Forum: Author Hangout

What Are the Rules for Doubling a Final Consonant of Vowels?

Ross at Play 🚫

AJ wrote this in another thread:

I would have hyphenated wood-panelled (UK spelling)

I looked up dictionary.com which says this:

verb (used with object), pan·eled, pan·el·ing or (especially British) pan·elled, pan·el·ling.

I gave up trying to figure out from the principles involved whether to double the consonant a long time ago. I rely on spellcheckers. As far as I know it only applies to root words of one or two syllables (i.e. don't count syllables in any prefix), and it depends on which syllable is emphasised.

Then AJ's post landed on me like a 16-ton weight. American and British are different!?

Can anyone describe what the principles involved are? But please, say whether you're describing the British or American style!

Alternatively, can anyone provide any links which explain them.

Replies: PotomacBob Switch Blayde

PotomacBob 🚫

@Ross at Play

But please, say whether you're describing the British or American style!

I would guess that, in American usage, the principle involved is "look it up." One by one. It wouldn't surprise me if different authorities give different answers, but I'll bet not one of them gives you a universal rule.

Replies: Ross at Play

Ross at Play 🚫
Updated:

@PotomacBob

in American usage, the principle involved is "look it up."

Hmm?

And here I was thinking that the only positive contribution Americans have made to the English language was an effort to introduce some logical consistency into its spelling. :-)

Replies: Keet

Keet 🚫

@Ross at Play

And here I was thinking that the only positive contribution Americans have made to the English language was an effort to introduce some logical consistency into its spelling. :-)

The only positive contribution was the simplification from colour to color, honour to honer etc.

Replies: Ross at Play

Ross at Play 🚫

@Keet

The only positive contribution was ...

Did you not detect a note of sarcasm in my comment?

Have a look at the post I just added to the 'PARTY TIME' thread. There is a definite theme in many of my posts which you should be able to spot if you look for it.

Replies: Keet

Keet 🚫

@Ross at Play

Did you not detect a note of sarcasm in my comment?

I did, I thought my post was obviously meant as a humorous note ;)

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Ross at Play

Grammarly explains the American convention: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/traveling/

The word travel has more than one syllable—it's a multisyllabic word. In American English, when a multisyllabic word ends in a vowel and a consonant (in that order), you double the consonant when adding a suffix only if the stress falls on the final syllable. For instance, in the word repel, the stress falls on the final syllable, which means that you double the consonant when you add a suffix: repelling. But in travel, the stress falls on the first syllable, so there's no doubling.

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@Switch Blayde

In case anyone thinks we Brits make things easy on ourselves with travel -> travelling, we're liable to remove letters too as in install -> instalment.

AJ

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Forum: Author Hangout

What Are the Rules for Doubling a Final Consonant of Vowels?

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