Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: 43125
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This dictionary order question involves five words beginning with the letter J. The test is to determine the correct sequence in which these words appear in a dictionary and then represent that order using the numerical codes assigned to each word. Problems of this type are fundamental in verbal reasoning and also mimic tasks such as arranging names or terms alphabetically in real administrative work.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
When words share the same initial letter, we examine subsequent letters one by one. We group words that start with the same two or three letters and then compare further letters to decide internal ordering. One special rule is that if one word is a complete prefix of another, the shorter word appears first in the dictionary. Here, all words begin with J, but the second and third letters differ enough to create a clear order once investigated systematically.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Write the words with their first few letters: Jingle (Jin...), Jingling (Jin...), Journey (Jou...), Judge (Jud...), Judgement (Jud...).
Step 2: Compare second letters: for all words it is 'o' or 'u' or 'i'. Actually, Jingle and Jingling have 'i', Journey has 'o', Judge and Judgement have 'u'. Alphabetically, i comes before o, and o comes before u.
Step 3: So Jingle (4) and Jingling (3) come first among all five. Between these two, they are identical up to J I N G L; after that, Jingle ends with 'e', while Jingling continues with 'i n g'. Since a shorter word with the same prefix comes first, Jingle (4) precedes Jingling (3).
Step 4: Next is Journey (1), starting with 'jou', which alphabetically follows 'jin' but comes before 'jud'.
Step 5: Finally, Judge (2) and Judgement (5) both start with J U D G E. Judge is shorter after this common prefix, so Judge (2) is placed before Judgement (5).
Step 6: Combining, the dictionary order is: 4 (Jingle), 3 (Jingling), 1 (Journey), 2 (Judge), 5 (Judgement), giving code 43125.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, imagine turning pages in a dictionary. You would first see entries beginning with Jin..., so Jingle and Jingling appear before Jou... words like Journey. After that, Jud... words such as Judge and Judgement follow. Within each cluster, you apply the same rule that shorter prefix words precede their longer extensions, confirming the internal order. This mental dictionary simulation supports the result 43125.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option 32541 incorrectly starts with Jingling before Jingle, violating the prefix rule. Option 53142 incorrectly places Judgement before some shorter words and scrambles the Jin... and Jou... sequence. Option 15342 places Journey first, which is impossible because words starting with Ji must come before words starting with Jo. Only 43125 keeps all alphabetical relationships consistent.
Common Pitfalls:
Students often fail to account for the prefix rule, assuming that longer words are always later even when they share a long initial sequence. Another common error is to focus only on the second letter and to forget that third, fourth and later letters also decide order when earlier letters match. Writing out the first three letters of each word and grouping them as Jin, Jou, and Jud is a reliable way to avoid confusion.
Final Answer:
The correct dictionary sequence for the given words corresponds to the code 43125, so that is the correct answer.
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