Consonant doubling is the biggest English spelling

problem
It causes more spelling errors than any other spelling difficulty.
In root words of more than one syllable it is totally unpredictable.
Doubling a consonant is supposed to show that a vowel is short rather than
long, as in
bitter biter, teddy - tedious, tinny tiny
It was intended to apply just to stressed vowels. This is meant to explain why
'conferred' and 'committed' have rr and tt in the past tense,
but 'entered' and'plummeted' don't (when ed is added to 'confer,
commit, enter' and 'plummet').

Unfortunately, English consonant doubling is used very inconsistently. There

is no reliable rule for deciding whether to double a consonant, or not, in
similarly sounding words. Learners have to memorise, word by word, when
to double and when not to, as the chart below summarises.

This rote-learning burden of 913 words defeats many learners.

Another 73 words exacerbate it even further.

49 words have unpredictable final -ff, -ll and ss (if stiff, stole poll, bus fuss)
and
24 words don't follow the ccle pattern, of endings like apple,
bubble, tussle,
for
example, chapel, double, rustle.
Table 1: 379 common words which obey the consonant doubling rule,
376 words which disobey the doubling rule,
158 words that have doubled consonants for obscure
reasons and
73 words with unpredictable endings.
Doubled
Letters

Words that obey the doubling rule

Words that disobey the doubling rule

Words with phonically surplus

doubled consonants
(and underlined stressed vowels)

bb

abbey
cabbage
jabber

rabbit
Sabbath
shabby

ribbon
hobby
chubby
rubber

lobby
stubborn
stubby rubbish

cabinet
cabaret
cabin
nebula
liberal
tribute
probable

elaborate
fabulous
habit
treble
liberty
robin

abbreviate

ck
(for cc
or kk)

bracken
bracket
package

packet
jacket
racket
reckon

bicker
chicken
cricket
flicker
rickety
cockerel
crockery
jockey
pocket

sticky
ticket
wicked
wicker
wicket
locket
rocket hockey
socket
stocking
bucket cuckoo

accurate
tobacco
vacuum

lacquer

recognise
record
(noun)
second
secular

decade
executive

piccolo
liquor
liquorice

echo
mechanism
chequered

crocodile
documents
occupy

succulent
accomodate
accommodation
accompany
accomplish
accord

occasion
occupation
occurrence

accordion
account
accumulate
accuse
accustom

rocky
sucker

succumb

dd

adder
caddie
caddy

daddy
ladder
eddy
teddy
wedding

giddy
hidden
shoddy

ridden

rudder
shudder

sudden
pudding

academy
adequate

radical
radish

credit
dedicated
edible
edit
educate
federal
already
hideous

medical
meadow
pedal
pedigree
ready
steady

body
produce

modern
modest

sodden

video

study

add

midday
odd

ff

daffodil
different
difficult
coffee
offer
buffalo
buffer
chuffed

scaffold traffic
effigy
effort
jiffy
coffin
office
ruffian
suffer buffet

cafe
refuge
heifer
refuse (noun)
magnificent
significant
profit

suffocate

affair
affect

affection
afford
paraffin

effect
efficient
differential
diffusion
offend
official
sufficient

effluent

chaffeur

gg

baggage
jagged
maggot
snigger
soggy
luggage
nugget
agony
dragon
flagon
negative
brigand

aggravate
aggressive

scraggy
stagger
swagger
beggar
trigger
rugged

hexagonal

frigate

dg
(for j sound)

badger
fledgling
midget
dodgy
podgy
budgie
budget
exaggerate
legend
legislate
regiment
pigeon
religion
logic

dodgems
drudgery

register
vegetable
rigid

suggest
(pronounced in US)

ll

alley
ally
ballot

gallon alligator
gallows ballast
shallow challenge

gallop
mallet ballet
stallion gallant

rally
valley gallery

swallow
wallop wallaby
wallow wallet
bellow
jelly
belly
pellet cellar
rebellion cello
trellis fellow
umbrella intelligent
yellow
armadillo

