Adding the suffix -ing to words like market

[lem79]

Hi all,

I'm new here, and I'll probably only visit this once. I'm trying to find out why marketing isn't spelled "marketting".

All of the rules I've found for adding -ing say to double the consonant. But every word ending in -ket doesn't seem to adhere to this rule (e.g. bucketing, marketing).

Does anyone have any references to explain why? What is the rule and/or exception to the rule?

Thanks,

Lem

 

[gabber]

Len79,
A single consonant at the end of the infinitive form of the verb is doubled before -ed and -ing if the vowel just before that final consonant is spelled with a single letter and is stressed.
Thus, "cut," "cutting" ; "abet," "abetting." The final "t" of "market" and "bucket" is not doubled because the letter "e" before that word-final "t" is not stressed.
//Brits sometimes ignore this rule before -l, -m, and -p:
travelling; programmed; worshipped.//

 

[lem79]

Thanks for the response Gabber.

When you say:

//Brits sometimes ignore this rule before -l, -m, and -p:
travelling; programmed; worshipped./

Do you mean that the correct way to spell those words is without the doubled consonant?

The other rule that confuses me in this scenario is the vowel-consonant-vowel pattern in which the second vowel causes the first vowel to produce a long sound. With that rule, "marketing" pronounces as "markeeting". Does this rule not apply when adding the -ing suffix?