What is the common spelling rule for one-syllable words ending with a short vowel when adding a suffix?

What is the common spelling rule for one-syllable words ending with a short vowel when adding a suffix?

• A. Add the suffix without changing anything.
• B. Double the final consonant before adding the suffix.
• C. Remove the final consonant before adding the suffix.
• D. Change the vowel to a long sound.

Answer: (B)

When a one-syllable word ends with a short vowel followed by a single consonant, and you add a suffix that begins with a vowel, you double the final consonant. This keeps the short vowel sound the same and preserves the single-syllable sound of the base word as you move into the suffix. For example, tapping from tap plus ing keeps the short vowel and adds the new ending cleanly. Stopped from stop plus ed shows the same doubling to maintain the pronunciation. Napping from nap plus ing and running from run plus ning both illustrate how the final consonant is doubled to carry the same short-vowel sound into the longer form. If the suffix starts with a consonant, you don’t typically double the final consonant, and the spelling stays with the single consonant before adding the suffix. So the best rule here is to double the final consonant before adding the suffix when the word is one syllable, ends in a short vowel, and the suffix begins with a vowel.

When a one-syllable word ends with a short vowel followed by a single consonant, and you add a suffix that begins with a vowel, you double the final consonant. This keeps the short vowel sound the same and preserves the single-syllable sound of the base word as you move into the suffix.

For example, tapping from tap plus ing keeps the short vowel and adds the new ending cleanly. Stopped from stop plus ed shows the same doubling to maintain the pronunciation. Napping from nap plus ing and running from run plus ning both illustrate how the final consonant is doubled to carry the same short-vowel sound into the longer form.

If the suffix starts with a consonant, you don’t typically double the final consonant, and the spelling stays with the single consonant before adding the suffix.

So the best rule here is to double the final consonant before adding the suffix when the word is one syllable, ends in a short vowel, and the suffix begins with a vowel.