A right-aligned alphabet pyramid prints growing prefixes of the alphabet (A, A B, A B C, …) pushed right with leading spaces so every row shares the same right edge.
Remember
Rule: for row letter i from 'A' to top,
print (top - i) spaces, then A..i (width 2)
A
A B
A B C
A B C D
A B C D E ← top = 'E'
Unlike Program 22, letters restart from A on every row. Unlike Program 16, this only right-aligns — it does not fully center the pyramid.
Approach
How to Solve It
Two ways to emit the same shape — char loops with pads, then optionally rewrite with int row indexes.
Method
Idea
Best for
Char loops
Pad top..i+1; print A..i with %2c
Learning, interviews, exams
Int row index
Pad n - row; print row letters from A
When you think in row numbers
Pseudocode
Pseudocode
for i from 'A' to top:
for j from top down to (i + 1):
print " "
for k from 'A' to i:
print k in width-2 field
print newline
Print pads and letters without a newline, then end the row once.
Try it
Live Preview
Change the top letter and the right-aligned pyramid updates instantly — including the letter total.
One letter from A to F. Tap a chip or type a letter — the preview redraws as you go.
Live resultTop E · 5 rows · 15 letters
A
A B
A B C
A B C D
A B C D E
Trace
Worked Walkthrough — Top = E
Trace each row’s pad count, letter prefix, and printed line (letters use width-2 cells).
i
Pad spaces
Letters
Printed row
A
4
A
A
B
3
A B
A B
C
2
A B C
A B C
D
1
A B C D
A B C D
E
0
A B C D E
A B C D E
Pad count = top - i. Letters always restart at A. Total letters: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15 = 5×6/2.
Code
Java Programs
Three complete programs: fixed A–E, top-letter input, and an int-index rewrite. Use View Output to reveal sample results.
Example 1 — Fixed A–E
First print leading spaces, then print letters A..i using %2c formatting.
Java
public class RightAlignedPrefixPyramid {
public static void main(String[] args) {
for (char i = 'A'; i <= 'E'; i++) {
for (char j = 'E'; j > i; j--)
System.out.print(" ");
for (char k = 'A'; k <= i; k++)
System.out.printf("%2c", k);
System.out.println();
}
}
}
Output
A
A B
A B C
A B C D
A B C D E
How It Works
1. Outer loop picks the row end.i runs from 'A' to 'E' — one growing prefix per row.
2. Pad first. Print one space for each j from 'E' down while j > i.
3. Restart letters. Print k from 'A' through i with %2c.
4. Break the line.System.out.println() after both inner loops starts the next row.
When i = 'C', two leading spaces print, then letters A B C.
Example 2 — Top Letter Input
The pattern prints up to that row. Prefer validating a single A–Z character in real apps.
Java
import java.util.Scanner;
public class RightAlignedPrefixPyramidInput {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter top letter (like E): ");
char top = sc.next().toUpperCase().charAt(0);
for (char i = 'A'; i <= top; i++) {
for (char j = top; j > i; j--)
System.out.print(" ");
for (char k = 'A'; k <= i; k++)
System.out.printf("%2c", k);
System.out.println();
}
sc.close();
}
}
Output (when user enters C)
Enter top letter (like E): C
A
A B
A B C
How It Works
1. Prompt and read. Ask for a top letter, then take the first character (uppercased).
2. Same pad + prefix core. Pad count is always top - i; only the shared top letter changes.
3. Safer input tip. Prefer:
Safer input
if (!sc.hasNext()) {
System.out.println("Enter one letter from A to Z.");
return;
}
String raw = sc.next().trim().toUpperCase();
if (raw.length() != 1 || raw.charAt(0) < 'A' || raw.charAt(0) > 'Z') {
System.out.println("Enter one letter from A to Z.");
return;
}
char top = raw.charAt(0);
Example 3 — Int Row Index
Often clearer if you think in row numbers: pad n - row spaces, then print row letters from A.
Java
public class RightAlignedPrefixPyramidInt {
public static void main(String[] args) {
char top = 'E';
int n = top - 'A' + 1;
for (int row = 1; row <= n; row++) {
for (int s = 0; s < n - row; s++)
System.out.print(" ");
for (int L = 0; L < row; L++)
System.out.printf("%2c", (char) ('A' + L));
System.out.println();
}
}
}
Output
A
A B
A B C
A B C D
A B C D E
How It Works
1. Derive height.n = top - 'A' + 1 is 5 when top is 'E'.
2. Pad by row number. Row 1 pads n - 1 spaces; the last row pads 0.
3. Letters from A. Letter L is (char)('A' + L) — row 1 prints A; row 5 prints A..E.
Edge Cases & Pitfalls
Check these before calling the solution done.
k++
Continuous stream by mistake
If you keep a running k++ across rows, you get Program 22-style output. Restart the letter loop at 'A' each row.
No pads
Left-aligned instead
Skipping the space loop prints a left-aligned triangle. Keep j from top down while j > i.
println inside
Broken outline
If println is inside either inner loop, each cell lands on its own line. Use print/printf for pads and letters; println only after both loops.
top = A
Single letter
Output is just a width-2 A cell. Pad loop never runs. A good sanity check.
top < A
Empty output
Outer loop never runs if top < 'A'. Validate A–Z before looping.
Bad input
Validate one letter
Trim, uppercase, and require length 1 in A–Z — reject empty or multi-character tokens.
Analysis
Time and Space Complexity
Program
Time
Extra space
Char loops (Examples 1–2)
O(n²)
O(1)
Int row index (Example 3)
O(n²)
O(1)
For n = top - 'A' + 1 rows, each row prints up to O(n) spaces plus O(n) letters. Letter total = 1 + 2 + … + n = n(n + 1)/2.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Rule: for row i, print top - i spaces, then letters A..i.
Restart A: every row begins the letter loop at 'A' — not a running k++.
Break the row: call println only after both inner loops.
Complexity:O(n²) time; O(1) extra space.
One line: for each row letter i from A to top, print top - i spaces, then A..i with width 2, then println().
Frequently Asked Questions
The first inner loop prints (E - i) leading spaces, fewer on each lower row, so the letter block ends at the same right edge.
Width-2 formatting prints each letter in an even column so the output matches the spaced layout (best viewed in a monospace font).
Program 22 uses a continuous k++ stream across all rows. Program 27 restarts letters from A on every row and uses leading spaces to push rows to the right.
Remove the leading-space loop and print letters directly from A to the row letter.
O(n²) for n rows because each row prints O(n) spaces plus O(n) letters.
Use Scanner next(), take charAt(0) after toUpperCase(), require A–Z, and reject empty or multi-character tokens.
Program 16 centers the pyramid with more padding. This pattern only right-aligns by shrinking leading spaces while restarting A..i each row.
Yes. Pad n − row spaces, then print row letters as (char)('A' + L). Example 3 on this page shows that style.
🤔
Did you know?
Leading padding: for each row letter i, the loop prints E - i spaces. Then the letter loop prints A through i using %2c so columns look even in monospace output. The last row has no padding; all rows share the same right edge.
