In the word "ANNIHILATION", the first and third letters are interchanged, the second and fourth letters are interchanged, the fifth and seventh letters are interchanged, the sixth and eighth letters are interchanged, and so on. After performing all these swaps, which letter will be sixth from the left in the new arrangement?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your ability to track multiple letter swaps within a word. The word given is "ANNIHILATION" and specific pairs of letter positions are interchanged. Instead of simply reversing the word, we are asked to swap letters in overlapping pairs and then identify which letter occupies the sixth position from the left. Such problems test careful reading, positional reasoning, and the discipline to follow a multi step instruction without skipping any part of the pattern.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The original word is "ANNIHILATION".
• Letters in positions 1 and 3 are interchanged.
• Letters in positions 2 and 4 are interchanged.
• Letters in positions 5 and 7 are interchanged.
• Letters in positions 6 and 8 are interchanged.
• Letters in positions 9 and 11 are interchanged.
• Letters in positions 10 and 12 are interchanged.
• No letters are added or deleted; only swaps are performed.

Concept / Approach:
The correct approach is to work with position numbers and process each pair of interchanges one by one. We must be systematic because several swaps take place, and the final arrangement can only be found by carefully tracking where each original letter moves. Writing out the initial positions and then updating them after each swap is usually easier than trying to visualize everything in the head. Once the final sequence is built, we simply count to the sixth letter from the left.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Write the word with position numbers. "ANNIHILATION" has 12 letters: 1 A, 2 N, 3 N, 4 I, 5 H, 6 I, 7 L, 8 A, 9 T, 10 I, 11 O, 12 N. Step 2: Swap positions 1 and 3. Letters at 1 and 3 are A and N. After swapping: 1 N, 2 N, 3 A, 4 I, 5 H, 6 I, 7 L, 8 A, 9 T, 10 I, 11 O, 12 N. Step 3: Swap positions 2 and 4. Letters at 2 and 4 are N and I. After swapping: 1 N, 2 I, 3 A, 4 N, 5 H, 6 I, 7 L, 8 A, 9 T, 10 I, 11 O, 12 N. Step 4: Swap positions 5 and 7. Letters at 5 and 7 are H and L. After swapping: 1 N, 2 I, 3 A, 4 N, 5 L, 6 I, 7 H, 8 A, 9 T, 10 I, 11 O, 12 N. Step 5: Swap positions 6 and 8. Letters at 6 and 8 are I and A. After swapping: 1 N, 2 I, 3 A, 4 N, 5 L, 6 A, 7 H, 8 I, 9 T, 10 I, 11 O, 12 N. Step 6: Swap positions 9 and 11. Letters at 9 and 11 are T and O. After swapping: 1 N, 2 I, 3 A, 4 N, 5 L, 6 A, 7 H, 8 I, 9 O, 10 I, 11 T, 12 N. Step 7: Swap positions 10 and 12. Letters at 10 and 12 are I and N. After swapping: 1 N, 2 I, 3 A, 4 N, 5 L, 6 A, 7 H, 8 I, 9 O, 10 N, 11 T, 12 I. Step 8: The final sequence is "NIANLAHIONTI". The sixth letter from the left is A.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, we can directly write the final word "NIANLAHIONTI" and count letters from the left: 1 N, 2 I, 3 A, 4 N, 5 L, 6 A, 7 H, 8 I, 9 O, 10 N, 11 T, 12 I. The sixth position is clearly occupied by A. Checking each swap once more confirms that we did not accidentally miss any interchange or mix up position numbers.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A "I" is the second and tenth letters in the final word, not the sixth.
Option B "L" appears in the fifth position, not the sixth.
Option D "H" appears in the seventh position, so it cannot be correct.
Option E "N" is seen in positions one, four, and ten, but never in the sixth position.

Common Pitfalls:
Typical mistakes include forgetting one of the swap pairs, especially the last ones, or performing swaps on already swapped positions without tracking the new letters. Another common error is miscounting positions after writing the final arrangement. Candidates sometimes try to shortcut the process mentally and misplace letters. The safe method is to write down every step clearly and count positions carefully before selecting the option.

Final Answer:
The sixth letter from the left in the new arrangement is A.