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Dictionary / Word Order

General Intelligence & Reasoning · Relations, Direction & Order

Useful for: SSC CGL, Railway RRB, OSSC RHT — Regular High School Teacher, OSEPA Primary Teacher / JT Category-I, OSEPA Upper Primary — Arts, OSEPA Upper Primary — Science, OSSSC Govt Physical Education Teacher (PET), OSSSC Govt TGT Arts

and 2 more exams

OSSSC Govt TGT Science — CBZ, OSSSC Govt TGT Science — PCM

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Overview

Word-building and alphabet items test letter positions, dictionary order and forming words from given letters.

Key points

Dictionary order compares the first differing letter.
Letter positions: A = 1 … Z = 26; reverse position = 27 − position.
Word building: every letter used must be present in the given word (as many times as needed).
Count letters that satisfy a condition carefully (e.g. letters with vowels on both sides).
The middle letter of a word or alphabet section is found by counting from both ends.

Explanation

For words with the same beginning, the shorter word comes first (CAT before CATCH).
Write the alphabet once with positions to save time.
For "how many letters between", count exclusive of the end letters.
Letters repeated in the target word must be repeated in the source.

Step by step

Convert to positions.
Apply the rule.
Double-check counts.

Examples

Dictionary order of "Market, Marker, Mark, Marked" → Mark, Marked, Marker, Market.
From "EDUCATION", the word "CAUTION" can be formed (all letters available once).
The 7th letter to the right of the 10th letter from the left in the alphabet is Q (10 + 7 = 17).

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Comparing whole words instead of the first differing letter.
Trap: Using a letter twice when it appears once.
Trap: Off-by-one errors in counting.

Quick revision

Shorter word first if same start.
Positions with EJOTY.
Check letter counts.

Practice MCQs

Which word comes first in dictionary order: Grape, Cherry, Kiwi, Date?
1. Date
2. Kiwi
3. Cherry
4. Grape
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Answer: (c) Cherry. Compare letters from left to right.
Which word comes first in dictionary order: Guava, Banana, Cherry, Apple?
1. Guava
2. Banana
3. Apple
4. Cherry
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Answer: (c) Apple. Compare letters from left to right.
Which word comes first in dictionary order: Kiwi, Banana, Apple, Cherry?
1. Kiwi
2. Apple
3. Cherry
4. Banana
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Answer: (b) Apple. Compare letters from left to right.
Which word comes first in dictionary order: Kiwi, Mango, Date, Guava?
1. Mango
2. Guava
3. Date
4. Kiwi
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Answer: (c) Date. Compare letters from left to right.
Find the next letter: A, F, K, P, U, ?
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. Z
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Answer: (d) Z. Move +5 letters each time.
Using A=1, B=2, …, Z=26, find the value of the letter-token AEL.
1. 15
2. 24
3. 18
4. 21
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Answer: (c) 18. Add the alphabet positions of all letters.
Using A=1, B=2, …, Z=26, find the value of the letter-token AFS.
1. 23
2. 32
3. 26
4. 29
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Answer: (c) 26. Add the alphabet positions of all letters.
Using reverse-alphabet positions (A=26,...,Z=1), find A+B.
1. 51
2. 54
3. 48
4. 57
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Answer: (a) 51. Reverse position = 27 − normal position.
Using reverse-alphabet positions (A=26,...,Z=1), find A+A.
1. 52
2. 55
3. 49
4. 58
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Answer: (a) 52. Reverse position = 27 − normal position.
Using A=1, B=2, …, Z=26, find the value of the letter-token AAJ.
1. 9
2. 15
3. 18
4. 12
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Answer: (d) 12. Add the alphabet positions of all letters.
Using A=1, B=2, …, Z=26, find the value of the letter-token ABQ.
1. 17
2. 20
3. 23
4. 26
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Answer: (b) 20. Add the alphabet positions of all letters.
Using reverse-alphabet positions (A=26,...,Z=1), find A+C.
1. 56
2. 50
3. 47
4. 53
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Answer: (b) 50. Reverse position = 27 − normal position.
Using A=1, B=2, …, Z=26, find the value of the letter-token ACX.
1. 25
2. 28
3. 34
4. 31
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Answer: (b) 28. Add the alphabet positions of all letters.
Using reverse-alphabet positions (A=26,...,Z=1), find A+D.
1. 49
2. 46
3. 52
4. 55
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Answer: (a) 49. Reverse position = 27 − normal position.
Using A=1, B=2, …, Z=26, find the value of the letter-token ADE.
1. 13
2. 7
3. 16
4. 10
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Answer: (d) 10. Add the alphabet positions of all letters.