Can You Explain the "d" in "Fudge?"

The BUGS can!!  We have been learning about double letters and why we use combinations like -dge, -tch and -ck.  Could you explain these patterns? 

We all know about using a -ck in words and could even tell the difference, but how many of us realize the rule?  What is the difference between "backing" and "baking"?  It's the vowel sound, isn't it?  We use -ck when we want the vowel to keep saying it's sound, even when we add an ending.  That's how we keep "tacking" from being "taking", etc.  

We use double letters in words that end with a Z, F, L or S (we call them Z-Floss words for short!).  Without a double letter at the end, the vowel would change to a namer vowel when we add an ending like - ing.  Think about words like "dress".  If we want to change it to "dressing" the e still says the same sound.  Without the double 's', the 'e' would now say it's name.  We don't want "dresing" on our salad!!  

 

The letter 'g' is tricky to double, however.  If we doubled it, according to the Super Secret Stealer G Rules (see previous posts) the first g would make the /g/ sound like in "jug".  So try to say "fudge" with a /g/ sound followed by the /j/ sound. It doesn't work very well, does it?  Because the 'g' can't do the job, we ask the tongue stoppers to come help us.  The tongue stoppers are /t/ and /d/ and we use the /d/ before a /j/ sound (like in "fudge") because it is easier to say two noisy sounds in a row than one quiet and one noisy.  To put it in "parent terms", it's easier to say "fudj" than to say "futj".

The same idea applies when our sounder vowel is followed by a /ch/ sound, like in the word "patch", we use the quiet tongue stopper (/t/) to double the sound.  We can't double the ch to protect the vowel or we'd have pachch, which looks ridiculous!  We put in the quiet tongue stopper this time because the /ch/ sound is quiet and it is easier to say two quiet sounds in a row than a noisy than a quiet.  (again, in "parent terms", it is easier to say "patch" than it is to say "padch".)

The trouble is, when our language was created, a whole mess of sounds weren't considered for these rules.  If a sounder vowel is followed by the /m/ sound, or the /b/ sound, for example, the word isn't ready for the ending!  For example, the word, "run".  When we make it "running" WE have to add the second 'n' or our vowel will say it's name!  We do this for many of our words!  Grab- grabbing, plan- planning, hum-humming.  It is important that students learn the rules, and what sounds have protection already, so they can recognize when the word needs their help to keep the vowel safe!  

Whew!  That's a lot to cram into one blog post!  If you have any questions, you can start by asking your child to help!  They are amazing at this!  If you still don't understand, I'm happy to give a much more detailed (and slower) explanation!!