Select the odd group of letters from the given alternatives: UTS, PNM, KIH, and FDC.

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to alphabetical reasoning and asks you to identify the odd group of letters. The pattern is based on how much each letter moves in the alphabet from left to right. These problems help evaluate your ability to work with letter positions and notice consistent increments or decrements in sequences.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The groups are UTS, PNM, KIH, and FDC.
• Each group contains three letters that appear to move backward in the alphabet.
• Exactly one group uses a different step pattern compared to the others.
• We assume A = 1, B = 2, ..., Z = 26 as the standard alphabetical positions.

Concept / Approach:
The method is to convert letters to their numeric positions and compute the difference between consecutive letters in each group. Three of the groups follow a pattern in which the first to second letter decreases by 2 positions, and the second to third letter decreases by 1 position. One group, however, decreases by only 1 position at each step. Identifying this special case allows us to mark it as the odd group.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: For UTS, positions are U = 21, T = 20, S = 19. The differences are 20 - 21 = -1 and 19 - 20 = -1, giving a pattern of -1, -1. Step 2: For PNM, positions are P = 16, N = 14, M = 13. The differences are 14 - 16 = -2 and 13 - 14 = -1, which is -2, -1. Step 3: For KIH, positions are K = 11, I = 9, H = 8. The differences are 9 - 11 = -2 and 8 - 9 = -1, again -2, -1. Step 4: For FDC, positions are F = 6, D = 4, C = 3. The differences are 4 - 6 = -2 and 3 - 4 = -1, also -2, -1. Step 5: Compare the patterns. PNM, KIH, and FDC all follow the -2, -1 pattern. Step 6: UTS is different because it has a -1, -1 pattern, not matching the others. Step 7: Conclude that UTS is the odd group of letters among the given alternatives.

Verification / Alternative check:
As a mental verification, simply say the sequences backward: U, T, S goes one step back each time in the alphabet. For P, N, M, you move from P to N skipping O, then from N to M without skipping, which corresponds to a bigger jump followed by a smaller one. The same behaviour appears in K, I, H and F, D, C. So three groups show a larger step then a smaller step, while UTS shows equal steps. This confirms that UTS is truly different in its stepping pattern.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
PNM follows a -2, -1 pattern and matches KIH and FDC, so it is not the odd one out.
KIH also shows the -2, -1 step, so it belongs to the main pattern group.

FDC again follows the -2, -1 pattern, which aligns with PNM and KIH, so it cannot be the odd group.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may look only at whether letters are moving backwards and ignore the actual step size. Since all four groups move backwards, it is easy to miss the subtle difference in step pattern. Another common error is miscalculating letter positions, especially when working quickly under exam pressure. To avoid these mistakes, always compute the numeric differences carefully and compare them across all options. This discipline will help you reliably solve many alphabet sequence problems like this one.

Final Answer:
The odd group of letters is UTS.