How many meaningful four-letter English words can be formed using the first, second, third, and fifth letters of the word "TRAVEL" (when counted from left to right), using each letter only once in each word?

Correct — B.
Rule: pick the letters by position, then test the arrangements.

TRAVEL: T(1) R(2) A(3) V(4) E(5) L(6).
The letters are T, R, A, E.

Words using each once: RATE, TEAR and TARE (the weight of an empty container).
Three words → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  One — One undercounts at once: RATE and TEAR are both everyday words built from T, R, A and E.
• (c)
  Two — Two stops at RATE and TEAR. TARE, the weight of packaging or an empty vehicle, uses the same four letters.
• (d)
  Five — Five needs two more real words among the 24 arrangements. Beyond RATE, TEAR and TARE, strings such as ERTA or ATRE are not English words.

These items have two steps. First, number the letters of the given word before choosing any: the fifth letter of TRAVEL is E, not V.

Second, list arrangements systematically, for example by fixing the first letter. Four different letters give 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 24 orders. Starting with R gives RATE, and starting with T gives TARE and TEAR.

Key facts

• TRAVEL numbered: T1 R2 A3 V4 E5 L6.
• Four different letters can be arranged in 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 24 ways.
• TARE is the weight of a container or vehicle, subtracted from the gross weight to give the net weight.

Common traps

• Taking the fifth letter as V and working with T, R, A, V
• Counting TEAR twice for its two meanings (to rip, a drop from the eye), when one spelling is one word
• Stopping at the two everyday words and missing TARE

No directly related past PYQ was found.