Letter rearrangement analogy: “OFTEN becomes FOTEN”. Which of the following pairs shows the same type of letter rearrangement?

Introduction / Context:
This analogy involves rearranging letters inside a word according to a specific rule. The example given is “OFTEN : FOTEN”. You must identify which option shows the same pattern of rearrangement applied to a different word. Such questions test careful observation of letter positions and basic pattern recognition in sequences of characters.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Example pair: OFTEN and FOTEN. • Options: HEART : TRAHE; OPENS : SNEOP; RISKY : IRSYK; FIRST : IFRST. • We assume that the pattern involves a simple swap or shift of certain letters, not random scrambling.

Concept / Approach:
We begin by carefully comparing OFTEN with FOTEN. We label the positions: O (1), F (2), T (3), E (4), N (5). In the transformed word FOTEN, the letters are F (1), O (2), T (3), E (4), N (5). This shows that only the first two letters have switched places while positions three, four, and five remain unchanged. The pattern is therefore “swap letter 1 and letter 2, keep the rest as they are”. We then check each option to see which one follows exactly this same rule.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Confirm the rule on the given example. Original: O F T E N. Transformed: F O T E N. Only the first and second letters are swapped; T, E, N remain in the same positions. Step 2: Test each option using this rule. Option A: HEART to TRAHE. HEART is H E A R T; TRAHE is T R A H E. This is not a simple first two letter swap; letters move to different places. Option B: OPENS to SNEOP. OPENS is O P E N S; SNEOP is S N E O P. Several letters change position, not only the first two. Option C: RISKY to IRSYK. RISKY is R I S K Y; IRSYK is I R S Y K. First two letters R and I are swapped, but also positions four and five (K and Y) are swapped. This is more than the simple pattern. Option D: FIRST to IFRST. FIRST is F I R S T; IFRST is I F R S T. Only the first and second letters, F and I, have exchanged positions; the remaining letters R, S, T stay where they were. Step 3: Only FIRST : IFRST exactly repeats the pattern: swap first and second letters, keep the rest unchanged.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can describe the pattern in a general way as “1 2 3 4 5 becomes 2 1 3 4 5”. Testing this on FIRST gives F I R S T turning into I F R S T, which fits perfectly. None of the other options can be represented by this simple pattern because they require additional swaps or a more complex rearrangement of letters. This confirms that option D is the correct analog pair.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• HEART : TRAHE: Letters are rotated and mixed so that positions change in a more complex way, not just 1 and 2 swapping. • OPENS : SNEOP: The letters are rearranged in a pattern where the last letters move to the front; it is not a simple adjacent swap. • RISKY : IRSYK: This involves swapping the first two and also the last two letters, so the pattern is 2 1 3 5 4, not the required 2 1 3 4 5.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to look only at the first two letters and ignore whether the rest of the word remains fixed. RISKY : IRSYK looks tempting at first because R and I swap places. However, a closer look shows that Y and K also swap places. Always check all letter positions, not just the front of the word. Accuracy in this checking is vital for pattern related questions.

Final Answer:
The pair that shows the same letter rearrangement as OFTEN : FOTEN is FIRST : IFRST.