If the letters of the word, ‘LATE’ be permutated and the words so formed be arranged as in a dictionary, find the rank of the word LATE.

Question

Philoid · Accepted Answer

Given the word LATE.

Arranging the permutations of the letters of the word LATE in a dictionary:

To find: Rank of word LATE in dictionary.

First comes, words starting with letter A = 3! (3 letters, no repetation)

words starting with letter E = 3! (3 letters, no repetation)

words starting with L

words starting with LA:

LAET = 1

LATE = 1

Rank of the word LATE = 6 + 6 + 1 + 1

= 14

Hence the rank of the word LATE in arranging the letters of LATE in a dictionary among its permutations is 14.