If you rearrange the letters S, T, O, and P, what is the probability that you’ll end up with a common English word?
This brainteaser was written by Derrick Niederman.
Solution: 1/4.
There are 4! = 24 ways of arranging a set of four objects. In this instance, the 24 possibilities are listed below, and the bold words in the first column are the arrangements that form actual English words.
The probability in question is therefore 6/24, or 1/4.
STOP SPTO STPO SOTP
POTS PTOS PSTO PSOT
OPTS OTPS OTSP OSTP
TOPS TPOS TSOP TPOS
POST PTSO OSPT OPST
SPOT SOPT TSPO TOSP
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