"Kentucky is to Tennessee as Colorado is to..." — It's an Analogy, Not a Question
The phrase "Kentucky is to Tennessee as Colorado is to ___" is an analogy—not a question with a factual answer like "Utah" or "Wyoming."
How Analogies Work
A : B :: C : D means "A relates to B as C relates to D." The relation must be consistent.
- Kentucky : Tennessee = neighboring states, east–west pair, similar size/population, both Appalachian-influenced.
- Colorado : ? = depends on which relation you pick.
Possible Completions (Different Relations)
- Neighbor to the west: Utah
- Neighbor to the north: Wyoming
- Neighbor to the south: New Mexico
- Similar population rank (~21st): Minnesota
- Similar "rectangular-ish" shape: Wyoming
- Same time zone (Mountain): Utah, Wyoming, NM, AZ, MT
The Answer "Is To" Is Nonsense
The original answer ("is to") confuses the structure of the analogy with its solution. Analogies ask for the fourth term, not the connector.
Without a specified relation, there's no single right answer—only plausible ones.
Wanderlust World