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This is the BBC. This podcast is supported by advertising outside the UK. This is a download from BBC Learning English to find out more, visit our website. Six minutes vocabulary from BBC Learning English dot com. Hello and welcome to Six Minute Vocabulary with me, Catherine and me, Mirfin. In this program we're looking at spelling and the area we have spelling.

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We're looking at today is words with double letters. Let's start by listening to David. He's a student welfare officer at a university and he's welcoming a new student to the campus.

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And while you listen to David, here's a question for you. What word means the room's flats and houses that people live in? Here's David.

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Congratulations on getting a place at our university. It's a brilliant opportunity, and I'm sure that you will be happy and successful here. I'm here to help you find accommodation. We've got rooms, flats and houses all over the city, but I recommend that you apply as soon as possible so you're not disappointed.

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Here's a list of addresses. David there and we asked, what's the word for rooms, flats and houses that people live in?

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And the answer is accommodation. It is. And accommodation is one of our words with double letters. So, Finn, how do you spell accommodation?

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A double C o double m o t i o n well, double fan.

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Now listen to this clip, which six words have double letters.

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Congratulations on getting a place at our university. It's a brilliant opportunity and I'm sure that you will be happy and successful here.

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So we had getting with double T, brilliant with double L, opportunity with double P, will with double L and also happy with double P and successful with double C and double S. Correct.

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And now let's take a look at some spelling rules.

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The first rule is about verbs. If the final three letters of a verb are consonant, vowel, consonant, we double the final consonant before we add engy or Z. So get spelt G.T. becomes getting with double T and begin and then G i n. So it becomes beginning with double N.

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Now our next rule is to do with short vowel sounds. So Fehn, can you demonstrate please.

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Some short vowel sounds are all a. And I guess that's enough, thank you. I know so many long vowel sounds. Who is? Ah, a yes, thank you, Finn, very well demonstrated. So when there is a short vowel sound before a consonant like R in hubby, we often double the consonant after it. The short R and happy gives us a double P, the short all an opportunity gives us another double P and the short F in brilliant gives us double L and this can happen more than once in the same word.

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So in the words successful, we get a double C and a double S and in accommodation we get a double C and or double M easy. Exactly.

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And lots of short words like summer coffee, apple and will follow this general rule.

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So let's listen to another clip and put this general rule to the test. OK, listen carefully. But I recommend that you apply as soon as possible so you're not disappointed. Here's a list of addresses.

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So following the rule, we've got recommend with all possible with all double s and disappointed with a double P o six minutes vocabulary from BBC Learning English dot com.

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And we're talking about words with double letters, right. Quiz time No. One. Is there a double N in the verb happening? No, there isn't. Well done. Number two, are there any double letters in the word immediately?

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Yes, there is a double M. Very good.

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Number three, which of these words have a double C occasion accident succeed?

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And the answer is they all do all have a short sound followed by a double C.. Then trick question was indeed.

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It's also the end of the quiz. And you're brilliant with double L. If you got all of those questions right.

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And now here's a top tip for vocabulary learning.

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If you're struggling to learn the spelling of a word, get a keyboard and type it a hundred times and your fingers might learn the spelling more quickly than your brain. What do you think then? Would that work for you?

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My fingers are much quicker than my brain, Katherine. Yes, probably. It's a good idea.

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It's a very good tip. And there's more about this at BBC Learning English dot com. Join us again soon for more six minute vocabulary.

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Hi. Goodbye.