Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: 1. Flinching 2. Flintlock 3. Flinpites 4. Flintlocks 5. Flinchers

Introduction / Context:
This dictionary order problem involves several very similar-looking words: Flinching, Flintlock, Flinpites, Flintlocks and Flinchers. Because they all start with “Flin…”, you must examine letters beyond this shared prefix carefully. The question checks your ability to compare such closely related spellings systematically.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Words with indices:
1. Flinching
2. Flintlock
3. Flinpites
4. Flintlocks
5. Flinchers
- Standard alphabetical rules apply.

Concept / Approach:
Once you see each word starts with “flin”, you look at the next letters. The pattern shifts into various continuations: “flinch…”, “flinp…”, “flintl…”. You compare letter by letter at the first point of difference. Additionally, when one word is a prefix of another (for example, Flintlock vs Flintlocks), the shorter word comes first in the dictionary.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Strip the common prefix “flin”. Consider the remaining parts: 1. Flinching → ching 2. Flintlock → tlock 3. Flinpites → pites 4. Flintlocks → tlocks 5. Flinchers → chers Step 2: Compare the first letters of these remainders: c (1), t (2), p (3), t (4), c (5). Alphabetically, c < p < t, so the “flinch…” words (1 and 5) come before the “flinp…” word (3), which in turn comes before the “flintl…” words (2 and 4). Step 3: Order the “flinch…” words: Flinchers vs Flinching. Flinchers: f l i n c h e r s; Flinching: f l i n c h i n g. After “flinch”, compare “e” vs “i”. Since e comes before i, Flinchers (5) comes before Flinching (1). Step 4: The “flinp…” word Flinpites (3) comes next. Step 5: Now order the “flintl…” words: Flintlock vs Flintlocks. Flintlock is a prefix of Flintlocks. When one word is a complete prefix of another, the shorter word (Flintlock, 2) comes before the longer word (Flintlocks, 4). Step 6: Combine all groups: Flinchers (5), Flinching (1), Flinpites (3), Flintlock (2), Flintlocks (4) → 5,1,3,2,4.

Verification / Alternative check:
Visualise the words as they would appear on a page. Under “flinch…”, you would see “flinchers” then “flinching”, since e comes before i. After finishing the “flinch…” group, you encounter “flinpites”, and only afterwards the “flintl…” group, where “flintlock” precedes “flintlocks”. This reading confirms the sequence 51324.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- 15243 puts Flinching before Flinchers, ignoring that e comes before i after “flinch”.
- 51243 reverses the order of Flinpites and Flintlock, even though p comes before t, so Flinpites must come earlier.
- 51342 misplaces Flintlock and Flintlocks relative to each other; the shorter word must appear first.

Common Pitfalls:
It is easy to get lost when several words share long prefixes. Some candidates focus only on the part after “flint” and neglect that “flinch…” and “flinp…” must come first. Others forget the rule that a shorter word comes before its longer extension when all earlier letters match. Writing out the changing suffixes separately, as we did, is a reliable method for avoiding confusion.

Final Answer:
The correct dictionary order is Flinchers, Flinching, Flinpites, Flintlock, Flintlocks, corresponding to 51324.