In this letter analogy, LETTER is coded as MFUUFS. Using the same pattern, select the related code for AHEAD from the given alternatives.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: BIFBE

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This problem is a classic letter-coding analogy. The word LETTER is transformed into MFUUFS, and you must find how the word AHEAD will be coded using the same rule. Such questions evaluate your understanding of alphabetical positions and consistent shifting patterns, which are very common in verbal reasoning sections of competitive exams.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Original word 1: LETTER.
  • Coded word 1: MFUUFS.
  • Original word 2: AHEAD.
  • Coded word 2: unknown, to be determined.
  • We assume a consistent transformation is applied to each letter independently.


Concept / Approach:
The main idea is to determine how each letter in LETTER is changed to produce MFUUFS. Once we identify the shift between corresponding letters, we apply exactly the same transformation to each letter in AHEAD. If the pattern is a fixed forward shift in the alphabet, the same number of positions must be added to every letter of the new word to maintain the analogy.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Write letter positions for LETTER: L(12), E(5), T(20), T(20), E(5), R(18).Step 2: Write letter positions for MFUUFS: M(13), F(6), U(21), U(21), F(6), S(19).Step 3: For each position, compute the shift: 12→13, 5→6, 20→21, 20→21, 5→6, 18→19. Every letter increases by 1.Step 4: Apply the same +1 shift to AHEAD: A(1)→B(2), H(8)→I(9), E(5)→F(6), A(1)→B(2), D(4)→E(5).Step 5: The resulting coded word is BIFBE, which must be compared with the answer options.


Verification / Alternative check:
We verify that the pattern for LETTER is uniform across all positions and does not change partway through the word. Since every letter is advanced by exactly one position in the alphabet, applying this rule to AHEAD is fully justified. BIFBE exactly matches option A. None of the other options corresponds to a consistent +1 shift from the letters of AHEAD, which supports our solution as the unique correct answer.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B (BIBFE): The internal letter order and shifts do not match the one-step forward rule for every position in AHEAD.
Option C (BFIBE): The letters appear rearranged and do not reflect a simple one-position shift for each original letter.
Option D (BEFBE): This option contains letters that do not match the required transformation sequence from AHEAD.


Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes focus only on the first and last letters or accept near matches without carefully checking every position. Another common error is forgetting that the same shift must apply to each letter, which can lead to picking an option that partially fits but is not fully consistent. Always verify the shift systematically across all letters in both the given and target words.


Final Answer:
Applying a uniform +1 alphabetical shift to AHEAD gives the coded word BIFBE, which is the correct answer.

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