Word formation – From the letters W, N, O (no repetition), how many meaningful 3-letter English words can be formed using each letter exactly once?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Three

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Short anagrams with three letters frequently yield up to three valid permutations. With W, N, O, we must form 3-letter words using each letter once, and count how many are standard English words. This checks your recall of common, simple vocabulary including different parts of speech.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Letters: {W, N, O}.
  • Word length = 3; no letter repetition.
  • Accept mainstream dictionary words only.


Concept / Approach:
Enumerate the permutations and test meaning. The three familiar words are: “NOW,” “OWN,” and “WON.” All three are ubiquitous in standard English: now (adverb of time), own (verb/adjective), won (past participle/past of win). Because each uses all letters once, the total count is three.



Step-by-Step Solution:
Try each starting letter: N__ → NOW; O__ → OWN; W__ → WON.All three are dictionary words with common usage.Therefore, number of meaningful 3-letter words = 3.



Verification / Alternative check:
A quick dictionary or word-list glance confirms the trio. These are standard “starter” examples in many reasoning sets, minimizing ambiguity.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • None/One/Two: Under-count; the letter set yields exactly three high-frequency words.


Common Pitfalls:
Overlooking tense changes (“won”) or different parts of speech (“own”). In short anagrams, function and inflected forms often complete the valid set.



Final Answer:
Three

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