Answer: Python Puzzler #3828

The answer is A. The program prints:

O

This answer was checked by running the program for real.

Why?

word[1:2] is a slice: it starts at position 1 and stops before position 2. Positions count from 0.

Trace table

A trace table follows the program step by step. Here’s this one:

positionletter
0C
1O
2M
3P
4U
5T
6E
7R

The code again

word = "COMPUTER"
print(word[1:2])

Try it: change one number in the program and predict the new output before you run it.