All Exams Test series for 1 year @ ₹349 only
Question

Three of the following four letter-clusters are alike in a certain way and one is different. Pick the odd one out.

This question was previously asked in
SSC CGL 2022 Tier-II (Paper 2 JSO) Previous Year Paper (04-Mar-2023)
The correct answer is

MOP

Finding the Odd Letter Cluster

This question asks us to identify the letter cluster that doesn't follow the same pattern as the other three. We are given four letter clusters: OQS, JLN, HJL, and MOP.

Analyzing the Pattern in Letter Clusters

To find the pattern, let's look at the position of each letter in the English alphabet. We'll see how the positions change from one letter to the next within each cluster.

Letter Cluster Letter Positions Difference between letters Pattern
OQS O=15, Q=17, S=19 Q - O = 17 - 15 = +2
S - Q = 19 - 17 = +2
+2, +2
JLN J=10, L=12, N=14 L - J = 12 - 10 = +2
N - L = 14 - 12 = +2
+2, +2
HJL H=8, J=10, L=12 J - H = 10 - 8 = +2
L - J = 12 - 10 = +2
+2, +2
MOP M=13, O=15, P=16 O - M = 15 - 13 = +2
P - O = 16 - 15 = +1
+2, +1

Looking at the patterns we found:

  • OQS follows a +2, +2 pattern.
  • JLN follows a +2, +2 pattern.
  • HJL follows a +2, +2 pattern.
  • MOP follows a +2, +1 pattern.

Identifying the Odd Letter Cluster

Three of the letter clusters (OQS, JLN, HJL) show a consistent pattern where the position of each subsequent letter increases by 2. The letter cluster MOP, however, shows an increase of +2 followed by an increase of +1.

Therefore, MOP is the letter cluster that is different from the other three.

Conclusion for Odd One Out

Based on the sequential pattern of letter positions, MOP is the odd one out among the given letter clusters.

Option Letter Cluster Pattern
1 OQS +2, +2
2 JLN +2, +2
3 HJL +2, +2
4 MOP +2, +1

The cluster MOP is the only one with a different pattern (+2, +1) compared to the others (+2, +2).

Revision Table: Letter Cluster Analysis

Concept Explanation Application Here
Letter Sequencing Analyzing patterns based on the order of letters in the alphabet. Used to find the differences between consecutive letters in each cluster.
Alphabetical Position Assigning numerical values to letters based on their position (A=1, B=2, ...). Essential tool for quantifying the differences between letters (e.g., O=15, Q=17).
Pattern Recognition Identifying a consistent rule or sequence in a set of data. Used to find the +2, +2 pattern common to three clusters and the different +2, +1 pattern in one.
Odd One Out Identifying the item in a set that does not fit the pattern of the others. The main goal of the question, leading to the identification of MOP.

Additional Information: Types of Letter Series Patterns

Letter series and letter cluster questions often involve different types of patterns. Understanding these can help solve similar problems:

  • Alphabetical Order: Letters follow the standard A-Z sequence, possibly skipping letters or moving backward.
  • Positional Patterns: Patterns based on the numerical position of letters (A=1, B=2, etc.), involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, or sequences like squares, cubes, etc.
  • Skipping Letters: A fixed number of letters are skipped between consecutive letters in the series or cluster.
  • Consonants/Vowels: The pattern might involve the sequence of consonants or vowels.
  • Combination of Patterns: Some series might combine positional changes with other rules.
  • Reverse Alphabetical Order: Letters follow the Z-A sequence.

Always start by writing down the alphabetical positions of the letters to make the numerical patterns visible.

Was this answer helpful?

Similar Questions

  1. Four letter-clusters have been given, out of which three are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the letter-cluster that is different.

  2. Four letter-clusters have been given out of which three are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the one that is different.

  3. Four letter-clusters have been given, out of which three are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the odd letter-cluster.

  4. Four letter-clusters have been given, out of which three are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the odd letter-cluster.

  5. Three of the following four letter-clusters are alike in a certain way and one is different.

    Select the one that is different.

  6. Three of the following four letter-clusters are alike in a certain way and one is different.

    Pick the odd one out.

    AFKP

    GKPS

    SXCH

    JOTY

  7. Three of the following four letter-clusters are alike in a certain way and one is different.

    Pick the odd one out.

  8. Three of the following four letter-clusters are alike in a certain way and one is different. Pick the odd one out.

  9. Four letter-clusters have been given, out of which three are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the odd letter-cluster.

  10. Four letter-clusters have been given, out of which three are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the odd letter-cluster.


Important Questions from Letter based

  1. Choose the group of letters which is different from others.

  2. Choose the group of letters which is different from others.

  3. Three of the following four words are alike in a certain way and one is different. Find the odd one out.

  4. Based on the position in the English alphabetical order, three of the following letterclusters are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the odd letter-cluster.

  5. Four letter-clusters have been given, out of which three are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the letter-cluster that is different.

Need Expert Advice?
Upcoming Exams
SSC JHT
September 08, 2026
SSC Stenographer
September 09, 2026
SSC Selection Post
September 16, 2026
Test Series
SSC CGL img
SSC
SSC CGL (Tier I + Tier II) 2026 Mock Test Series - Latest Pattern
2501 Tests 6 Tests Free
4120 Attempts
4.2(839)
English, Hindi

Start Your Preparation with Prepp Mobile App

Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Prepp Mobile App