Last visit was: 26 Apr 2026, 13:48 It is currently 26 Apr 2026, 13:48
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
CareerGeek
Joined: 20 Jul 2017
Last visit: 25 Apr 2026
Posts: 1,286
Own Kudos:
4,433
 [22]
Given Kudos: 162
Location: India
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Marketing
GMAT 1: 690 Q51 V30
WE:Education (Education)
GMAT 1: 690 Q51 V30
Posts: 1,286
Kudos: 4,433
 [22]
Kudos
Add Kudos
22
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
KarishmaB
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 26 Apr 2026
Posts: 16,441
Own Kudos:
79,419
 [11]
Given Kudos: 485
Location: Pune, India
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,441
Kudos: 79,419
 [11]
8
Kudos
Add Kudos
3
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
User avatar
globaldesi
Joined: 28 Jul 2016
Last visit: 23 Feb 2026
Posts: 1,140
Own Kudos:
2,000
 [4]
Given Kudos: 67
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, Human Resources
Schools: ISB '18 (D)
GPA: 3.97
WE:Project Management (Finance: Investment Banking)
Products:
Schools: ISB '18 (D)
Posts: 1,140
Kudos: 2,000
 [4]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
3
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
rajatchopra1994
Joined: 16 Feb 2015
Last visit: 22 Jun 2024
Posts: 1,052
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 30
Location: United States
Posts: 1,052
Kudos: 1,308
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
globaldesi
total different numbers formed are:
\(7!/2!\)
divide by 2! since I repeats twice
assume all vowels are together
hence final total words will be
\(5!*3!/2!\)
hence all vowels no together
total case - all together
=\(\frac{ 7*6 (5!)}{2!}- \frac{5!*3!}{2!}\)
= 1560
hence none of these

globaldesi

You have done the calculation mistake.
=\(\frac{ 7*6 (5!)}{2!}- \frac{5!*3!}{2!}\)
= 2520-360
= 2160
IMO-B
User avatar
globaldesi
Joined: 28 Jul 2016
Last visit: 23 Feb 2026
Posts: 1,140
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 67
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, Human Resources
Schools: ISB '18 (D)
GPA: 3.97
WE:Project Management (Finance: Investment Banking)
Products:
Schools: ISB '18 (D)
Posts: 1,140
Kudos: 2,000
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
rajatchopra1994
globaldesi
total different numbers formed are:
\(7!/2!\)
divide by 2! since I repeats twice
assume all vowels are together
hence final total words will be
\(5!*3!/2!\)
hence all vowels no together
total case - all together
=\(\frac{ 7*6 (5!)}{2!}- \frac{5!*3!}{2!}\)
= 1560
hence none of these

globaldesi

You have done the calculation mistake.
=\(\frac{ 7*6 (5!)}{2!}- \frac{5!*3!}{2!}\)
= 2520-360
= 2160
IMO-B
Ahh ohh.
Thanks for correcting.
I am bad at calculations.
avatar
yatharthdas
Joined: 22 May 2019
Last visit: 19 Jul 2021
Posts: 11
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 54
Posts: 11
Kudos: 7
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I THINK IT SHOULD BE LIKE THIS....
total no. of arrangements possible = 7p7 or 7!=5040
and total no. of arrangements with vowels together = (all wovels together as a pack)*(vowels as one and other letters)=3!*5!=720

=5040-720=(4320) Ans.

M not sure pl. Help Experts
User avatar
globaldesi
Joined: 28 Jul 2016
Last visit: 23 Feb 2026
Posts: 1,140
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 67
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, Human Resources
Schools: ISB '18 (D)
GPA: 3.97
WE:Project Management (Finance: Investment Banking)
Products:
Schools: ISB '18 (D)
Posts: 1,140
Kudos: 2,000
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
yatharthdas
I THINK IT SHOULD BE LIKE THIS....
total no. of arrangements possible = 7p7 or 7!=5040
and total no. of arrangements with vowels together = (all wovels together as a pack)*(vowels as one and other letters)=3!*5!=720

=5040-720=(4320) Ans.

