Discussion

Explanation:

Case 1: When the 2^nd letter is m:

The 1^st letter can be any of the 5 vowels.

The 3^rd letter will be any of the 4 remaining vowels (i.e. different from the 1^st one).

Number of possible 3 letter combinations = 5 × 4 = 20

Case 2: When the 2^nd letter is n:

The 1^st letter can be any of the 5 vowels.

The 3^rd letter will be either e or u.

Number of possible 3 letter combinations = 5 × 2 = 10

Case 3: When the 2^nd letter is p:

The 1^st letter can be any of the 5 vowels.

The 3^rd letter will be the same as the 1^st letter.

Number of possible 3 letter combinations = 5 × 1 = 5

∴ Total number of possible 3 letter combinations = 20 + 10 + 5 = 35

Hence, option (d).

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