

Spelling rule- ‘The Floss Rule’
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Why does ‘bell’ have a double ‘l?’
Why does ‘buff’ have a double ‘f?’
Why does ‘miss’ have a double ‘s?’
Why does ‘buzz’ have a double ‘z?’
Have you ever wondered why some words end in a double consonant?
The reason for this is the spelling rule which we call the floss rule.
What is Floss rule?
If a word has only one vowel and ends with f, l, s or z; double the consonant. So, under this rule s is spelled ss, l is spelled ll, f is spelled ff, and z is spelled zz.
The spelling rule is one of the first rules that I teach beginning spellers.
The -ll and -ss ending is the most common. The -ff ending is less common and -zz is not a very common ending.
You must be wondering why it is called the FLoSS rule. Floss has f, l and s so under the floss rule /f/, /l/ and /s/(/z/) are doubled. I know the word ‘floss’ does not include ‘z’ but it’s okay since there are very few words that end in /z/.
There are a few exceptions to the rule. For example: if, of, is, gal, gas, bus, yes etc. In all these words f, l and s come after a short vowel but they are not doubled. Quiz is a word that does not end with a /zz/.
Next, I am going to share a simple word list for this rule with you. Please print it out and have our little readers read it. The child can choose to highlight the double consonants with a light color.


floss rule word list
The above list is a phonics word list for ff ll ss zz words.
You can also find Floss rule worksheets on my website to practice the rule.
I hope you find this spelling rule lesson useful.
Kavita
Hi Payal,went through ur blog accidentally, but i must say its so helpful.I loved the anchor charts which gives a brief highlight of the rules .Just loved ur page
Payal
Thank you, Kavitha 🙂
Prerna
Hey Payal,
i am very much fond of your website and blogs. Beautifully designed worksheets, to the point explanation of the topics and attractive fonts. I am in love with your website. Keep Growing. 🙂
Payal
Thank you for your kind and lovely feedback 🙂
It’s very encouraging. Please continue visiting the website.