Word Formation & Dictionary Order for the Assam Police Constable (AB & UB) Exam
Word Formation and Dictionary Order is a reasoning topic of the SLPRB Assam Police Constable (AB & UB) examination with two related parts. In word formation a set of letters is given and the candidate must decide which meaningful word can be made from those letters, or how many such words can be made. In dictionary order a set of words is given and the candidate must arrange them as they appear in a dictionary, or pick the word that comes first or last. The questions need a good command of spelling and a clear idea of alphabetical order, but no general knowledge of facts. This page explains the methods with worked examples, shortcuts and the traps that cost marks. The material follows the standard reasoning reference books used for Assam recruitment examinations and is reviewed before it is published.
Part One: Word Formation
In word formation the letters given in the question are to be used, each letter only as many times as it occurs in the question, to form a meaningful English word. The choices usually contain three words whose letters are not all present in the question and one word whose letters are all present. The task is to check each choice letter by letter against the given set. For example, if the letters R, E, A, D are given, the word READ is possible, and the candidate must pick the choice whose letters are all contained in the given set. Often the question asks how many meaningful words can be formed, and here a working vocabulary matters.
Part Two: Dictionary Order
In dictionary order, which is also called alphabetical order, the words are arranged by their letters from left to right. The first letter decides the main order, then the second letter decides within the same first letter, then the third, and so on. The candidate must compare the words letter by letter and place the one whose first differing letter comes earlier in the alphabet first. To find the word that comes first, compare the first letters, and among the words with the same first letter compare the second, and continue until the order is settled.
A Step by Step Method
- Write the alphabet from A to Z on the rough sheet in a single line for quick reference.
- For word formation, write the given letters and count how many times each occurs, then test every choice by cancelling the letters used.
- For dictionary order, compare the words letter by letter from the left.
- Place the word with the earlier differing letter first, and continue for the rest.
- For the first or last word, only compare until the order is decided, and stop early to save time.
Worked Examples
Example one: which of the following can be formed from the letters of the word TEACHER. Choices TEACH, REACH and CHEAT can all be formed, while TIGER cannot, because the letters T, I, G, E, R include I and G which are not in TEACHER. Example two: arrange the words Cat, Car, Can, Cab in dictionary order. All share Ca, so compare the third letter, and the order is Cab, Can, Car, Cat. Example three: which word comes last in a dictionary among Bat, Bed, Big, Box. Comparing the second letters A, E, I, O, the last is Box. Example four: from the letters of MASTER, the word STREAM can be made, since all its letters appear in MASTER.
How This Topic Appears in the Examination
The topic usually appears as two to four objective questions of one mark each. The common forms are to pick the word that can be formed from a given set of letters, to find how many words can be formed, and to arrange words in dictionary order or to pick the word that comes first or last. All of them are quick once the alphabet and the comparing method are clear.
Shortcuts and Speed Methods
- Write the alphabet in one line before starting, so that the order of letters is always in front of the eye.
- For word formation, strike out the letters of the given set as you use them in each choice.
- Count the letters carefully when a letter is repeated in the given set.
- For dictionary order, compare only up to the first differing letter and stop.
- When the question asks for the first or the last word, you often need to compare only the first two letters.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using a letter that is not present in the given set.
- Using a letter more times than it occurs in the given set.
- Forgetting that dictionary order compares letters from the left, not by word length.
- Stopping the comparison too early when two words share several letters.
- Reading the question wrongly when it asks for the last word instead of the first.
Preparation Plan
- Revise the alphabet order until it is second nature.
- Practise ten word formation and ten dictionary order questions a day.
- Keep a small list of common five and six letter words for word formation.
- Practise comparing words by writing them one below the other.
- Solve the previous papers of Assam Police for this topic.
More Practice Questions
- From the letters of STRONG, the words STONE and TONGS cannot be made, but SORT can.
- Arrange the words Pen, Pan, Pig, Pot in dictionary order: Pan, Pen, Pig, Pot.
- Which word comes first among Apple, Apply, April, Apart: Apart.
- From the letters of NUMBER, the word RUMMAGE cannot be made, since A, G, A are absent.
- Arrange the words Small, Smart, Smoke, Smile: Small, Smart, Smile, Smoke, comparing the third and fourth letters.
Quick Revision Checklist
- Use only the letters given, each only as often as it occurs.
- Dictionary order compares letters from the left.
- Compare up to the first differing letter and stop.
- Distinguish questions about the first word from those about the last.
- Write the alphabet in one line before starting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is word formation in reasoning?
Word formation is a reasoning topic in which a set of letters is given and the candidate must decide which meaningful word can be made from those letters, each letter used only as many times as it occurs.
What is dictionary order?
Dictionary order, or alphabetical order, arranges words by comparing their letters from left to right, so the word whose first differing letter comes earlier in the alphabet is placed first.
How do I find the word that comes first?
Compare the first letters of all the words, then the second letters of those that share the same first letter, and continue until one word is clearly earlier than the rest.
Is dictionary order decided by the length of the word?
No. It is decided only by the position of the letters in the alphabet, compared from the left, and never by the number of letters in the word.
How can I improve in this topic?
Revise the alphabet order, practise comparing words letter by letter, and build a small vocabulary of common words, which helps in both word formation and dictionary order.