If FRIEND is coded as HUMJTK, how is CANDLE written in that code?

2025

If FRIEND is coded as HUMJTK, how is CANDLE written in that code?

  1. A.

    EDRIRL

  2. B.

    DEQJQM

  3. C.

    ESJFME

  4. D.

    DCQHQK

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

In alphabet letter-shift coding, each letter of a word is moved a certain number of steps forward in the alphabet to get its coded letter. Comparing a word with its given code reveals the shift used at each letter position, and applying that very same position-by-position shift to a new word decodes it in the same code.

Finding the shift from FRIEND to HUMJTK:

  1. F (6th letter) shifts 2 steps forward to H (8th letter).

  2. R (18th letter) shifts 3 steps forward to U (21st letter).

  3. I (9th letter) shifts 4 steps forward to M (13th letter).

  4. E (5th letter) shifts 5 steps forward to J (10th letter).

  5. N (14th letter) shifts 6 steps forward to T (20th letter).

  6. D (4th letter) shifts 7 steps forward to K (11th letter).

So the first letter shifts 2 steps, and every letter after it shifts one step more than the letter before it: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Applying the same rule to CANDLE:

  1. C (3rd letter) shifts 2 steps forward to E (5th letter).

  2. A (1st letter) shifts 3 steps forward to D (4th letter).

  3. N (14th letter) shifts 4 steps forward to R (18th letter).

  4. D (4th letter) shifts 5 steps forward to I (9th letter).

  5. L (12th letter) shifts 6 steps forward to R (18th letter).

  6. E (5th letter) shifts 7 steps forward to L (12th letter).

Reading the coded letters in order gives EDRIRL.

Checking in reverse: shifting each letter of EDRIRL backward by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 respectively returns C, A, N, D, L, E, confirming the code is correct.

Explore the full course: Infosys Preparation