How to Spell Accommodate
Is it accomodate, or accommodate?
Common Misspellings:
📊 One of the most commonly misspelled words - double C and double M both required
You're Not Alone
"Accommodate" consistently ranks among the top 10 most misspelled words in English. The double C and double M pattern isn't intuitive from pronunciation, and most people drop one or both doubles. This spelling trick will help you remember both sets of double letters forever.
Why This Mistake Happens
Pronunciation doesn't highlight double letters: When you say "uh-KOM-uh-date," you don't hear distinct double consonants. The schwa sounds (unstressed vowels) blur the C's and M's together, making it sound like single letters would work fine.
Rare double-double pattern: English rarely stacks two different double consonant pairs (CC-MM) in the same word. Your brain expects single letters because that's the common pattern. Words like "recommend" (one double) feel more natural than "accommodate" (two doubles).
Latin origin obscured: Unless you know Latin, you have no way to guess that "ad-" + "com-" + "modus" creates "ac-com-modate." The historical prefix fusion is invisible in modern English, so the spelling seems arbitrary without a mnemonic.
Word Origin
"Accommodate" comes from Latin "accommodare" (to make fit, adapt to), formed from "ad-" (to, toward) + "com-" (with, together) + "modus" (measure, manner). When these prefixes combine, consonants double: "ad-" + "com-" becomes "ac-com-." The word entered English in the 1530s meaning "to make suitable" and gained the hospitality sense (provide lodging) by the 1600s.
Etymology Path:
Latin accommodare → Early Modern English accommodate → Modern English accommodate
The Spelling Trick
"The hotel owner said they can aCCoMModate couples, not singles"
Why it works: The word "couples" creates a perfect metaphor - just like hotels accommodate couples (pairs of people), the word "accommodate" uses couples (pairs) of letters: CC and MM. "Not singles" reinforces that you need BOTH doubles, not just one. The hotel/hospitality context matches the word's most common use.
How to use it: When you're typing "accommodate" and hesitate on the consonants, think: "couples, not singles." Picture a hotel sign saying "We accommodate couples" - the capital letters aCCoMModate show you exactly where the doubles go: C-C after A, M-M after O.
Examples in Context
Hospitality: "The hotel can accommodate up to 200 guests for the wedding."
Flexibility: "We'll accommodate your schedule - just let us know what works best."
Accessibility: "The venue is designed to accommodate people with mobility challenges."
Professional: "Our policy can accommodate special requests with 48 hours notice."
Space: "This conference room will accommodate 15 people comfortably."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
✗ accomodate - Missing one M (single M instead of MM)
✗ acommodate - Missing one C (single C instead of CC)
✗ acomodate - Missing both doubles (single C and single M)
Quick tip: Remember "couples, not singles" - accommodate takes BOTH double C (CC) and double M (MM). Related words like "accommodation" and "accommodating" follow the same pattern, always with both doubles.