The influence of general and verbal ability on each of 72 verbal analogy test items were investigated with new factor analytical techniques. The analogy items together with the Computerized Swedish Enlistment Battery (CAT-SEB) were given randomly to two samples of 18-year-old male conscripts (n = 8566 and n = 5289). Thirty-two of the 72 items had loadings [greater than or equal] 0.50 on a general factor (G) and 22 items had loadings [greater than or equal] 0.25 on a verbal factor (Gc'). Replicated measures showed a good reliability for the G loadings (r = 0.86), while the Gc' loadings had lower reliability (r = 0.66). All 14 items loading high on G and low on Gc' included well-known everyday words, while the four items with high loadings on Gc' and relatively low loadings on G were infrequent words. (Contains 1 figure, 2 tables, and 2 footnotes.)