It is important to distinguish between a short or long vowel with regard to doubling a consonant.
Short vowels – He wanted to stop driving for a break.
Long vowels – He hoped the weather would be good.
When we add -ed or -ing to a word, we double the consonant if a short vowel comes before it. We do not double a consonant if a long vowel comes before it.
Short vowels – stopped, grinned, stepped, hopped, cutting, winning.
Long vowels – hoped, shining, feeding, farmed, voted.
Adding a prefix
When we have a double consonant near the front of the word:
dis + agree = disagree un + necessary = unnecessary
dis + solve = dissolve un + happy = unhappy
dis + appear = disappear un + usual = unusual
If we add 'all' we leave out one 'l':
all + though + although all + ways = always all + together = altogether
adding -ing
We leave out the final 'e' if it is silent
write – writing make – making hope – hoping
we keep the final 'e' if the word ends in -ee, -oe, -ye:
see – seeing canoe – canoeing dye – dyeing
If the word ends in a vowel or -y keep the 'y' when you add -ing.
Study – studying rely – relying play – playing
Lesson by Tristan, English teacher at EC Malta English school
Choose the correct spelling for the following:
