Since you say "combinations", order does not matter. However I still can't tell which of two possibilities you want. The correct solution is either choice (a) or choice (d). If you mean selecting 4 DIFFERENT letters, there are only 8 different letters in COMBINATION, which are {A,B,C,I,M,N,O,T}, and that is 8C4 = 70 choice (a) Here they all are, 7 rows of 10 each in alphabetical order: ABCI ABCM ABCN ABCO ABCT ABIM ABIN ABIO ABIT ABMN ABMO ABMT ABNO ABNT ABOT ACIM ACIN ACIO ACIT ACMN ACMO ACMT ACNO ACNT ACOT AIMN AIMO AIMT AINO AINT AIOT AMNO AMNT AMOT ANOT BCIM BCIN BCIO BCIT BCMN BCMO BCMT BCNO BCNT BCOT BIMN BIMO BIMT BINO BINT BIOT BMNO BMNT BMOT BNOT CIMN CIMO CIMT CINO CINT CIOT CMNO CMNT CMOT CNOT IMNO IMNT IMOT INOT MNOT -------------------------------------------------- However if you allow such as AIIN or NNOO, where we can choose two Is, two Ns, or two O's, then the answer is 136, choice (d). Here's how to work that: Case 1: All four are different letters: 8C4 = 70 (Same as the problem as interpreted above) Case 2: There is exactly one pair of like letters. Choose the letter of which there will be two of from {I,N,O} That's 3C1 = 3 ways. That leaves 7 letters to choose for the remaining two letters: That's 7C2 = 21 So there are 3*21 = 63 Case 3: There are two pairs of like letters. Choose 2 from {I,N,O} That's 3C2 = 3 ways Total from the 3 cases: 70+63+3 = 136, choice (d) Here they all are. 13 rows of 10 each and the bottom row has only 6, in alphabetical order: ABCI ABCM ABCN ABCO ABCT ABII ABIM ABIN ABIO ABIT ABMN ABMO ABMT ABNN ABNO ABNT ABOO ABOT ACII ACIM ACIN ACIO ACIT ACMN ACMO ACMT ACNN ACNO ACNT ACOO ACOT AIIM AIIN AIIO AIIT AIMN AIMO AIMT AINN AINO AINT AIOO AIOT AMNN AMNO AMNT AMOO AMOT ANNO ANNT ANOO ANOT AOOT BCII BCIM BCIN BCIO BCIT BCMN BCMO BCMT BCNN BCNO BCNT BCOO BCOT BIIM BIIN BIIO BIIT BIMN BIMO BIMT BINN BINO BINT BIOO BIOT BMNN BMNO BMNT BMOO BMOT BNNO BNNT BNOO BNOT BOOT CIIM CIIN CIIO CIIT CIMN CIMO CIMT CINN CINO CINT CIOO CIOT CMNN CMNO CMNT CMOO CMOT CNNO CNNT CNOO CNOT COOT IIMN IIMO IIMT IINN IINO IINT IIOO IIOT IMNN IMNO IMNT IMOO IMOT INNO INNT INOO INOT IOOT MNNO MNNT MNOO MNOT MOOT NNOO NNOT NOOT You'll have to ask your teacher which answer he/she wants. Edwin