Understanding the Word Transformation Problem

The question asks us to perform a letter transformation on the word "FRETSAW". Each vowel in the word needs to be changed to the letter that comes immediately after it in the English alphabetical series. Similarly, each consonant in the word needs to be changed to the letter that comes immediately before it in the English alphabetical series.

Once the transformation is complete, we will have a new word. We then need to identify two specific letters in this new word: the letter that is 3rd from the right end and the letter that is 1st from the right end. Finally, we must count how many letters are present in the standard English alphabet between these two identified letters.

Step-by-Step Transformation of "FRETSAW"

Let's take the word "FRETSAW" and apply the given rules letter by letter:

• F: This is a consonant. The letter before F is E. So, F changes to E.
• R: This is a consonant. The letter before R is Q. So, R changes to Q.
• E: This is a vowel. The letter after E is F. So, E changes to F.
• T: This is a consonant. The letter before T is S. So, T changes to S.
• S: This is a consonant. The letter before S is R. So, S changes to R.
• A: This is a vowel. The letter after A is B. So, A changes to B.
• W: This is a consonant. The letter before W is V. So, W changes to V.

Putting the transformed letters together, the new word formed from "FRETSAW" is "EQFSRBV".

Identifying Letters in the New Word

The new word is EQFSRBV.

We need to find:

• The letter 1st from the right end. Looking at "EQFSRBV" from right to left, the first letter is V.
• The letter 3rd from the right end. Looking at "EQFSRBV" from right to left, the third letter is R.

So, the two letters we are interested in are R and V.

Counting Letters Between R and V

Now, we need to find out how many letters are there in the English alphabetical series between R and V.

Let's list the letters from R to V in the English alphabet:

R, S, T, U, V

The letters strictly between R and V are S, T, and U.

Counting these letters, we find there are 3 letters between R and V.

Conclusion

After transforming the word "FRETSAW" according to the given rules, the new word is "EQFSRBV". The letter 1st from the right is V, and the letter 3rd from the right is R. There are three letters (S, T, U) in the English alphabet between R and V.

Revision Table - Word Transformation and Counting

Let's summarise the key steps and findings:

• Original word: FRETSAW
• Transformation rule: Vowel > next letter; Consonant > previous letter.
• New word: EQFSRBV
• Letter 1st from right in new word: V
• Letter 3rd from right in new word: R
• Letters between R and V in alphabet: S, T, U
• Number of letters between R and V: Three

Additional Information - Alphabetical Reasoning

Problems like this test your understanding of alphabetical order and positional analysis within a string or word. Knowing the sequence of letters in the English alphabet is fundamental. Identifying positions from the left or right end of a word is also a common skill required in such questions.

Remember that "between" usually means strictly between the two letters, not including the letters themselves.

Consonants are all letters except A, E, I, O, U. Vowels are A, E, I, O, U.

Careful application of the rules and systematic step-by-step processing of the word ensures accuracy.