In a certain letter code, each eight letter word is coded by swapping letters in fixed adjacent pairs. For example, DECEMBER is coded as EDECBMRE. Using the same pattern of adjacent letter interchange, how will the word FEBRUARY be coded?

Introduction / Context:
This question involves a fixed positional rearrangement of letters, where an eight letter word is encoded by swapping letters in adjacent pairs. The example DECEMBER to EDECBMRE demonstrates how each pair of letters is interchanged. Once you recognize the exact swapping pattern, you simply apply the same step by step process to another eight letter word, FEBRUARY, to obtain its code.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Original word: DECEMBER. • Code: EDECBMRE. • Target word to be coded: FEBRUARY. • Both words have eight letters.

Concept / Approach:
The key idea is that each adjacent pair of letters (positions 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8) is swapped. So the second letter moves to the first position of the pair and the first letter moves to the second position of the pair. We can confirm that this rule transforms DECEMBER into EDECBMRE, and then apply the same swapping to the pairs in FEBRUARY.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Write DECEMBER with positions: 1 D, 2 E, 3 C, 4 E, 5 M, 6 B, 7 E, 8 R. Step 2: Group letters into adjacent pairs: (D, E), (C, E), (M, B), (E, R). Step 3: Swap letters in each pair: (E, D), (E, C), (B, M), (R, E). Step 4: The swapped sequence is E D E C B M R E which matches the given code EDECBMRE. Step 5: Now write FEBRUARY with positions: 1 F, 2 E, 3 B, 4 R, 5 U, 6 A, 7 R, 8 Y. Step 6: Group into pairs: (F, E), (B, R), (U, A), (R, Y). Step 7: Swap each pair: (E, F), (R, B), (A, U), (Y, R). Step 8: Combine to get the sequence E F R B A U Y R. Step 9: Thus the code for FEBRUARY is EFRBAUYR.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you try any other reordering rule, such as reversing the entire word or rotating letters, it will not match the given example DECEMBER to EDECBMRE. The pairwise swap rule is both simple and fully consistent. Re checking the swap for each pair in FEBRUARY confirms the code EFRBAUYR, and only one option among those given matches this pattern exactly.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option EFRBUAYR has U and A in the wrong order in the middle pair, ignoring the swap rule. Option EFBRAUYR places B and R incorrectly and breaks the logic of swapping each adjacent pair. Option EFRBUARY keeps the last pair A and R unswapped, again deviating from the pattern used for DECEMBER. Option EFBRAURY misplaces multiple letters and does not correspond to systematic pairwise swapping.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes miscount positions or forget to treat all four pairs uniformly, especially the last pair. Others attempt complex patterns when a simple adjacent swap rule is sufficient. Writing the letters with explicit position numbers and working pair by pair helps avoid these mistakes.

Final Answer:
By swapping letters in each adjacent pair, the word FEBRUARY is coded as EFRBAUYR.