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Question

Select the option that represents the correct order of the given words as they would appear in an English dictionary.

1. Salesman

2. Salvage

3. Salinity

4. Salary

5. Salmon

6. Salivate

This question was previously asked in
SSC CGL 2023 (Tier-II) Paper 1 Previous Year Paper (26-Oct-2023) (Shift-1)
The correct answer is

4, 1, 3, 6, 5, 2

Understanding Dictionary Order

Ordering words as they would appear in an English dictionary requires comparing them letter by letter from left to right. We follow the alphabetical sequence of letters (A to Z). If the initial letters are the same, we move to the next letter, and so on, until we find a difference.

Let's look at the given words:

  1. Salesman
  2. Salvage
  3. Salinity
  4. Salary
  5. Salmon
  6. Salivate

All the words begin with 'Sal'. We need to look at the fourth letter of each word to determine the order:

  • Salesman: S A L e
  • Salvage: S A L v
  • Salinity: S A L i
  • Salary: S A L a
  • Salmon: S A L m
  • Salivate: S A L i

Comparing the fourth letters (a, e, i, i, m, v) alphabetically:

  1. 'a' comes first (Salary)
  2. 'e' comes next (Salesman)
  3. Then comes 'i' (Salinity, Salivate)
  4. Then 'm' (Salmon)
  5. Finally 'v' (Salvage)

Now, we need to order the words starting with 'Sali'. We compare the fifth letter:

  • Salinity: S A L I n
  • Salivate: S A L I v

Comparing 'n' and 'v', 'n' comes before 'v'. So, Salinity comes before Salivate.

Putting it all together, the correct alphabetical order based on dictionary rules is:

Word Fourth Letter Fifth Letter (if needed) Order
Salary (4) a - 1st
Salesman (1) e - 2nd
Salinity (3) i n 3rd
Salivate (6) i v 4th
Salmon (5) m - 5th
Salvage (2) v - 6th

The corresponding numbers in the correct dictionary order are 4, 1, 3, 6, 5, 2.

Revision Table: Dictionary Ordering Basics

Rule Explanation Example
Compare Letter by Letter Start comparing from the first letter. Move to the next letter only if the current letters are the same. Cat, Bat: Compare 'C' and 'B'. 'B' comes first. Bat < Cat.
Go Left to Right Comparison proceeds from the leftmost letter towards the right. Apple, Apply: Compare 'e' and 'y'. 'e' comes first. Apple < Apply.
Shorter Word First If one word is a prefix of another (e.g., "car" and "carpet"), the shorter word comes first. Car, Carpet: 'Car' is a prefix of 'Carpet'. Car < Carpet.

Additional Information: Mastering Alphabetical Order

Alphabetical order, also known as dictionary order, is a fundamental skill used for organizing lists, indexing information, and locating words in dictionaries, encyclopedias, and indexes. It is based on the standard order of the 26 letters of the English alphabet.

Key points to remember when determining alphabetical order:

  • Always start with the first letter.
  • If the first letters are the same, move to the second letter, and so on.
  • Treat uppercase and lowercase letters the same for ordering purposes (though actual dictionaries might list uppercase entries separately or first).
  • Spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes might have specific rules depending on the context (e.g., in some indexes, spaces are ignored). However, for simple word lists like this, focus purely on the letter sequence.
  • Mastering this skill helps improve speed and efficiency when using reference materials.
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