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1Position in a Row2Odd One Out3Alphabet Group Odd-One-Out4Group Sorter5Possible Combinations6Who Has What7Put the Steps in Order

Concept 3 of 7

Alphabet Group Odd-One-Out

1

Today's big idea

Count the step between letters inside each group; the group with a different step is odd.

Counting the jumps beats eyeballing, since the alphabet song hides the gaps.

2

How it works

👀 What's going on?

Three short strings of letters follow the same hidden rule and a fourth does not. Nothing about them looks different at a glance, which is exactly why the puzzle works.

💡 Here's the trick

Count the step inside each groupBEH+3, +3GJM+3, +3NQT+3, +3RUZ+3, +5 ✗RUZ is the odd one — its step is +5, not +3Same step everywhere → same family. Different step → odd.

Look at the groups above. Inside each one, count how many letters you step forward to get from one letter to the next. Three of the groups step by the same amount all the way through. The group whose step changes partway is the odd one out.

🪄 How to do it

  1. 1.Take the groups above and count the step between letters inside the first one.
  2. 2.Do the same for every other group.
  3. 3.The group whose steps do not match the rest is your answer.

✍️ Try it

Find the odd one out in MNO, RST, WXY, BDF. Then try ACE, FHJ, KMO, PRU.

The first three sets step by one letter each time, while BDF steps by two. In the second set, three of them step by two throughout, but PRU steps two and then three.

⚠️ Watch out

You might be thinking you can see the gaps without counting. The alphabet is not evenly spaced in your memory, and the middle letters are where this goes wrong. Count the steps on your fingers rather than trusting the look of the letters.

🌟 Why this matters

Finding a hidden rule and then spotting the one case that breaks it is what checking anything carefully comes down to. Letters just make the rule easy to hide.
Exam tip: Write the step numbers under each group, since the odd one becomes obvious once they are written down.

3

Watch me solve one

Quanta solves it

“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”

THE PROBLEM

“Which is the ODD ONE OUT? BEH, GJM, NQT, RUZ”

  1. 1

    Count the step in group 1

    B → E is +3, E → H is +3. Step for BEH = +3, +3.

  2. 2

    Confirm the family step

    GJM = +3, +3. NQT = +3, +3. Family step = +3.

  3. 3

    Check the last group

    R → U is +3, U → Z is +5. That breaks the pattern.

  4. 4

    Answer ✓

    Odd = RUZ

Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇

4

See it in action

⚡ Time to play!

Tap each group to reveal its letter-jumps. Then tap the group whose jump is different.

ALPHABET · ROUND 1 OF 3

Reveal all four groups first.

5

Quick check

✅ VERIFICATION

In the group DGJ, what is the step between one letter and the next?

⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.

Keep going!

Up next: Group Sorter

Go one item at a time, don't try to count in your head.

Concept 4 of 7 →