Understanding Letter Analogy Questions

Letter analogy questions test your ability to find the relationship between pairs of letters or groups of letters. This relationship is then used to find the missing term in a second pair. The relationship can be based on the position of letters in the alphabet, skipping letters, reverse order, or other patterns.

Analyzing the Given Letter Analogy: MN : OL

Let's look at the positions of the letters in the standard English alphabet:

• A=1, B=2, C=3, ..., M=13, N=14, O=15, ..., L=12, ..., S=19, H=8, ..., U=21, F=6

For the first pair, MN : OL, let's compare the corresponding letters:

• First letter of MN is M (position 13). First letter of OL is O (position 15).
• Second letter of MN is N (position 14). Second letter of OL is L (position 12).

Identifying the Pattern in MN to OL

Now, let's see the difference in positions:

• From M to O: Position changes from 13 to 15. Change = $15 - 13 = +2$.
• From N to L: Position changes from 14 to 12. Change = $12 - 14 = -2$.

The pattern observed is adding 2 to the position of the first letter and subtracting 2 from the position of the second letter.

Applying the Pattern to SH : ?

We need to apply the same $+2$ and $-2$ pattern to the pair SH.

• First letter of SH is S (position 19). Applying $+2$: $19 + 2 = 21$. The 21st letter is U.
• Second letter of SH is H (position 8). Applying $-2$: $8 - 2 = 6$. The 6th letter is F.

Following the pattern, SH should be related to UF.

Checking the Options

Let's compare our result (UF) with the given options:

Option 2, UF, matches our calculated result based on the $+2, -2$ pattern derived from the relationship between MN and OL.

Conclusion: Finding the Related Letters

Based on the analysis of the pattern in the letter analogy MN : OL, applying the same logic to SH gives us the related letters UF.

Revision Table: Letter Analogy

Additional Information: Solving Letter Series and Analogy

Letter series and analogy questions are common in reasoning tests. To solve them effectively:

• Know the Alphabet: Be very familiar with the order and position number of each letter (A=1 to Z=26).
• Look for Patterns:
  • Positional changes (+/- a number).
  • Skipping letters.
  • Reverse alphabetical order.
  • Vowel/Consonant patterns.
  • Mirror images or symmetry (less common in simple letter analogies).
• Compare Corresponding Elements: In a pair like AB : CD, compare A to C and B to D, or sometimes A to D and B to C.
• Be Consistent: Once a pattern is found, apply it consistently to the second part of the analogy or series.
• Check Options: Always verify if your derived answer is one of the given options.