Which surname would be filed last among Larsen, Lamar, Lai, and Larson?

Which surname would be filed last among Larsen, Lamar, Lai, and Larson?

• A. Larsen
• B. Lamar
• C. Lai
• D. Larson

Answer: (D)

Alphabetical filing orders compare surnames letter by letter from left to right. All four names begin with La, so we look at the third letter. Lai has i, which is earlier in the alphabet than the third letters of the others, so Lai would be filed first. The next third letter is m in Lamar, which comes before r in the remaining names, so Lamar would come next. The last two share Lars, so we compare the next letter after Lars: Larsen has e and Larson has o; e comes before o, so Larsen would come before Larson. Therefore, the surname that would be filed last is Larson.

Alphabetical filing orders compare surnames letter by letter from left to right. All four names begin with La, so we look at the third letter. Lai has i, which is earlier in the alphabet than the third letters of the others, so Lai would be filed first. The next third letter is m in Lamar, which comes before r in the remaining names, so Lamar would come next. The last two share Lars, so we compare the next letter after Lars: Larsen has e and Larson has o; e comes before o, so Larsen would come before Larson. Therefore, the surname that would be filed last is Larson.