English words can sometimes go from one to two consonants, making spelling tricky, but two rules help.
Knowing when to spell with one or double consonants helps you improve your accuracy in writing
The 1-1-1-rule means that one syllable verbs that have one vowel that is followed by a consonant = double consonant when making the past tense or present participle. For example, let's look at the verb rip and the adjective fat.
Rip (verb)
1 syllable - /rɪp/
1 vowel - i
1 consonant - p
Past tense = ripped. ➜ I ripped the box in two.
Past participle = ripping. ➜ I woke up to a horrible ripping sound.
This double consonant rule also applies to comparing or creating superlatives adjectives
Fat (adjective)
1 syllable - /fat/
1 vowel - a
1 consonant - t
Comparing = fatter. ➜ I am fatter than he is.
Superlative = fattest ➜ This is the fattest cow in the world!
Basic form
Run
Stop
Past tense (-ed)
Ran (irregular!)
Stopped
Present participle (-ING)
Running
Stopping
Basic form
Fat
Glad
Comparative (-er)
Fatter
Gladder
Superlative (-est)
Fattest
Gladdest
Important! ⚠️ There are also cases where we do not double consonants
Words that have more than one consonant after the vowel: drift = drifted and drifting; burn = burned and burning
Words that have a long vowel and an e drop the e before adding -ed and -ing: hate = hated and hating
Words with two vowels directly before the final consonant: remain = remained and remaining
Words with w or y at the end: play = played and playing
Exercise 1. Correct the incorrect grammar and spelling
I seen a UFO! I promise! I tokk a picture!
Did you know that Andreas female spider riped her mate into pieces? Brutal!
My cat loves chocolate but the vet tell me to stop feeding it or else it will get even fater.
Stopp! Do not goes any further!
This boy and those boy’s have had the biggestest fight!
Exercise 2. Translate from Swedish to English
Jag skeppar paketet med den minsta båten i Sverige
Jag tappade min mobiltelefon i det hårda golvet.
Det här är den största byggnaden jag har någonsin har sett!
Exercise 3: Create three sentences of your own!
Challenge yourself by making them compound-complex. Remember:
X ➜ While showering, I grabbed my soap. I dropped it.
✔ ➜ While showering, I grabbed my soap but I dropped it.
Words with two syllables that end in a consonant, that have a vowel before the consonant and stresses the final vowel doubles the final consonant. For example: admit (erkänna)
Admit (erkänna) sounds like ad-MIT [/ədˈmɪt/]. We pronunce the word in two parts.
Also, we stress vowel I and it is followed by the consonant T.
When that happens, we double the final consonant when we use the past tense or past participle = admitted or admitting
Basic form
Regret (sounds like re-GRET)
Prefer (sounds like pre-FER)
Past tense (-ed)
Regretted
Preferred
Present participle (-ING)
Regretting
Preferring
Exercise 1. Does the word have one or two syllables?
To begin with, read the word to see if it includes a short vowel and a consonant.
Secondly, read it aloud in order to hear if the word has one or two syllables and if the first or the second vowel is stressed. Please note that the sound is important!
Finally, fill out the spelling exercise.
Exercise 2. Correct the grammar (1) and spelling (1) mistakes
Huh. It never occur to me that you is unhappy.
He comes back from the supermarket the other day with grill bugs and maggots. Yuck!
You know, in the begin, he called me cute all the time. These days, I can’t get no attention.
I always prefer cats over dogs. I like very much cats.
No, no, no! I am regret going out with him. I thought I knew him good.