Based on the position in the English alphabetical order, three of the following letter-clusters are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the odd letter-cluster.
This question asks us to identify the letter cluster that is different from the others based on the positions of the letters in the English alphabet. We need to examine each cluster and find a pattern or rule that applies to three of them, while the remaining one does not follow the same rule.
The English alphabet has 26 letters, and each letter has a specific position starting from 1 for 'A' and going up to 26 for 'Z'.
Let's find the alphabetical position for each letter in the given clusters and look for a pattern in the sequence of positions.
The sequence of positions is 3, 5, 9, 15.
Let's look at the difference between consecutive positions:
The pattern of differences is +2, +4, +6.
The sequence of positions is 8, 10, 14, 21.
Let's look at the difference between consecutive positions:
The pattern of differences is +2, +4, +7.
The sequence of positions is 10, 12, 16, 22.
Let's look at the difference between consecutive positions:
The pattern of differences is +2, +4, +6.
The sequence of positions is 6, 8, 12, 18.
Let's look at the difference between consecutive positions:
The pattern of differences is +2, +4, +6.
Let's put the patterns of differences in a table for easy comparison.
| Cluster | Letter Positions | Differences in Positions | Pattern of Differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEIO | 3, 5, 9, 15 | 5-3=2, 9-5=4, 15-9=6 | +2, +4, +6 |
| HJNU | 8, 10, 14, 21 | 10-8=2, 14-10=4, 21-14=7 | +2, +4, +7 |
| JLPV | 10, 12, 16, 22 | 12-10=2, 16-12=4, 22-16=6 | +2, +4, +6 |
| FHLR | 6, 8, 12, 18 | 8-6=2, 12-8=4, 18-12=6 | +2, +4, +6 |
From the table, we can see that the clusters CEIO, JLPV, and FHLR all follow the pattern where the differences between consecutive letter positions are +2, +4, and +6. The cluster HJNU, however, follows the pattern +2, +4, and +7.
Since the pattern for HJNU (+2, +4, +7) is different from the pattern for the other three clusters (+2, +4, +6), HJNU is the odd letter-cluster.
| Cluster | Letters | Positions ($\text{A}=1$) | Difference 1st to 2nd | Difference 2nd to 3rd | Difference 3rd to 4th | Overall Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEIO | C, E, I, O | 3, 5, 9, 15 | $5 - 3 = 2$ | $9 - 5 = 4$ | $15 - 9 = 6$ | $+2, +4, +6$ |
| HJNU | H, J, N, U | 8, 10, 14, 21 | $10 - 8 = 2$ | $14 - 10 = 4$ | $21 - 14 = 7$ | $+2, +4, +7$ |
| JLPV | J, L, P, V | 10, 12, 16, 22 | $12 - 10 = 2$ | $16 - 12 = 4$ | $22 - 16 = 6$ | $+2, +4, +6$ |
| FHLR | F, H, L, R | 6, 8, 12, 18 | $8 - 6 = 2$ | $12 - 8 = 4$ | $18 - 12 = 6$ | $+2, +4, +6$ |
Odd one out questions in reasoning often involve finding a common pattern among several items (like numbers, letters, words, or figures) and identifying the one item that doesn't follow that pattern. For letter-based questions, common patterns include:
To solve these questions, it's helpful to list out any relevant information (like alphabetical positions) and systematically look for relationships or rules within each item and then compare these rules across all items.
In the following question, select the odd word pair from the given alternatives.
A group of letters is given in the order of 1 to 7. Four options given below represent the combination of these numbers. Select the combination of numbers according to which the arranged letters can form a meaningful word.
| E | I | T | K | W | N | L |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Some letters are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. In the alternatives, four possible arrangements of these numbers are given. Select that option so that the letters form a meaningful word.
P A M S I H
1 2 3 4 5 6
In the following question, select the odd word from the given alternatives.
In the following question, a group of letters is given which are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Below are given four alternatives containing combinations of these numbers. Select that combination of numbers so that letters arranged accordingly, form a meaningful word.
L R P E A Y
1 2 3 4 5 6