Alphabet Test Questions and Answers

Answer: B

The word that cannot be made is TRUCK.

DESTRUCTION contains the letters D, E, S, T, R, U, C, T, I, O, N. TRUCK needs a K, which the word does not have.

RUIN (R, U, I, N), TRUE (T, R, U, E) and DIET (D, I, E, T) can all be made from its letters.

Checking letter by letter settles it: every letter of RUIN, TRUE and DIET appears in DESTRUCTION, which even has two Ts, while TRUCK fails only at its last letter, K.

Answer: D

The word that cannot be formed is MANTLE.

MEASUREMENT contains the letters M (twice), E (three times), A, S, U, R, N and T. MANTLE needs an L, and there is no L in MEASUREMENT.

The other three can be formed: MASTER uses M, A, S, T, E, R; TEAM uses T, E, A, M; and REST uses R, E, S, T, all available in the required numbers.

Answer: B

The letter is N.

The letters of CENTRIFUGAL in alphabetical order are:

A C E F G I L N R T U

Counting from the right, U is 1st, T 2nd, R 3rd, N 4th, L 5th, I 6th and G 7th. Moving three places to the right of G gives I, then L, then N.

F is one place to the left of G and I only one place to its right, while U is simply the last letter of the arrangement. Counting the seventh letter from the left (L) instead would lead to T, which is not offered.

Answer: C

Correct answer: War

Comparing letter by letter, the alphabetical order of the five words is:

War → Wasp → Waste → Wrinkle → Wrist

All five begin with W, so the second letter decides the first split: a comes before r, which separates the three Wa- words from the two Wr- ones. Among the Wa- words the third letter settles it: r before s, so War leads. Sorting on the first letter that differs, and only then moving on, is the whole method.

Answer: A

Correct answer: Science

Comparing letter by letter, the alphabetical order of the five words is:

Science → Scramble → Script → Scripture → Scrutiny

All five share Sc, so the third letter divides them: i before r, which puts Science alone ahead of the four Scr- words. Note the pair Script and Scripture, where one word is a prefix of the other - the shorter always comes first, since it runs out of letters to compare.

Answer: E

Correct answer: Integument

Comparing letter by letter, the alphabetical order of the five words is:

Integument → Intellect → Intelligent → Intend → Intense

All five share Inte, so everything turns on the fifth letter: g, l, l, n, n. The g of Integument comes first, which is easy to miss because the word looks the least familiar of the five. Length and familiarity have no bearing on the order.

Answer: C

Correct answer: Narrate

Comparing letter by letter, the alphabetical order of the five words is:

Narrate → Nascent → Native → Nature → Naughty

All five share Na, so the third letter orders them: r, s, t, t, u. Narrate leads on its r. The two Nat- words then need the fourth letter, where i precedes u, putting Native before Nature.

Answer: D

Correct answer: Diastole

Comparing letter by letter, the alphabetical order of the five words is:

Diastole → Dictate → Dictionary → Dictum → Didactic

All five share Di, so the third letter divides them: a, c, c, c, d. Diastole leads. The three Dict- words are then separated by the fifth letter - a, i, u - giving Dictate, Dictionary, Dictum in that order.

Answer: B

Correct answer: Practical

Comparing letter by letter, the alphabetical order of the five words is:

Practical → Practies → Praise → Prank → Prayer

All five share Pra, and the fourth letter gives c, c, i, n, y. The two Prac- words go first, and among them the sixth letter decides: Practical before Practies, since c precedes e. Five letters agree before anything separates them.

Answer: C

Correct answer: Anguish

Comparing letter by letter, the alphabetical order of the five words is:

Anguish → Animate → Animosity → Ankle → Announce

All five share An, and the third letter orders them: g, i, i, k, n. Anguish leads on its g. The two Ani- words then need the sixth letter, where Animate's a precedes Animosity's s.