ABSTRACT
[Abstract: The occurrence of doubled consonant letters is related to the historical phenomenon of the Great Vowel Shift (Chapter 4) and the resultant phenomenon of “magic e.” Thus, a word with a short vowel (e.g. mat) doubles the final consonant letter when an ending is added (matting), whereas one with a long vowel (e.g. mate) does not (mating). While this is the underlying rule, there are many exceptions, leading to this being one of the most difficult aspects of English spelling for learners.]
