Wonderful or Wonderfull – Which is Correct?
When it comes to spelling, even the most seasoned English speakers can find themselves second-guessing. It’s not uncommon to be unsure about the correct spelling of a word, especially when it seems like there are so many exceptions and irregularities in the English language. One such example is the word “wonderful.” Is it spelled with one ‘l’ or two? The correct spelling is “wonderful,” with just one ‘l.’
The word “wonderful” is an adjective used to describe something that inspires awe, admiration, or amazement. It is derived from the noun “wonder,” which means a feeling of surprise or astonishment. While it may seem strange that a word that denotes something extraordinary isn’t spelled with two ‘l’s, we must remember that English is a language full of quirks and peculiarities. In this case, “wonderful” follows the general rule for adding suffixes to words ending in a consonant plus ‘l’ – the final ‘l’ remains single.
To further understand why “wonderful” is spelled with just one ‘l,’ let’s explore a few examples. Consider the following words: careful, painful, helpful. All of these words also end in a consonant plus ‘l,’ just like “wonderful.” Notice that when we add suffixes to these words, such as ‘ly’ to form adverbs or ‘ness’ to form nouns, we only add one more ‘l.’ For instance, we have “carefully,” “painfully,” and “helpfulness.” It follows the same pattern with “wonderful,” where adding the suffix ‘-ful’ results in “wonderful.”
Another way to understand this rule is by considering the pronunciation of the word. When we say “wonderful,” we pronounce it as “wun-duhf-uhl.” Notice how there is only one ‘l’ sound in the pronunciation. This aligns with the spelling, as English often strives to maintain consistency between pronunciation and spelling. By spelling it as “wonderfull,” we would pronounce it as “wun-duhf-uhl,” which is not the way native English speakers pronounce this word.
Now, you might be wondering if there are any exceptions to this rule. Surprisingly, there are very few. One rare exception is the word “full,” which retains two ‘l’s when adding the suffix ‘-ful’ to form “fullness.” However, this exception is infrequent, and most words follow the standard rule of one ‘l.’
In conclusion, the correct spelling of the adjective meaning extraordinary, “wonderful,” is with one ‘l.’ This follows the general rule for adding suffixes to words ending in a consonant plus ‘l.’ By examining other similar words and their spelling patterns, it becomes evident that the standard for adding a suffix is to keep the final ‘l’ as a single letter. Remember, English spelling can be complex, but understanding these patterns and rules can help us become more confident and accurate in our writing. So the next time you’re about to write “wonderfull,” just remember that “wonderful” with just one ‘l’ is the correct, wun-duhful way to spell it!