In the sequence 7 M % K 4 B @ P 2 W & 9 T F # 5 J R $ 6 D N 8, how many pairs of letters are there that have as many elements standing between them in the sequence as there are letters between them in the English alphabet?

Take every pair of letters and set the gap in the sequence against the gap in the alphabet. M (place 2) and K (place 4) are 2 apart in the sequence, and M and K are 2 apart in the alphabet. K (4) and T (13) are 9 apart, and K and T are 9 apart. W (10) and T (13) are 3 apart, as W and T are. F (14) and N (22) are 8 apart, as F and N are. R (18) and N (22) are 4 apart, as R and N are. That is five pairs. Stopping at the pairs that read left to right in alphabetical order only (KT, FN) or overlooking the two short pairs near the ends gives 3 or 4; counting the adjacent pair TF, which is 1 apart in the sequence but 8 apart in the alphabet, pushes the total wrongly to 6.