Doubling up longer words
shorty revision video
beginner, forgetting, equipped, preferred, regrettable
In this simplified shorty lesson, we're looking at the 1:1:1 doubling up rule for longer words.
Remember in the last video, we looked at the 1:1:1 doubling up rule with words with 1 syllable (shop, run, swim ) with 1 vowel next to 1 end consonant and when this happens we double the end consonant when we add vowel suffixes (shopped, runner, swimming).
Remember how the double letters usually indicate the short vowel sound so we don't get them mixed up with the magic 'e' long sounds.
We can also double up longer words.
Look at these two syllable words: begin, forget, regret, upset, acquit, admit.
When we add vowel suffixes, we double up the end consonant: beginner, forgetting, regretted, upsetting, acquitted, admittance.
But we only double up the end consonant in these words when the last syllable is stressed. Read these to yourself and hear how the stress is slightly on the second syllable: "beGIN, forGET, reGRET, upSET, acQUIT, adMIT."
If you can't hear the stress then don't worry, just see the patterns.
begin — we have 1 end stressed syllable with 1 vowel next to 1 end consonant so we double up with vowel suffixes: beginner, beginning.
But not begins because 's' isn't a vowel suffix.
forget — forgetting, forgettable/unforgettable. Also the past: forgot - forgotten
regret — regrettable, regrettably, regretting, regretted
submit — submitting, submitted
upset — upsetting
equip — equipped, equipping. But not equipment because we only double up with vowel suffixes.
acquit — acquitted, acquitting, acquittal
admit — admitting, admittance, admitted
We also double up the end 'r' in prefer, refer, occur. The 'r' influences the vowel sound and makes it long
prefer "preFER" — preferred, preferring, preferrer. But not preference ("PREferable"), preferential ("PREFERencial") and preference ("PREFerence") because the stress is on the first syllable.
refer — referred, referring. But not reference ("REFerence"), referendum ("REFerendum"), referee
occur — occurring, occurred, occurrence
transfer — transferred, transferring
Remember when the stress doesn't fall on the final syllable, don't double up.
offer “Of er” — offering, offered,
cater "CAter" — catered, catering
murmur — murmured, murmuring
budget — budgeting, budgeted
With perform ("pFORM") the stress is on the end syllable but we have two consonants so we don't use the 1:1:1 rule: performer performing
If you can't hear the stress, or find rules hard to remember, then see the patterns. Most good spellers don't know this rule but just see the patterns and see that the spelling looks right.
Spelling test
There are 8 sentences. Enjoy and don’t worry about mistakes - learn from them.
Answers
Check your spellings letter by letter. Think about why you made a mistake.
1. I'm going food shopping on Wednesday.
2. I hope this summer is hotter than last summer and not wetter.
3. She needs a reference and is hoping I'll give her one.
4. The film last night was totally forgettable.
5. He loves running in the evenings.
6. It's forbidden to smoke indoors.
7. My sister is slimmer but shorter than me.
8. They stopped going swimming when the price went up.
Keep going over the lesson and exercises so you get the rule in your long-term memory. Doing something once isn’t going to help you remember things.
Keep revising, reviewing and repeating to remember.