Understanding the Letter Arrangement Problem

The question asks us to find out how many letters in the word NEUTRAL will remain in their original positions after the letters are rearranged in alphabetical order.

Step-by-Step Solution for NEUTRAL

Let's break down the problem into simple steps:

1. Write down the original word NEUTRAL and note the position of each letter.
2. List all the letters present in the word NEUTRAL.
3. Arrange these letters in alphabetical order.
4. Form the new word using the letters in alphabetical order and note their positions.
5. Compare the position of each letter in the original word with its position in the alphabetically arranged word.
6. Count how many letters are in the same position in both arrangements.

Original Word and Positions:

The word is NEUTRAL.

Let's assign positions:

Alphabetical Ordering of Letters:

The letters in the word NEUTRAL are N, E, U, T, R, A, L.

Arranging these letters in alphabetical order, we get:

A, E, L, N, R, T, U

Alphabetically Arranged Word and Positions:

Now, let's form the new word using the alphabetically sorted letters and their positions:

Comparing Original and Sorted Positions:

Let's compare the letter at each position in the original word and the alphabetically sorted word:

• Position 1: Original was N, Sorted is A. (Different)
• Position 2: Original was E, Sorted is E. (Same)
• Position 3: Original was U, Sorted is L. (Different)
• Position 4: Original was T, Sorted is N. (Different)
• Position 5: Original was R, Sorted is R. (Same)
• Position 6: Original was A, Sorted is T. (Different)
• Position 7: Original was L, Sorted is U. (Different)

We can see that the letters at Position 2 (E) and Position 5 (R) remain the same in both the original and the alphabetically arranged word.

Counting Unchanged Positions:

The letters at positions 2 and 5 remained unchanged. Therefore, a total of two letters remained in their original position.

Conclusion on Letter Arrangement in NEUTRAL

After arranging the letters of the word NEUTRAL in alphabetical order, two letters remain in their original positions.

Revision Table: NEUTRAL Letter Sort

The positions with "Yes" indicate where the letter remained unchanged.

Additional Information on Word Arrangement Problems

This type of question is common in logical reasoning or verbal ability tests. It tests your ability to follow instructions and compare sequences.

• Always list the original word and positions clearly.
• Sort the letters carefully in exact alphabetical order.
• Create a clear comparison, perhaps using a table, to avoid errors.
• Double-check the counting of unchanged positions.
• This method can be applied to any word, regardless of length or letter repetition (though repetition requires careful handling of which specific letter instance stays in place, which isn't the case here).