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2 votes
2 answers
194 views

Were double consonants pronounced at some period of history?

One of the things that makes me wonder is why English has double consonants which are pronounced as single, like ‘ff’ (buffer, stiff), ‘ll’ (allow), ‘mm’ (hammer), ‘nn’ (dinner), ‘ss’ (-ness, floss) ...
tac's user avatar
  • 505
0 votes
1 answer
109 views

Why is double -ll- used after a vowel digraph in "surveilled, surveilling"?

Why is the letter l double in the inflections of the verb surveil? It's not in those of (as)sail or veil, and AmE has canceled but mostly cancellation. It's a counterintuitive spelling similar to ...
GJC's user avatar
  • 2,690
0 votes
0 answers
60 views

"Bias": reason(s) for doubling the last consonant before inflectional endings

Forms such as concussed or discusses may lead people to wrongly double the final consonant of focus ―at least that's the only reason I have come up with. Yet, I cannot come up with a potential ...
GJC's user avatar
  • 2,690
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

'Histogramed' or 'histogrammed'?

The following rule (or 'rule', this being English) is sometimes quoted: If a word has two or more syllables, double the final consonant when adding a suffix if and only if the final syllable is ...
linguisticturn's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Why does "inferred" have two Rs while "inference" doesn't?

Earlier today I spelled "infered" with one R and my handy editor promptly added some red squiggles. Acknowledging the error of my ways I added the missing R happy carried only writing my document. ...
Perfectly Cromulent's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
582 views

Is "buffeted" the AmE version of the BrE word "buffetted"?

I am referring to the use of the verb "to buffet" meaning "(especially of wind or waves) strike repeatedly and violently; batter." The use of "buffeted" and "buffeting" is widespread. However use ...
Phil M Jones's user avatar
  • 6,314
4 votes
2 answers
15k views

Why do we write "fixing" instead of "fixxing"?

When we have one vowel and one consonant and we want to add 'ing', we usually double the last consonant. Why don't we add an extra 'x' to the word 'fix'? We don't double 'w' and 'y' maybe because they ...
Mahdi's user avatar
  • 97
1 vote
1 answer
7k views

Are "worshiping" and "worshipping" interchangeable? [closed]

Every online source seems to agree with the preconceived notion I had that the correct usage is "worshipping" with two p's, saying that "worshipping" is an exception to a rule about doubling the ...
Braden Best's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
3k views

What are the rules when to use double letters for words that end with a consonant when modified both in British English and in American English? [duplicate]

Example of such words are: http://grammarist.com/spelling/cancel/ http://grammarist.com/spelling/travel/ As far as I know, at least in American English, words that have single syllable double their ...
supertonsky's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
272 views

Is there a grammar rule for nouns coming from verbs? [duplicate]

I'd like to know if there is a grammar rule stating when the last consonant of the verb has to be doubled. E.g. why: "to cut" -> cutter, "to program" -> programmer, but "to read" -> reader?
Mr Symon's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
12k views

Why "controlled" not "controled"? [duplicate]

Unlike British English and other varieties, American English does not double the letter "l" in words such as "traveled", "canceled", etc. However, it does with the word "controlled". Is there any ...
Mohamed Ali's user avatar
  • 1,442
11 votes
3 answers
5k views

Why is the 'L' in detailed not doubled?

I cannot quite understand why the 'L' is not doubled when forming 'detailed' from 'detail'. Is that an exemption to the consonant doubling, or did I simply not understand the rules? From the answers ...
gschenk's user avatar
  • 376
6 votes
2 answers
7k views

Is it "transferrer" or "transferer"?

According to thefreedictionary, "transferrer" is someone who transfers something. However, it also lists the alternate spelling "transferer", with only one r in the middle. For the related "...
Jens Bannmann's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

When double "l" is considered American English?

I'm struggling with "enroll" and "enrollment". Both answers (this one and this one), given to this question, as well as Wikipedia seems to be suggesting, that double "l" is more common in British ...
trejder's user avatar
  • 154
2 votes
1 answer
4k views

Double Consonants in Gerund

Is there any rules regarding gerund that tell when to double the consonant of a word and when not to? I'm a little bit confused regarding this matter. Based on this link there are words that can be ...
Archie Azares's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
38k views

Why is "batting" spelled with two t's, but "combating" spelled with one?