illustrate artillery

milligrams billiard

sellotape cellophane

million billion

pillar billow
pillow billy
silly brilliant
vanilla frilly
villa gorilla
village guerillas
villain guillotine
syllable collar
jolly colleague
lollipop college
lolly collie
mollusc colliery
pollen dollar
pollinate follow
trolley hollow
volley holly
lullaby
sullen bullet
bullock bulletin
bully bullion
pulley
pullover
analysis
chalet
italic
palette

reality balance
salad battalion
talent galaxy
talon
valentine morality
valiant palace
vitality

celery
jealous delegate
melody delicacy
pelican develop
relevant element
relic
eligible
skeleton helicopter
telescope
bilious
military

salary calendar
valid palate

salon
value

melon deluge
zealous ability

ventriloquist

cylinder
abolish
polythene colony
solid holiday
tolerate olive
politics
colour

llama
parallel
really

excellent
hello
jewellery
marvellous
satellite

quality column
solemn demolish
volume knowledge
voluntary policy

constellation

caterpillar
illegible
illiterate
illusion
illustration
illuminate
pastille
tonsillitis

collage
collapse
collect
collide
controlled
roller
swollen

mm

ammonite

mammal clammy
dilemma

glimmer

simmer
symmetry

comment

dummy
tummy

mammoth hammer

common commentarycommunism commerce

summer mummy

summit rummage

stammer inflammable

communist

summon summary

amateur
dynamic camel
enamel camera
famished damage
laminate
cemetary
remedy chemical
lemon democrat
feminine emerald
premise epidemic
semi memory
criminal
timid eliminate
image
limit
abominable economic comet
prominent comic
promise dominate
vomit domino

ammunition
programme*

immediate

immortal immense

immune

accommodation
commotion command
communication commemorate
communion commence
community commercial
commuter
commit
committee commodities
recommend

nn

annual
nanny banner
spanner manner
uncanny
antenna
pennant

pannier cannot

savannah granny

tennis
penny

dinner
inner
innocence
innocent
spinnaker

bonnet

animal
canopy

sonnet

organic anorak
vanish manage

panel banish
manual manor

panic banister

spaniel

benefit
any
many enemy
penetrate energy
venison menace
lieutenant aluminium
linear cinema
minimal clinical
minister cynical
minute synagogue opinion synonym
sinister continue
spinach finish
vinegar astonish
monastery conifer
monarch economy
monument
electronic
supersonic tonic
honey
onion money
anniversary
announce
annoy

connect
personnel
mayonnaise
questionnaire

pp

appetite

happy happen

nappy

pepper
flipper

skipper kipper

copper

poppy coppice

puppet

supper puppy

rapid

capital tapestry

leper
tepid

epic
separate

copy
property

topic opera

slippers
sloppy opposite
upper
capitol capita

popular operate

chapel

tropics proper

appal
appoint appeal
approach
approve
oppose

applaud apparatus
apply apparent
appreciate appear
apprentice appendix
appropriate hippopotamus
approximate opportunity

supply

suppose support

rr

arrow
barren
barrier
barrister
barrow
carrot
carry
garret
berry
cherry
errand
error
ferry
herring
interrogate

marrow
marry
narrative
narrow
parrot
quarry
sparrow
warrant
warren
merry
sherry
terrace
terrible
territory
terror

irritable
mirror

squirrel
stirrup

borrow
corridor
horrible
lorry

sorrow
sorry
tomorrow
torrent

burrow
current
furrowed
furry

worry
hurricane
hurry
scurry
turret

Arab
arable
arid

caricature
carol
clarity

asparagus
comparison
baron
garage
caramel
parasol
caravan
parish
chariot
transparent
charity
beret
America
bury
merit
ceremony
peril
cherish
perish
derelict
sincerity
herald
sterilise
heritage
therapist
heroine
very
heron
conspiracy
spirit
empirical
syrup
lyric
tyranny
miracle
authority
laurel
coral
majority
florist
minority
forest
moral
historic
orange
horoscope
priority
quarantine
thorough
courage
nourish
arrange
array
arrest
arrive
barricade

erratic
interrupt
serrated
terrific

irregular
irrigation

torrential
correspond
correct
correlation

hurrah
curriculum
surrender
surround

ss: ambassador massive

casserole
classic
passage
massacre
passenger
delicatessen message
essay
necessity
essence
professor
lesson
missile
narcissus
rissole
blossom
colossal
acid
capacity
fascinate
pacifist

