How many 2-letter combinations can be created from the distinct letters in the word “mathematician”? Assume that the order of the letters does not matter.

The distinct letters in “mathematician” are m, a, t, h, e, i, c, and n, giving 8 letters. Since order does not matter, the number of 2-letter combinations is 8 × 7 ÷ 2 = 28. The correct choice is 28.

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