How Do You Spell Controller Correctly

Mastering spelling in the English language is not an easy job. There are tons of grammar rules which can sometimes be difficult to remember. Words with double consonants are always a cause of confusion. Speaking of that, how do you spell controller?

Is it with a single l or a double l? Learn the correct spelling of the term and its usage in this article.

Controller Vs. Controler — Which Is Correct?

Controller with double l is the correct spelling of the word, while controler is just a misspelled variation. The correct spelling has 2 Ls in it.

A controller is a person responsible for a particular organization or is in charge of financial affairs in a corporation. The director of any learning center could be an example of a controller.

Origin of the term ‘Controller.’

Controller‘ originated from the Middle English countreroller, meaning “keep a copy of the roll of accounts.” This was derived from the Anglo-Norman contreroulour and MiddleFrench contreroleur. This can be traced back to Medieval Latin contrārotulātor. The surface analysis of control would give us control + (-er).

How Do You Spell Controller?

‘Controller’ has 3 syllables, con-trol-ler, with the stress on the second syllable. This 10-lettered word is spelled as C-O-N-T-R-O-L-L-E-R with 3 vowels and 7 consonants.

Based on the dictionary, the phonetic transcription of ‘controller’ is /kənˈtrəʊlə/. The Americans pronounce it as [kuhn·trow·lr] with a prominent R sound at the end. However, the British prefer it as [kuhn·trow·luh] with a soft schwa sound at the end.

The base word of ‘controller’ is control, and if we apply the rule below, the spelling becomes easier.

Rule: If a word is multi-syllable with the stress on the last syllable, we double the final consonant before adding a vowel suffix.

Control (base word) + er (suffix) = Controller

A turned on MacBook Pro with a controller on the right over a wooden table.
Photo by hiva sharifi on Unsplash

Definition of Controller With Example Sentences

‘Controller’ functions as a noun in the parts of speech. It refers to a person or device that directs, regulates, or refrains something. Essentially, it means a person, typically a chief accounting officer, who oversees the finances of a business enterprise or institution.

Examples Sentences:

  • The Financial Controller’s office is on the second floor.
  • Install the disk controller first for the disk drives to work.
  • She is the new program controller for our agency.
  • An air traffic controller needs to make quick decisions.
  • The new controller for the video game is well-designed.

The Bottom Line

‘Controller’ with 2 Ls is the only standardized spelling in the English dictionary. The rule is to split ‘controller’ in its root word ‘control,‘ and double the ‘l‘ before adding the vowel suffix ‘-er.’ Refer to this article any time you need help with the correct spelling, pronunciation, meaning, or example sentences for ‘Controller.’

Pam is an expert grammarian with years of experience teaching English, writing and ESL Grammar courses at the university level. She is enamored with all things language and fascinated with how we use words to shape our world.

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