gossip
possible fossil
glacier
(US glaishier)

adolescent
recipe
convalescence specify
crescent
specimen
decimal
chrysalis
participate
discipline
precipice
electricity
publicity
explicit
simplicity
municipal
solicitor
velocity
sausage

assail
assassin

assessment
assign

assault
assemble
assert
dessert
essential
necessary
possess
possibility

assist
associate
assort
assume
cassette
embassy

tt

attic
attitude
batter
battery
chatter

matter
patter
pattern
regatta
scatter

clatter
fatty
better
confetti
jettison
jetty

shatter
tatter
latter
letter
lettuce
pretty
spaghetti

bitten
bitter
glitter
kitten
litter

mitten
sitter
titter
twitter
written

bottom
cottage
cotton
forgotten

lottery
motto
otter
potter

butter
button
clutter
gutter
mutter

putty
shutter
splutter
stutter
utter mutton

atom
platinum
baton
platypus
catalogue
satin
catapult
strategy
category
compatible
lateral
latitude
athletic
tetanus
magnetic
veteran
metal
yeti
petal
competitive
British
citizen
city
critical
pity
botany

literally
obliterate

attach
attain
attempt
attend
attention
attorney
attract
attributed
omelette
palette

battalion
tattoo
mattress

settee

zz

blizzard
buzzard
dizzy
fuzzy

hazard
hesitate
lizard
lozenge
wizard
wizened
closet
desert
designate
desolate
hesitate

present
president
resident
miserable
prison
risen
closet
deposit
positive
visible
visit
scissors

49 words have unpredictable final -ff, -ll and -ss

cuff

huff

rough

cliff

stiff

chef

duff

puff

tough

sniff

whiff

if

gruff

stuff

slough
staff

calf

enough
off

of

cough

half

trough

laugh

dole

poll

coal

bawl

hole

roll

foal

brawl

ball

mole

scroll

goal

crawl

call

pole

stroll

shoal

drawl

fall

role

toll

scrawl

hall

sole

troll

shawl

small

soul

all shall

stole

doll

sprawl

stall

whole

loll

trawl

tall

casserole

control

wall

rissole

enrol

tadpole

patrol

fuss

us

atlas

carcass

brass*

puss

bus

canvas

compass

class*

truss

plus

pampas

embarrass

glass*

hiss

this

pyjamas

kiss

grass*
trespass

miss

Christmas

pass*
mass*

* In standard UK speech

ass

gas

crass

these words rhyme with 'farce' and 'sparse';

lass

and 'mass' has a variable sound.

yes

24 words don't follow the ccle pattern of doubled consonants in

endings

babble knuckle

baffle

barrel

battle

pommel

laurel

bottle

pummel

quarrel

cattle

squirrel

kettle

bubble

nickel

cobble

pickle raffle

dabble

prickle ruffle

double

speckle scuffle

channel

dribble

suckle shuffle

flannel

apostle

nettle

gabble

tackle sniffle

funnel

bristle

rattle

kennel

bustle

ruffle

giggle

panel

castle

scuttle

goggle

tunnel

gristle

settle

hassle

skittle

hustle

subtle

gobble

tickle

hobble

trickle

nibble

muffle

camel

little

pebble

cuddle haggle

quibble

fiddle niggle

rubble

huddle smuggle

chapel

jostle

throttle

scribble

meddle snuggle

couple

muscle

wattle

squabble

middle straggle

apple

cripple

mussel

treble
trouble

model

struggle grapple

muddle wiggle

wobble paddle

wriggle

rustle

dazzle

ripple

tassel

drizzle

supple

thistle

grizzle

trestle

guzzle

peddle

tipple

buckle puddle

topple tussle

cackle riddle

triple

muzzle
vessel

nozzle

chuckle saddle

whistle

nuzzle

crackle toddle

wrestle

puzzle

fickle

sizzle

There is also no general rule for keeping and dropping doubled letters in compounds.

