spelling (7): doubling final consonants
doubling before vowels
We sometimes double the final consonant of a word before adding -ed, -er, -est, -ing, -able, -y (or any other ending that begins with a vowel). stop -* stopped sit -*• sitting big -» bigger
Which consonants are doubled?
We double the following letters:
b: rub -> rubbing n: win -* winnable
d: sad -* sadder p: stop —> stopped
g: big -*? bigger r. prefer -> preferred
I: travel -» travelling t sit -* sitting
m:slim -> slimming
We double final -s in gassing, gassed (but not usually in other words), final -z in quizzes, fezzes, and final -/in iffy (a colloquial word for ‘questionable’, ‘uncertain’).
Final w (in words like show, flow) is part of a vowel sound, and is not doubled. show -* showing; flow -» flowed (NOT showwing, flowwed)
only at the end of a word
We only double consonants that come at the end of a word. Compare: hop -> hopping but hope -> hoping fat —> fatter but late -> later plan -> planned BUT phone -> phoned
one consonant after one vowel letter
We only double when the word ends in one consonant after one vowel letter. Compare:
fat -» fatter BUT fast -> faster (NOT fastter) bet > betting BUT foeaf -> beating (NOT beatting)
only stressed syllables
We only double consonants in stressed syllables. We do not double in longer words that end in unstressed syllables. Compare: up’set -> up’selling BUT ‘visit -> ‘visiting be’gin —> be’ginning BUT ‘open —> ‘opening refer -* referring BUT ‘offer —> ‘offering Note the spelling of these words:
‘gallop -> ‘galloping -» ‘galloped (NOT gallopping, gal-lopped) de’velop -> developing -> de’veloped (NOT developping, developped)
exception: final I in unstressed syllables
In British English, we double -Z at the end of a word after one vowel letter, in most cases, even in unstressed syllables.
‘travel -*• ‘travelling ‘equal -> ‘equalled
In American English, words like this are most often spelt with one Z: traveling.
?
other exceptions
Consonants are sometimes doubled at the end of final syllables that are pronounced with full vowels (e.g. /ae/), even when these do not carry the main stress.
‘kidnap -> ‘kidnapped
‘handicap -> ‘handicapped
‘worship -> ‘worshippers (AmE also ‘worshipers)
’combat -> ’combating or ‘combatting Final -s is sometimes doubled in focus(s)ing and ‘focus(s)ed
final c
Final -c changes to ck before -ed, -er, -ing etc. picnic —> picnickers panic -* panicking mimic -> mimicked
Why double?
The reason for doubling is to show that a vowel is pronounced short. This is because, in the middle of a word, a stressed vowel letter before one consonant is usually pronounced as a long vowel or as a diphthong (double vowel). Compare:
hoping /’haupm/ hopping /’hnpiq/
later /’leita(r)/ latter /’laet0(r)/
diner /’daina(r) / dinner /’din0(r) /
For more information consult a good dictionary like Langman, Oxford, Merriam Webster, or Collins.
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