CHAPTER 13

Double the Consonant

One of the most irritating problems in English spelling is when to double the consonant and when not to

double it. It is safe to say that even the best spellers are sometimes unsure and usually keep a dictionary
handy. The double consonant almost always follows a short vowel, but a short vowel is not always
followed by a double consonant. Most people would agree that the double consonant is an irritating
anachronism which quite often is not needed.
Here is the spelling rule.

Double the final consonant only if the word ends in a single consonant preceded by a short vowel
and the suffix is a vowel suffix. If it is a multi-syllable word, the accent must fall on the final
syllable.

The following paragraphs are intended to clarify the rule.

The final consonant means just one consonant. If the word ends in ch, sh, or ck, then we do not double:

(^) Single syllable words that end in f, l, s, and z are usually already doubled:
(^) If an s follows u, then the s is not usually doubled:
(^) In most words that end in x and y, the letter is not doubled:
(^) If there are two vowels, the consonant is not doubled. Almost always, the word has a long vowel
sound:
(^) The combination qu is counted as one letter. Therefore the u is not considered to be an extra vowel:
(^) If the final t is silent, it is not doubled:
(^) Note that the British pronounce the t at the end of ricochet and therefore correctly spell the participle
ricochetting.
A suffix must begin with a vowel:
(^) In multi-syllable words, the accent must be on the last syllable: