the same direction.

A property of a shape that can be split into parts matching exactly when folded along a line or turned around a center point.

A series of figures or symbols that changes according to a repeating rule; spotting the rule lets you predict which item comes next in line.

The mental ability to picture how shapes look when moved, turned, folded, or viewed from another angle without physically handling them.

A puzzle type in which a sheet is folded, holes are punched through it, and you must judge where those holes appear once the sheet is reopened.

A flat, unfolded outline that can be folded along its edges to build a three-dimensional shape such as a cube or a pyramid.

A set of figures in which all but one share a common feature; you must identify the figure that breaks the shared rule.

A grid of figures arranged in rows and columns that follow a rule; the missing cell is found by applying that rule across its row and column.