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Word riddles
Which English word has three double letters in a row?
A spelling curiosity. Many words have one pair of double letters, a few have two in a row, and exactly one everyday word has three.
Which English word has three double letters in a row?
Hint: Think about accounting.
Reveal the answer
Bookkeeper
Book-keeper: OO, KK and EE in a row.
How to solve it (spoilers)
How to think about it
- Think of words with back-to-back double letters: “committee” has tt and ee but they are not adjacent in a row of three.
- The hint says accounting. Think of the person who keeps the books.
- Spell it out: b-o-o-k-k-e-e-p-e-r.
- OO, KK and EE sit side by side, three double letters in a row.
Why “Bookkeeper” is the answer
Bookkeeper, and its relatives bookkeeping and bookkeepers, contain the sequence o-o-k-k-e-e, three consecutive pairs of double letters. It is the standard example because it is a common word rather than a technical one. The hint about accounting leads to the job title that produces it.
Common wrong answers
- Committee. Committee has two doubles, tt and ee, with an i between them, so not three in a row.
- Balloon. Balloon has ll and oo back to back, which is two pairs, not three.
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