Spelling: Double consonants
If a root word ends in a consonant, adding a suffix will sometimes require that you double the base word’s final consonant. How do you know when to double the consonant?
Consider the following examples, where doubled consonants are underlined.
- shipment
- shipped
- muddy
- fitful
- fittest
- waiting
- greenest
Now take a look at some larger words, whose base forms have more than one syllable.
- visitor
- occurring
- balloted
- committed
Below are the rules for doubling consonants when adding a suffix.
Rules
- Only double the final consonant of the root word if:
- the base form ends in the sequence consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) and
- the suffix begins with a vowel and
- the stress is placed on the final (or only) syllable.
- Otherwise don’t double the consonant.
British English Note: Treat a final r as a consonant, even if you don’t pronounce it.
Let us consider some examples to see if these rules work.
Consider suffixes starting with a vowel (e.g. -ed, -ing, -er, -est, and in this case -y).
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The last three letters of ship are consonant-vowel-consonant: double the final p.
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Green ends in vowel-vowel-consonant: don’t double the final n.
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Here are some more examples. Do they match the rules we just stated?
Spot the root word in each case.
- whirring
- occurring
- tighten
- lifted
- visitor
- balloted
- committed
- accountable
- famished
- friendship
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