Question

How many pairs of letters (both forward and backward direction) are there in the word ``STRENGTHEN'' each of which have as many letters between them in the word as they have between them in the English alphabetical series?

• A. 1
• B. 2
• C. 3
• D. 4
• E. 5

Hint:

To solve this faster, write the numerical position of each letter above it:
S(19) T(20) R(18) E(5) N(14) G(7) T(20) H(8) E(5) N(14)
Then, for each number, check if $Position + n = Value$. For example, for E(5) at position 4, the 6th position is G(7). $5 + (6-4) = 7$. Match!

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Concept: A pair of letters has as many letters between them in the word as in the alphabet if, when counting alphabetically from the first letter, you land on the second letter at the correct position. This must be checked in both directions (Left to Right and Right to Left).

Step 1: Check in the Forward Direction (Left to Right).
The word is: S T R E N G T H E N
• S-T: After S comes T. They are adjacent in both the word and the alphabet. (Pair 1)
• E-G: E $\to$ F $\to$ G. There is 1 letter between them in the alphabet (F) and 1 letter between them in the word (N). (Pair 2)

Step 2: Check in the Backward Direction (Right to Left).
The word is: N E H T G N E R T S
• G-H: After G comes H. They are adjacent in the word and the alphabet. (Pair 3)
• G-N: G (7), H (8), I (9), J (10), K (11), L (12), M (13), N (14). There are 6 letters between them in the alphabet and 6 letters in the word (H, T, G, N, E, R). (Wait, re-checking...)
• E-G: From the E at the end: E $\to$ F $\to$ G. (Pair 4) Total Pairs: 4 (ST, EG, GH, EG).