inputting or inputing? Which is correctly spelled, and why?

Both "inputting" and "inputing" are accepted spellings, but "inputting" is more commonly used and considered the correct spelling. This is because "input" is a verb and the present participle form of a verb in English always ends with "-ing".

The present participle of a verb in English is formed by adding "-ing" to the base form of the verb. The present participle form is used to create the present continuous tense, which describes actions that are currently happening, as well as the gerund form, which is a verb used as a noun.

For example:

• Base form: walk
• Present participle: walking
• Present continuous tense: I am walking to the store.
• Gerund: Walking is good exercise.

There are some irregular verbs that have their own present participle forms, such as "go" (going), "see" (seeing), and "lie" (lying).

Here are the detailed rules for adding "-ing" to a verb:

1. Regular verbs: For most regular verbs, you can simply add "-ing" to the base form of the verb to create the present participle. For example, "walk" becomes "walking," "talk" becomes "talking," and "play" becomes "playing."

2. Verbs ending in "e": For verbs that end in a silent "e," drop the "e" and add "-ing" to the base form. For example, "write" becomes "writing" and "dance" becomes "dancing."

3. Verbs ending in a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern: For verbs that end in a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern (CVC), double the final consonant before adding "-ing" if the stress is on the final syllable. For example, "run" becomes "running" and "stop" becomes "stopping." However, if the stress is on the first syllable, do not double the final consonant. For example, "open" becomes "opening" and "visit" becomes "visiting."

4. Verbs ending in "ie": For verbs that end in "ie," change the "ie" to "y" and add "-ing." For example, "lie" becomes "lying" and "tie" becomes "tying."

5. Irregular verbs: Irregular verbs have their own present participle forms that do not follow these rules. For example, "go" becomes "going," "see" becomes "seeing," and "swim" becomes "swimming."

It's worth noting that there are some verbs that can be both regular and irregular, depending on the context. For example, "fit" can be regular ("fitting") or irregular ("fitted") depending on the context.

Yes, the stress of "input" is on the first syllable. "Inputting" is acceptable because it follows the rules for forming the present participle of a verb. As mentioned earlier, the present participle of a verb is formed by adding "-ing" to the base form of the verb. In the case of "input," the base form is "input," and adding "-ing" to it creates "inputting." Despite the stress being on the first syllable, the verb still follows the common rule for forming present participles in English. Therefore, "inputting" is an acceptable form of the present participle of the verb "input."

You are correct. I apologize for the confusion. Since the stress of "input" is on the first syllable, the final consonant should not be doubled when adding "-ing." Therefore, the correct spelling is "inputting," without doubling the "t." Thank you for bringing this to my attention.