M not sure pl. Help Experts
what about same words such as II
ITI is same as ITI ..
IIT and IIT are again
from IIT you can only form 3 words
IIT , ITI, TII
that 3!/2! (total words divided by number of similar words )
User avatar
ScottTargetTestPrep
User avatar
Target Test Prep Representative
Joined: 14 Oct 2015
Last visit: 26 Apr 2026
Posts: 22,286
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 302
Status:Founder & CEO
Affiliations: Target Test Prep
Location: United States (CA)
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 22,286
Kudos: 26,538
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Dillesh4096
How many 7-letter words can be formed using all the alphabets of the word SIMILAR given the condition that all the vowels are not together.

A. 1800
B. 2160
C. 4320
D. 4680
E. None of these.

If the letters were all different, the total number of ways to arrange the letters would be 7! . However, since there are 2 identical I’s, we divide by 2!, so we have 7!/2! = 7!/2 ways.

If all three vowels are together, we can treat them as a single item and arrange that group of vowels with the remaining 4 consonants, obtaining 5! ways. In addition, the three vowels I - I - A can be arranged in 3!/2! = 3 ways. Thus, the total number of arrangements in which all the vowels are together is 5! x 3.

Thus, the number of 7-letter words that can be formed such that the vowels are NOT all together is the difference:

7!/2 - 5! x 3

We see that 5! is a common factor of each term, so we have:

5![((7 x 6)/2) - 3]

5!(21 - 3)

5! x 18 = 2160

Answer: B
avatar
fiona243
Joined: 09 Feb 2020
Last visit: 09 Feb 2020
Posts: 1
Posts: 1
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
An interesting mathematical problem. I have always understood the exact sciences more than literature and languages. So with writing essays, I was always helped
User avatar
CrackverbalGMAT
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 03 Oct 2013
Last visit: 26 Apr 2026
Posts: 4,846
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 226
Affiliations: CrackVerbal
Location: India
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,846
Kudos: 9,186
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
The number of 7 letter words = 7!/2! (2 I's)

=2520

The 3 vowels when grouped are IIA and if we consider them as one alphabet,then we need to arrange S,M,L,R and IIA.

These 5 alphabets(considering IIA as an alphabet) can be arranged in 5! * 3!/2! (IIA arranges in 3!/2!)

Thus total arrangements = 120 * 3=360

Number of arrangements where vowels are not together = 2520 - 360

= 2160
(option b)

Devmitra Sen
GMAT SME
User avatar
gmatflunkie
Joined: 30 Mar 2024
Last visit: 15 Jun 2024
Posts: 2
Given Kudos: 1
Posts: 2
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
KarishmaB
CrackverbalGMAT

My approach was different and off by a factor of 3. 

I tried placing the consonances in 4 spots in 4! ways. 

Then, place the vowels in the 5 gaps. 5C3 ways

Then, arrange the vowels. 3!/2!

|C|C|C|C|

24*10*3 = 720

Why is this wrong? ­
User avatar
KarishmaB
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 26 Apr 2026
Posts: 16,441
Own Kudos:
79,419
 [1]
Given Kudos: 485
Location: Pune, India
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,441
Kudos: 79,419
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
gmatflunkie
KarishmaB
CrackverbalGMAT

My approach was different and off by a factor of 3. 

I tried placing the consonances in 4 spots in 4! ways. 

Then, place the vowels in the 5 gaps. 5C3 ways

Then, arrange the vowels. 3!/2!

|C|C|C|C|

24*10*3 = 720

Why is this wrong? ­
­The question gives the condition 'all vowels are not together' not 'there must be atleast one consonant between any two vowels'
So we put all the vowels together and remove this case from total. In the total SIMIALR is a an acceptable word. 
It is not acceptable the way you have calculated. 
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,990
Own Kudos:
Posts: 38,990
Kudos: 1,118
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Automated notice from GMAT Club BumpBot:

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

This post was generated automatically.
Moderators:
Math Expert
109886 posts
Tuck School Moderator
852 posts