Fill, full - fulfil, beautiful;

well - welfare - farewell

Consonant doubling causes severe problems for all learners. Even young children
have to deal with them soon after first starting to read and write.
The following 111 words with regularly doubled consonants, 82 with missing
ones and 18 wordswith surplus or wrong doublings feature in most early reading
schemes.
111 regular doublings
Cabbage rabbit ribbon hobby chubby rubber rubbish
daddy ladder teddy giddy hidden pudding sudden
daffodil traffic different difficult coffee office
luggage
gallop shallow valley cellar fellow jelly yellow billy brilliant bully gorilla pillow silly
village collar dollar follow hollow holly jolly lollipop trolley lullaby
hammer mummy summer summit tummy yummy
granny nanny penny tennis dinner
happen happy pepper flippers slippers floppy poppy puppet puppy supper upper
arrow carrot carry narrow parrot berry cherry ferry terrace terrible mirror borrow
horrible lorry sorry tomorrow worry hurry
massive passenger lesson message possible
attic chatter clatter matter scatter shatter better letter lettuce bitter glitter kitten
written bottom cottage forgotten butter button clutter mutter
buzzer dizzy
82 missing and 18 surplus or wrong doublings

cabin fabulous habit probable robin

radish already ready meadow steady body model modern study - add odd
cafe - afford
dragon - egg
balance calendar palace salad celery helicopter jealous melody melon pelican
skeleton holiday
solid volume - collect, hello
timid image abominable comet comic promise vomit
animal banister manage panic vanish any many enemy cinema finish spinach
annoy
weapon leopard rapid capital separate copy proper topic popular - appear
caravan carol America heroine perish very florist forest orange arrange arrest
arrive
decimal recipe dessert
atom platypus satin metal petal British city pity - attract attention tattoo settee
mattress
desert hesitate present prison visit scissors

Passive Verbs
Passive verbs are used in the passive voice, where the emphasis is on what is being
done to the object of the sentence. The key word by can often be used to identify the
passive voice. Any tense can be used with passive verbs.
The students were being taught by the teacher.
Notice the word by, which clues us in to the passive voice.
The dog was being walked by the woman.
The essay should have been written by you, not by your friend.
The fire department has been notified.

Active Verbs
Active verbs are used when writing in the active voice. In the active voice, the
emphasis is on the subject which is doing the action. Any tense can be used with
active verbs.
The teacher taught the students.
The woman walked the dog.
You should write the essay.
We must have walked for three hours.
There will be snow tomorrow.

Helping Verbs (Auxiliary Verbs)

Helping verbs or auxiliary verbs are the little verbs which go along with the main
verb. Helping verbs dont show the action of the subject, they just show the tense of
the verb.

Matt used to like playing golf.

The main verb is like, and used to is the helping verb which tells us it was in the past.
What did you do on your holidays?
The cat was playing with string.
Tonight, it will be snowing.
When we were growing up, we liked to play in the park.
Helping verbs are also used in conditional sentences; these verbs help to create the
state of condition.
If you work hard, you should get to wherever you want to be.
Alex might come over tomorrow, if he gets his essay finished.

Main Verbs
The main verb is also called the lexical verb. This term refers to the important verb in
the sentence, the one which shows the action of the subject. Main verbs can stand
alone, or they can be helped along by some other little verbs (a.k.a. auxiliary verbs).
I was happy.
In this sentence, was is the main verb.
I was feeling happy.
In this sentence, feeling is the main verb and was is the auxiliary verb.
I must have been feeling happy.
Feeling is still the main verb.
If I were to be fired, I would be unhappy.
Where did they go?
What are we going to do?
Be, have and do can be used as main verbs, even though they dont involve physical
activity.

What Are Verbs

Verbs are action words: thats a rather simplified explanation but its the clearest one.
Verbs tell you what the subject of the sentence is up to.
Tom is funny.
The verb is tells us what Tom is doing: hes being funny.
Verbs dont have to be just one word; they can have up to four parts.

The cat is purring.

When we were going to work, it began to rain.
The boy must have been doing something terrible to make his mother that upset.
The parts of the verb can also be separated by other words (usually adverbs).
I have always liked that painting.
Why do you not like to eat chocolate?
Verbs can also be contracted, either with a noun or an adverb.
Ive always liked that painting.
Dont you like it?
Wheres Andrew?