The "bating" in "combating" is pronounced the exact same way as "batting". It doesn't make sense to me.
Juju's user avatar
  • 49
9 votes
3 answers
2k views

Other special hyphenation examples than eight-teen

According to The TeXbook [Don Knuth, 1984], solution to Exercise 14.8, the word eighteen should be hyphenated eight-teen. It is, indeed, standard practice in pre-reform German to contract triple ...
yannis's user avatar
  • 433
22 votes
1 answer
9k views

Why is "fridge" spelt with a 'd' but "refrigeration" spelt without one?

The question is in the title, why does the word, refrigeration not have a 'd' in it when fridge does?
ShemSeger's user avatar
  • 503
-1 votes
2 answers
3k views

How is the past tense of "error" spelt in British English? [duplicate]

How is the past tense of "error" spelt in British English? Wiktionary says that it's "errored", but its entry for errored doesn't explicitly say it's valid for British English, and I thought it'd get ...
Golden Cuy's user avatar
  • 18.3k
38 votes
3 answers
225k views

“Programming” versus “programing”: which is preferred?

I was surprised that my spell checker did not complain for programing with one m, so I Googled it, and found on free dictionaries that both forms were acceptable. Which one is more common? Does it ...
Ciro Santilli OurBigBook.com's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
22k views

Past participle form of "exit"?

What's the past participle form of the word exit? Is it exit (irregular, like set)? exited? exitted? On one page I found exited but if that's the case why isn't it exitted (double t) like with the ...
NPS's user avatar
  • 609
33 votes
3 answers
92k views

Is "targetted" a standard British English spelling?

Wiktionary says that the difference between "targetting" and "targeting" is that the first one is a British spelling and the second one is American. Meanwhile, Oxford Dictionaries says that "...
Hammerite's user avatar
  • 537
15 votes
5 answers
28k views

"Cancellation", "Canceled", "Canceling" — US usage

I'm trying to figure out if there is a specific rule behind the word "cancel" that would cause "cancellation" to have two L's, but "canceled" and "canceling" to have only one (in the US). I ...
Adam Plocher's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
264 views

"Traveller" vs. "traveler" [duplicate]

There was a time when traveller's cheques were emitted and sold by the banks in England and by Thomas Cook. However the cheques emitted by American banks/American Express were named traveler's cheque, ...
wim van broekhoven's user avatar
24 votes
3 answers
108k views

Plural of 'yes'

What is the plural of yes? Googling brings up many different suggestions from different sources. Yesses Yeses Yes's Yes' ?
MSpeed's user avatar
  • 1,223
10 votes
2 answers
1k views

Why does "agree" have only one "g"?

According to Webster, agree comes from Latin ad + gratus. However there are other words such as aggregate and aggression that also come from ad + [something], and these words are spelled with a double ...
Travis's user avatar
  • 201
1 vote
0 answers
2k views

What is the rule for duplicating the last letter when adding "-ed"? [duplicate]

I wonder if there is any rule for doubling the p at the end of a stem. For example: stop — stopped but help — helped
Maxim Shoustin's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

programme or program [duplicate]

I am wondering which is the correct version? Furthermore, the official length of my programme of study: 3.5 years of full-time study and 16 weeks of internship. Furthermore, the official ...
Heniek Kowalski's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
22k views

Does the word "Vaccum" exist?

If yes, does it have the same meaning of vacuum? Ref: Vacuum (Wikipedia) Vaccum.org (dead link / domain not in use; verified on 28.12.2020). Both the sites define the same meaning, but the spelling ...
Vishnu Kumar's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
9k views

Why is "writing" spelled with only one T? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Is there any rhyme or reason to when one should double the last consonant when adding -ed or -ing? It has always been a word that intuitively I wish to spell with two Ts. So ...
Carolina Loza's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

For the verb 'focus' why is the gerund form 'focusing' with a single S, instead of 'focussing' with a double S? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: “Focussed” or “focused”? The double consonant The rule that I learned was that when you have a short vowel in the last syllable, you double the last consonant before adding ...
KSwenson's user avatar
  • 698
8 votes
2 answers
114k views

"Dilemma" vs. "dilemna" [closed]

I understand the correct spelling is 'dilemma' but many people I've spoken with, including myself, were convinced the spelling was 'dilemna'. A quick search on google shows this is not isolated to ...
Justin Self's user avatar
19 votes
2 answers
38k views

Why is "fulfil" spelt as "fulfill" in American English?

