Question

Three of the following four letter-cluster pairs are alike in a certain way and thus form a group. Which is the letter-cluster pair that does NOT belong to that group? (Note: The odd one out is not based on the number of consonants/vowels or their positions in the letter-cluster.)

• A. HT - RC
• B. QC - AL
• C. JO - LS
• D. CO - MX

Answer 1

Answer:

C. JO - LS

The letter-cluster pair that does NOT belong to the group is JO - LS.

The relationship between the letters in the correct pairs is based on alphabetical position mapping (Opposite Letters / Alphabetical Pairs).

When you pair the alphabet from start to finish ($A \leftrightarrow Z, B \leftrightarrow Y, \dots$), each letter has a unique counterpart. The correct pattern takes the opposite of the first letter and shifts it backward or forward to find the second letter.

Let's break down each pair:

• HT - RC

  • Opposite of H is S. Moving 1 step backward ($S - 1$) gives R.

  • Opposite of T is G. Moving 4 steps backward ($G - 4$) gives C.

• QC - AL

  • Opposite of Q is J. Moving 9 steps backward ($J - 9$) gives A.

  • Opposite of C is X. Moving 12 steps backward ($X - 12$) gives L.

• CO - MX

  • Opposite of C is X. Moving 11 steps backward ($X - 11$) gives M.

  • Opposite of O is L. Moving 12 steps forward ($L + 12$) gives X.

• JO - LS

  • Opposite of J is Q. Moving 5 steps forward ($Q + 5$) gives L.

  • Opposite of O is L. Moving 7 steps forward ($L + 7$) gives S.

While HT-RC, QC-AL, and CO-MX all utilize a system of backward steps from their true alphabetical opposites for their primary character, JO-LS breaks the rule by moving forward in steps instead.