Understanding Letter Analogy Questions

Letter analogy questions test your ability to identify the relationship between a given pair of letters or words and apply that same relationship to another word. In this question, we are given the relationship between 'CHANNEL' and 'XSZMMVO' and need to find the word that has the same relationship with 'MUSICAL'.

The problem is: CHANNEL : XSZMMVO :: MUSICAL : ?

Analyzing the Relationship between CHANNEL and XSZMMVO

Let's look at the corresponding letters in the two words and their positions in the English alphabet (A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26).

CHANNEL:

• C (3)
• H (8)
• A (1)
• N (14)
• N (14)
• E (5)
• L (12)

XSZMMVO:

• X (24)
• S (19)
• Z (26)
• M (13)
• M (13)
• V (22)
• O (15)

Now let's observe the relationship between each pair of letters:

• C (3) and X (24): \(3 + 24 = 27\)
• H (8) and S (19): \(8 + 19 = 27\)
• A (1) and Z (26): \(1 + 26 = 27\)
• N (14) and M (13): \(14 + 13 = 27\)
• N (14) and M (13): \(14 + 13 = 27\)
• E (5) and V (22): \(5 + 22 = 27\)
• L (12) and O (15): \(12 + 15 = 27\)

We can see a consistent pattern here. The sum of the positional values of each letter in 'CHANNEL' and its corresponding letter in 'XSZMMVO' is always 27. This indicates that each letter is replaced by its 'opposite' letter in the alphabet. The opposite letter is the one that is the same distance from Z as the original letter is from A.

Applying the Same Relationship to MUSICAL

Now we apply the same 'opposite letter' rule to the word 'MUSICAL'. We find the letter which, when added to the positional value of the original letter, sums up to 27.

MUSICAL:

• M (13): Opposite letter is N (14), because \(13 + 14 = 27\).
• U (21): Opposite letter is F (6), because \(21 + 6 = 27\).
• S (19): Opposite letter is H (8), because \(19 + 8 = 27\).
• I (9): Opposite letter is R (18), because \(9 + 18 = 27\).
• C (3): Opposite letter is X (24), because \(3 + 24 = 27\).
• A (1): Opposite letter is Z (26), because \(1 + 26 = 27\).
• L (12): Opposite letter is O (15), because \(12 + 15 = 27\).

Combining these opposite letters, we get the word NFHRXZO.

Comparing with the Options

Let's check the given options:

1. NFHRXZO
2. NFHQYZP
3. NEHRXZP
4. NFIRXZO

Our derived word NFHRXZO matches option 1.

Conclusion

The relationship between CHANNEL and XSZMMVO is that each letter in CHANNEL is replaced by its opposite letter in the alphabet (summing to 27). Applying this rule to MUSICAL gives us NFHRXZO.

Revision Table: Key Concepts in Letter Analogy

Additional Information: Types of Letter Coding

Letter coding is a common topic in verbal reasoning tests. Understanding different types of patterns can help solve analogy questions quickly. Some common types include:

• Shift Coding: Each letter is shifted forward or backward by a fixed number of positions (e.g., A becomes C, B becomes D - a +2 shift).
• Opposite Letter Coding: As seen in this problem, each letter is replaced by its opposite (A to Z, B to Y, etc.).
• Mixed Coding: A combination of shifts, opposite letters, or other patterns might be used, sometimes varying for different letters or positions in the word.
• Positional Value Coding: The code might be based on the numerical position of the letters, sometimes involving arithmetic operations.
• Jumbling or Reversal: The letters within the word might be rearranged or the word is simply written in reverse order.

Practicing different types of letter coding and analogy problems helps in quickly identifying the underlying pattern during exams.