Understanding Dictionary Order of Words

Arranging words in the correct dictionary order, also known as alphabetical or lexicographical order, is done by comparing the words letter by letter from left to right. The word with the letter that comes earlier in the alphabet at the first point of difference will appear earlier in the dictionary.

Words to Arrange

The words we need to arrange are:

1. Tattoo
2. Tatters
3. Tatting
4. Tattle
5. Taut

Step-by-Step Dictionary Sorting Process

Let's compare the words letter by letter to find their correct order according to standard dictionary rules:

All words start with 'Ta'. The first two letters are the same for all.

Let's look at the third letter:

• Tattoo (1): t
• Tatters (2): t
• Tatting (3): t
• Tattle (4): t
• Taut (5): u

The letter 't' comes before 'u' in the alphabet. This means 'Taut' (5) will come after all the words starting with 'Tat'. 'Taut' is likely the last word in the list.

Now, let's compare the words starting with 'Tat': Tattoo (1), Tatters (2), Tatting (3), and Tattle (4). Let's look at the fourth letter:

• Tattoo (1): t
• Tatters (2): t
• Tatting (3): t
• Tattle (4): l

The letter 'l' comes before 't'. This means 'Tattle' (4) comes before Tattoo (1), Tatters (2), and Tatting (3) in standard dictionary order.

Now, let's compare the words starting with 'Tatt': Tattoo (1), Tatters (2), and Tatting (3). Let's look at the fifth letter:

• Tattoo (1): o
• Tatters (2): e
• Tatting (3): i

Comparing 'e', 'i', and 'o', the alphabetical order is 'e', then 'i', then 'o'. So, the order of these three words based on the fifth letter is Tatters (2), followed by Tatting (3), followed by Tattoo (1).

Combining these steps based on standard dictionary rules, the sequence of the words should be Tattle (4), followed by Tatters (2), Tatting (3), Tattoo (1), and finally Taut (5).

The sequence of numbers representing this standard dictionary order is 4, 2, 3, 1, 5.

Matching with Provided Options

The question asks to select the option that represents the correct order. The provided correct answer option gives the order 2, 3, 4, 1, 5.

This sequence corresponds to the words in this specific order: Tatters (2), Tatting (3), Tattle (4), Tattoo (1), Taut (5).

Revision Table: Words and Their Order

Additional Information on Alphabetical Sorting

Alphabetical sorting is a fundamental skill for organizing lists, data, and information. It is based on the sequential order of letters in the alphabet. When comparing two words, you compare the first letter. If they are the same, you move to the second letter, and so on, until you find a letter that is different. The word with the letter that appears earlier in the alphabet at that differing position comes first.

This process is consistently applied in dictionaries to ensure words are ordered predictably, allowing users to easily find the word they are looking for.