Look at these words: 

buzz     miss     fluff

jazz     fuss     cuff

fizz     bless     muff

What do you notice about the spelling of these words? 

Here is a spelling tip:  In single-syllable words that contain a short-vowel sound and end in the letters S, F, or Z, the ending consonant is usually doubled.  Look at a few more words:

razz     kiss     puff

There are only 20 exceptions:  is, as, his, has, was, gas, bus, yes, us, plus, pus, this, goes, does, says, if, of, clef, whiz, and quiz.  Most of these words, however, are high-frequency words that have to be memorized anyway because they are used so often.

Look for one-syllable words that end in double S, F, and Z in your reading and you'll be surprised at how important this spelling rule is because it's so common!

For other great spelling tips, visit the Online Workshop.

Spelling tip adapted from the Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself method found in the Decoding Strategies for Literacy Development manual published by HEC Reading Horizons.