What are categories?
Categories are groups of words that share something in common. Sorting words into categories helps us organize ideas and understand relationships between words.
- Fruits: apple, banana, orange
- Animals: dog, cat, rabbit
- Colors: red, blue, green
Think of categories as “families” of words. Every member of the family has something in common.
How do we find categories?
To find a category, look at the group of words and ask: “What do these words have in common?” The answer will give you the category name.
- Look at the words: car, bus, bike
- Ask: What do they share? → They are all types of transportation.
- Category: Transportation
The category name is usually a more general word that describes all the members in the group.
Selecting the members of a group
Sometimes you are asked to select the words that belong to a certain category. This means you must identify which words fit and which do not.
- Category: Colors
- Words: red, yellow, chair, blue
- Answer: red, yellow, blue (chair does not belong)
Be careful—sometimes extra words are included that do not belong in the category.
Why are categories important?
Categories help us understand word meanings, make connections, and improve our vocabulary. Knowing categories also helps us with reading and writing because it organizes information in our minds.
- Birds: robin, eagle, penguin (they all lay eggs)
- Sports: soccer, baseball, tennis (they are all games people play)
When you group words, you remember them better and see how they relate to the world around you.
Practice with categories
You can practice by creating your own categories or sorting lists of words into the correct groups. This builds stronger vocabulary skills.
- Words: spoon, fork, plate, dog
- Category: Kitchen items
- Answer: spoon, fork, plate (dog does not belong)
Always check: does every word in the group belong to the category? If not, it should be left out.