Why do we double the L in travelling?

The Curious Case of the Doubled L in Travelling

Why do Brits insist on doubling the ‘l’ in words like “travelling” and “cancelled”? It’s a question that often trips up writers and sparks debates across the pond. The seemingly extra ‘l’ isn’t a random quirk, but rather a consequence of a specific spelling rule within British English orthography.

The rule revolves around single-syllable words ending in a single vowel followed by a single consonant. When adding a suffix that begins with a vowel, like “-ing” or “-ed,” that final consonant is often doubled. This holds true for consonants like ‘l,’ ‘n,’ ‘p,’ and others. Thus, “travel” becomes “travelling” and “cancel” transforms into “cancelled.”

But why? The doubling of the consonant serves a phonetic purpose, albeit one that has become somewhat obscured by modern pronunciation shifts. It helps to preserve the short vowel sound preceding the consonant. Imagine “traveling” without the double ‘l.’ The tendency might be to pronounce the ‘a’ with a long vowel sound, like in “raven” or “training.” The double ‘l’ acts as a visual cue to retain the short ‘a’ sound as heard in the original word, “travel.”

While this explanation holds historical weight, it’s worth noting that pronunciation varies, even within British English. Some speakers pronounce “travelling” with a short ‘a’ regardless of the spelling. Nevertheless, the double ‘l’ persists as a convention, a visual marker of a spelling rule deeply ingrained in British English.

This rule isn’t absolute, however. Multi-syllable words like “reveal” retain a single ‘l’ when adding suffixes (“revealing”), likely due to the stress placed on a different syllable. Furthermore, American English generally forgoes the double consonant in these instances, opting for “traveling” and “canceled.” This divergence reflects the evolution and standardization of the language on both sides of the Atlantic.

So, the next time you see a double ‘l’ in a British English word, remember that it’s not an arbitrary addition. It’s a remnant of a historical spelling convention designed to preserve short vowel sounds, a subtle but persistent reminder of the complexities and intricacies of the English language.