Why English spelling makes no sense

Merrill Perlman riffs on a recent question from an editing conference, where legendary copyeditor Mary Norris was asked about the "rules" for doubling consonants before suffixes: "Because the 'p' in 'ship' is doubled with a suffix to become 'shipper,' you’d think that someone engaged in 'worship' is a 'worshipper.' Yes, one is a 'worshipper' in the New Yorker and in the Associated Press, but one is a 'worshiper' in the New York Times and the Chicago Manual of Style."

October 13, 2016

ADVERTISEMENT
BWF Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants

ADVERTISEMENT
EurekAlert! Travel Awards

ADVERTISEMENT
Sharon Begley Science Reporting Award