Understanding Dictionary Order and Word Arrangement

To solve this problem, we need to arrange the given words in alphabetical order, which is the same as dictionary order. This involves comparing the words letter by letter from left to right.

The given words are:

• Unaffected
• Unarmed
• Unasked
• Unattached
• Unauthorized

We will compare these words to determine their sequence in dictionary order.

Arranging the Words in Dictionary Order

Let's compare the words letter by letter:

All the words begin with the letters "Una". So, we need to look at the fourth letter of each word:

• Unaffected
• Unarmed
• Unasked
• Unattached
• Unauthorized

The fourth letters are f, r, s, t, and u.

Now, we arrange these fourth letters in alphabetical order:

f < r < s < t < u

Based on the alphabetical order of the fourth letters, we can arrange the full words:

1. Unaffected (fourth letter 'f')
2. Unarmed (fourth letter 'r')
3. Unasked (fourth letter 's')
4. Unattached (fourth letter 't')
5. Unauthorized (fourth letter 'u')

This list shows the words arranged according to dictionary order.

Identifying the Third Word

We are asked to find the word that comes at the third position after arranging them in dictionary order.

Looking at our arranged list:

1. Unaffected
2. Unarmed
3. Unasked
4. Unattached
5. Unauthorized

The word at the third position is Unasked.

Summary of Dictionary Order

Here is a table showing the words and their position in dictionary order:

Therefore, the word at the third position is Unasked.

Revision Table: Key Concepts

Additional Information: Word Arrangement and Logic

Problems involving word arrangement based on dictionary order are common in verbal reasoning sections of exams. They test your ability to quickly compare words and apply alphabetical sequencing rules.

• When comparing words, start from the leftmost letter.
• If the first letters are the same, move to the second letter.
• Continue this process until you find a letter that is different.
• The word with the letter that comes earlier in the alphabet will come first in the dictionary order.
• If one word is a prefix of another (e.g., "apple" and "appliance"), the shorter word (the prefix) comes first ("apple" before "appliance"). This rule wasn't needed in this specific problem, but it's good to remember.

Practicing with different sets of words helps improve speed and accuracy in solving such dictionary order questions.