In how many different ways can the letters of the word 'DELETE' be arranged?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → 120
1. Analyze the word
First, count the total number of letters and identify any repeating letters:
- Total number of letters (n): 6 (D, E, L, E, T, E)
- Repetitions: The letter 'E' appears 3 times.
- All other letters (D, L, T) appear only once.
2. The Formula
The number of distinct arrangements of $n$ objects where $p$ objects are of one type, $q$ of another, and so on, is:
$\text{Arrangements} = \frac{n!}{p! \cdot q! \dots}$
3. Calculation
Substitute our values into the formula:
$\text{Arrangements} = \frac{6!}{3!}$
Now, calculate the factorials:
- $6! = 6 \times 5 \times 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 = 720$
- $3! = 3 \times 2 \times 1 = 6$
$\text{Arrangements} = \frac{720}{6} = 120$
Correct Option: 120