Do you know why we double up the end consonant?

Before I explain let's look at some spelling language we need for this rule:

Do you know what vowels, consonants, suffixes , syllables are?

vowels- a.e.i.o.u (y is sometimes classed as a vowel)

consonants - b,c,d,f,g,k,l,m,n,p,r,s,t,w,y,z

suffixes are little words added to the end of a word: -ing, -s, -ment, -ed...

syllables: are bits of a word broken down with a vowel in them, and different bits can be stressed.
qua/li/fi/ca/tion begin, swimming

Let's look at those words again:

put - putting, big-bigger, stop-stopped, fat- fatten, run - running, thin - thinner, sit - sitting, get - getting, stop-stopping, hot-hotter, swim - swimming...

Do you know why we double up the last consonant?

Say these words to yourself - put/sit/run/swim/thin/get

Notice they all have 1 syllable sounds

Notice they all have 1 consonant at the end of the word.

Notice they all have 1 vowel next to the consonant:
With the 1:1:1 rule, we usually double the end consonant when we add the following vowel suffixes (-ing,-ed,-er, -est, -en, -ish, -ery, -y)

put - putting, big-bigger, stop-stopped, fat- fatten, run - running, thin - thinner, sit - sitting, get - getting, stop-stopping, hot-hotter, swim - swimming...
So words of one syllable ending in one vowel + one consonant, double the last letter before a vowel suffix.

We don't double up the final consonant when it's w, x or y

But that's not all:

*** We also double up some words that are more than one syllable when the last syllable is stressed.

prefer ("preFER" - preferring/preferred (but not preference)
begin ("beGIN" - beginning, beginner
regret ("reGRET" - regrettable, regretting
occur ("ocCUR" - occurred, occurring, occurrence
forbid - forbidden
commit - committed
refer - referred (but not reference stressed)

Remember there are always exceptions to English spelling rules!!!

Focus can be spelled with either a single or a double s focused/focussed, focusing/focussing

A lot of spellers don't know this rule but just see what looks right- "we always say that looks strange". But it's always good to know why spelling is the way it is and the rules.


https://howtospell.co.uk/doubling-up-rule

wow

Educative... Intesting and ImpreSSive!