All of the letters in the word ‘JUNGLE’ are arranged in alphabetical order. How many letters are there in the English alphabetical series between the letter which is second from the left end and the one which is third from the right end in the new letter-cluster thus formed?

Correct — D.

Rule: alphabetise first, then count strictly between the two named letters.

J U N G L E sorted becomes E G J L N U.

Second from the left end is G. Third from the right end is L, counting U, then N, then L.

Between G and L lie H, I, J and K, which is four letters: option (d).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  Five — Five counts L itself, giving H, I, J, K, L. The word 'between' excludes both named letters, so L cannot be part of the count.
• (b)
  Three — Three is one short, dropping K from the run H, I, J, K. The count is position of L minus position of G minus one, that is 12 minus 7 minus 1.
• (c)
  Two — Two pairs G with J, the third letter from the left of E G J L N U. The question asks for the third from the right end, which is L.

Two instructions have to be obeyed in order. Sort the letters of the word, then read positions in the sorted cluster, never in the original word.

J U N G L E becomes E G J L N U. From the left that is E, G, J, L, N, U; from the right it is U, N, L, J, G, E.

The count itself is strict, excluding both named letters. In alphabet numbers it is the difference of the two positions minus one, which is faster and safer than counting on fingers.

Key facts

• JUNGLE arranged alphabetically is EGJLNU.
• The letters strictly between two letters number the difference of positions minus one: L is 12 and G is 7, so 12 minus 7 minus 1 is 4.
• In a six-letter cluster the third letter from the right is the fourth from the left.

Common traps

• Counting positions in the original word instead of the alphabetised cluster
• Reading 'third from the right end' as the third letter from the left
• Including one or both named letters among the letters counted between them

No directly related past PYQ was found.