Using each letter exactly once, how many meaningful English words can be made from the letters E, P, R, O?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Two

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
We must count standard English words (no abbreviations) that can be formed using all letters E, P, R, O exactly once each.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Letters: E, P, R, O.
  • Every valid word must be 4 letters long and use each letter once.
  • Exclude abbreviations like “repo” (database jargon) if not treated as standard lexical entries in such tests.


Concept / Approach:
Enumerate common anagrams and filter to standard words.



Step-by-Step Solution:

Possible anagrams include: ROPE, PORE, REPO, POER, OPER, OEPR, etc.Recognized common words: ROPE, PORE.Ambiguous/abbrev.: REPO (treated as abbreviation), OPER/POER (not standard words).


Verification / Alternative check:
Cross-check both “ROPE” and “PORE” as widely accepted in basic vocabulary lists; others are either misspellings or abbreviations.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • None/One: Under-counts; there are at least two.
  • Three: Over-counts by including an abbreviation or non-word.


Common Pitfalls:
Counting “REPO” as a dictionary headword rather than an abbreviation in reasoning test norms.


Final Answer:
Two

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion