# Which English word has three double letters in a row?

Source: https://silverapuzzles.com/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.

**Answer:** Bookkeeper.

Book-keeper: OO, KK and EE in a row.

Hint: Think about accounting.

## How to think about it

1. Think of words with back-to-back double letters: “committee” has tt and ee but they are not adjacent in a row of three.
2. The hint says accounting. Think of the person who keeps the books.
3. Spell it out: b-o-o-k-k-e-e-p-e-r.
4. 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.