Understanding Dictionary Word Order

Arranging words in the order they appear in an English dictionary is a fundamental skill. This process involves comparing words letter by letter from the beginning until a difference is found. The word with the letter that comes earlier in the alphabet is placed first.

Analyzing the Given Words for Alphabetical Order

We are given six words that all start with "Dis":

1. Dissolve
2. Display
3. Distance
4. Disturb
5. Displace
6. Dispute

To determine the dictionary order, we compare these words character by character:

Step-by-Step Comparison

All words start with "Dis". Let's look at the fourth letter:

• Dissolve: s
• Display: p
• Distance: t
• Disturb: t
• Displace: p
• Dispute: p

The fourth letters are 'p', 's', and 't'. Alphabetically, 'p' comes before 's', and 's' comes before 't'. So, words starting with "Disp" will come first, followed by "Diss", and then "Dist".

Comparing "Disp" Words (Display, Displace, Dispute)

These words are 2, 5, and 6. They all start with "Disp". Let's look at the fifth letter:

• Display: l
• Displace: l
• Dispute: u

The fifth letters are 'l' and 'u'. 'l' comes before 'u'. So, "Display" and "Displace" will come before "Dispute".

Comparing "Displ" Words (Display, Displace)

These words are 2 and 5. They both start with "Displ". Let's look at the sixth letter:

• Display: a
• Displace: a

The sixth letters are both 'a'. They are still the same. Let's look at the seventh letter:

• Display: y
• Displace: c

The seventh letters are 'y' and 'c'. 'c' comes before 'y'. Therefore, "Displace" comes before "Display".

The order for the "Disp" words is: Displace (5), Display (2), Dispute (6).

Placing "Diss" Word (Dissolve)

"Dissolve" (1) starts with "Diss". Since 's' comes after 'p', "Dissolve" will come after the "Disp" words.

Current order: Displace (5), Display (2), Dispute (6), Dissolve (1).

Comparing "Dist" Words (Distance, Disturb)

These words are 3 and 4. They both start with "Dist". Let's look at the fifth letter:

• Distance: a
• Disturb: u

The fifth letters are 'a' and 'u'. 'a' comes before 'u'. Therefore, "Distance" comes before "Disturb".

The order for the "Dist" words is: Distance (3), Disturb (4).

Final Dictionary Order

Combining the ordered groups, the final dictionary order is:

1. Displace (5)
2. Display (2)
3. Dispute (6)
4. Dissolve (1)
5. Distance (3)
6. Disturb (4)

The correct sequence of numbers representing this order is 5, 2, 6, 1, 3, 4.

Conclusion

The words arranged in dictionary order correspond to the sequence of numbers 5, 2, 6, 1, 3, 4.

Revision Table: Key Concepts

Additional Information: Applying Dictionary Order

Dictionary ordering is used not just in physical dictionaries but also in digital sorting, databases, and file systems. Understanding this sorting method helps in quickly finding information in alphabetically ordered lists. Practice with different sets of words helps improve speed and accuracy.

When words have the same letters up to a certain point, the shorter word comes first. For example, "read" comes before "reader". In our case, all words are distinct and of similar length, requiring comparison until a differing letter is found or the end of the word is reached.