Spelling rule || doubling the middle consonant ll
One One One Rule
Look at these words:
sad, fit, dim
They are alike in three ways.
1. How many syllables do they have?.....One syllable
2. What is at the end of each word?..........One consonant
3. What is before the consonant?............One vowel
One syllable, one consonant, one vowel.
One, one, one.
Look at this word:
sad + est = saddest
What has happened to the d? It has doubled. There are two d’s.
Likewise:
sad + en = sadden
fit + est = fittest
dim + est = dimmest
The last letter is doubled.
BUT:
sad + ness = sadness
The d in sad did not double. There is only one d.
Look at the two endings on sad: en and ness. How do they differ?
What is at the beginning of ‘en’? A vowel. The ending starts with a vowel and the last letter, d, is doubled.
What is the beginning of ness? A consonant. The ending starts with a consonant and the last letter in sad is not doubled.
This is the doubling rule. First look at the base word. Does it have One, One, One (one syllable ending in one consonant after one vowel)? Then look at the ending. Does it start with a vowel? If you can say yes to these two questions, double the last letter in the base word. If either answer is no, then you don’t need the doubling rule.
Always look at the base word first.
Look at the following words and endings:
fit + est = fittest
fit + ness = fitness
dim + est = dimmest
dim + ness = dimness
ship + ing = shipping
ship + ment = shipment
(i,n,g says ing as in ring.)
If the base word is One, One, One and the ending begins with a vowel, double the last letter in the word.
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