In this answer, simplification is stated as one reason for spelling variations in American English. But unlike in color and favorite, the number of letters to spell the word in fulfil increases in ...
Bravo's user avatar
  • 16.1k
10 votes
3 answers
96k views

Why is the plural of "quiz" spelled with double Z?

The plural of "quiz" is spelled with double "z" while the plural of "box" (and sometimes "bus") is spelled with a single last consonant. Why is it so? Is this the general rule to double the last ...
Larisa Lyapina's user avatar
14 votes
5 answers
18k views

What is the preferred plural form of "bus"?

The OED states that both "buses" and "busses" are acceptable plural forms of "bus". Is one generally preferred over the other?
Brant's user avatar
  • 251
6 votes
2 answers
8k views

L versus LL in British versus US English [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: When is “L” doubled? Is there any guidance on the usage of doubled consonants, particularly L, in British versus US English? For example 'Travelled' v. 'Traveled', ...
Joe Fawcett's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
13k views

Which is correct, "summiting" or "summitting"?

This form of the word is not very common but does see some use as the present participle/gerund of "to summit" as in "Upon summit(t)ing the mountain we took photos but had to begin our descent ...
hippietrail's user avatar
  • 7,820
45 votes
1 answer
359k views

"Canceling" or "cancelling" [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: When is “L” doubled? I'm confused about the two spellings. In which contexts do I have to use canceling or cancelling? Google returns 15.6 million results with ...
Cyril Gandon's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
13k views

Why is "transferred" written with two R's?

Why is transferred written with two R's? I am a native speaker of Dutch, and in my point of view this isn't logical; there are other words like coloured and endeavoured that only have -ed added after ...
Steven Ryssaert's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
3k views

Why is shippable spelled with 2 p's [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: What is the correct spelling: wrapable, or wrappable? My mother "corrected" me and said "shouldn't shippable be spelled as shipable"? My gut feeling said two p's, but I couldn'...
albertjan's user avatar
  • 215
10 votes
2 answers
7k views

What is the correct spelling: "wrapable" or "wrappable"?

As it sounds: is "wrapable" correct, or is "wrappable" correct? Or are neither correct? Microsoft Word complains about both, but Google doesn't correct either one.
Chris Laplante's user avatar
16 votes
5 answers
402k views

Which is the correct spelling: "Granddad" or "Grand-dad" or "Grandad"?

Granddad or Grand-dad or Grandad? Which is the correct spelling?
user4311's user avatar
  • 161
1 vote
2 answers
10k views

"vermilion" or "vermillion"?

Which one has primacy in English: "vermilion" or "vermillion" (as a color) ? Both have entries in various dictionaries. Is the difference concerned with AmE/BrE ?
Mehper C. Palavuzlar's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
4k views

Is it spelled "propeling" or "propelling" in American English?

Since travel becomes traveler and traveling in AmE (no double l), I thought that the same rule applied to propel. However, reading and writing propeling feels awkward. (And propeler feels even more ...
Christoffer Lette's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
31k views

"Inner" but not "outter"?

in -> inner out -> outer / (outter?) What is the history or set of rules behind why 'inner' doubles the 'n' but 'outer' doesn't double the 't'?
DuckMaestro's user avatar
  • 1,498
50 votes
10 answers
96k views

Is it "alright" or "allright"?

In practice I find both spellings being used. From a logical point of view, "allright" (as in: "all's right — everything is fine") seems correct. However, I recall hearing that "alright" is the ...
mafu's user avatar
  • 4,457
4 votes
3 answers
2k views

Why are the present and the past participles of "submit" spelled with double t?

Why are the present and the past participles of submit spelled with two t's?
user avatar
43 votes
4 answers
95k views

"Cancelled" or "Canceled"?

Cancelled or Canceled ? Which one is right? You have successfully canceled the registration or You have successfully cancelled the registration
Mithun Sreedharan's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is there any rhyme or reason to when one should double the last consonant when adding -ed or -ing? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: focussed or focused? The double consonant Sometimes, final consonants are doubled when adding -ed or -ing to the end of a verb whose penultimate letter is a vowel. stop → ...
StrixVaria's user avatar
50 votes
9 answers
164k views

"Focussed" or "focused"? Rules for doubling the last consonant when adding -ed

Initially, my question was: is "focussed" or "focused" the correct past tense of "focus", but since this applies to a lot of words, I would like to generalize and ask: is there supposed to be a rule ...
mafu's user avatar
  • 4,457