Images of consonants of the English alphabet (Capitals) are observed in a mirror. What is the number of images of these which do not look like their original shapes?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 14
A capital letter looks unchanged in a mirror only if it is symmetric about a vertical line. Of the 21 consonants, only H, M, T, V, W, X and Y are, so 14 consonants look different.
- The alphabet has 26 − 5 = 21 consonants (leaving out A, E, I, O, U).
- A mirror flips left and right, so only letters symmetric about a vertical line look the same.
- Such consonants: H, M, T, V, W, X, Y — 7 letters.
- Consonants whose images look different: 21 − 7 = 14.
- Check: B, C, D, F, G, J, K, L, N, P, Q, R, S, Z — 14 letters.
Remember · Mirror-symmetric capitals: A, H, I, M, O, T, U, V, W, X, Y — learn the list once.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·