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Difficulty: MediumAnalogy and Classification

Based on the specific letter transformation rule demonstrated in the first pair, which letter cluster correctly completes the second pair?

PLUM : NJXK :: BEAR : ?

  1. ZHDPAnswer
  2. B
    ZCYP
  3. C
    EHDU
  4. D
    ECYU

Answer

The correct letter cluster is ZHDP.
The underlying logic applies different shift rules based on whether a letter is a consonant or a vowel. In the first word, the consonants (P, L, M) are shifted backward by 2 positions in the English alphabet, while the vowel (U) is shifted forward by 3 positions. Applying this exact rule to the target word, the consonants (B, R) shift backward by 2 (resulting in Z, P) and the vowels (E, A) shift forward by 3 (resulting in H, D). This produces the final cluster 'ZHDP'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the transformation from 'PLUM' to 'NJXK' by checking the positional shifts in the alphabet.
P(16) → N(14) is -2; L(12) → J(10) is -2; U(21) → X(24) is +3; M(13) → K(11) is -2.
Establishing the individual letter shifts is necessary to identify the governing logical pattern.
2
Determine the rule that explains the different shifts (-2, -2, +3, -2).
The letters P, L, and M are consonants and they shift backward by 2. The letter U is a vowel and shifts forward by 3. The rule is: Consonants -2, Vowels +3.
Since the shift is not uniform or simply alternating, categorizing letters into vowels and consonants reveals the true logic.
3
Apply the identified rule to the target word 'BEAR'.
B (Consonant) - 2 = Z; E (Vowel) + 3 = H; A (Vowel) + 3 = D; R (Consonant) - 2 = P.
Applying the exact same vowel/consonant transformation rule yields the correct analogous pair.
4
Combine the transformed letters to form the final cluster.
Z, H, D, P combined form the cluster ZHDP.
This completes the analogy PLUM : NJXK :: BEAR : ZHDP.

Key Concept

Alphabet Pattern Analogy (Consonant and Vowel rules)
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Topics

Analogy and Classification

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