Spelling: Doubling, -y and -ie

Explanation

A final consonant doubles before a suffix when a single vowel precedes it and the stress falls on the last syllable: stop becomes stopped, but visit becomes visited. A final -y becomes -i before most suffixes, and the rule i before e except after c has real exceptions such as science and their.

Examples

• They stopped the car and planned the route.
• Happier, easiest, carried.
• Receive, ceiling, science, their.

Common mistakes

• They stoped the car.

  They stopped the car.

  Short stressed syllables double the consonant.

• Easyer and happyness.

  Easier and happiness.

  Y becomes i.

• Recieve.

  Receive.

  I before e except after c.