What is a memory trick for spelling accommodate?

The most effective memory tip is: 'accommodate is large enough to accommodate two C's and two M's.' You can also visualise two cots (CC) and two mattresses (MM) in a big hotel room — the word accommodate is often used in contexts of lodging and space.

How do you use accommodate correctly in a sentence?

Accommodate means to provide space for, to make room for, or to adjust to suit someone's needs. Examples: 'The hotel can accommodate 200 guests.' 'We will try to accommodate your request.' 'The new design accommodates users with disabilities.'

How Do You Spell Accommodate?

Q: Does accommodate have one M or two?

Accommodate has two M's (double M). The correct spelling is accomMOdate. A single M — accomodate — is the most common misspelling of this word. Both the C and the M must be doubled.

Q: What are the most common misspellings of accommodate?

The three most common misspellings are: acommodate (only one C), accomodate (only one M), and acommodate (missing both doubles). The fully correct spelling always requires CC and MM: accommodate.

Q: What does accommodate mean?

Accommodate has two main meanings: (1) to provide room or space for someone or something — 'The venue accommodates up to 500 people'; and (2) to adapt or make allowances for someone's needs — 'We are happy to accommodate dietary requirements.' Both meanings are common at B1–C1 level.

Q: Is accommodate used in formal or informal English?

Accommodate is used across all registers but is especially common in formal and professional English — hotel and travel contexts, business communication, and academic writing. In casual speech, people often say 'fit in' or 'make room for' instead. Knowing how to spell it correctly is important for writing tasks, CVs, and emails.

Spelling B1–C1 5 min read Updated 10 June 2026

Accommodate is spelled A-C-C-O-M-M-O-D-A-T-E. It has double C and double M.

The Correct Spelling of Accommodate

Accommodate is an 11-letter word. The two letters that cause the most trouble are the C and the M — both must be doubled.

a	c	c	o	m	m	o	d	a	t	e
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11

Letters 2–3 are both C (double C). Letters 5–6 are both M (double M). Every other letter appears exactly once.

Why Does Accommodate Have Double C and Double M?

The word comes from the Latin verb accommodāre, meaning to make fit or to adapt. Latin formed it by combining three elements:

ad- (a prefix meaning to, towards) + com- (a prefix meaning together) + modus (meaning measure, manner).
When ad- and com- are joined, the d of ad- assimilates to the following c, producing ac-, giving ac + com = accom- with a double C.
The root modus contributes the double M when combined with the com- prefix: com + modāre contracts into -mmod-.

In short, the double letters are not arbitrary — they are the direct result of combining Latin prefixes with the root word, and the spelling has remained stable in English ever since the word entered the language in the 16th century.

Common Misspellings to Avoid

Three errors account for almost all misspellings of this word:

Error 1 — Only one C

✗ acommodate → ✓ accommodate
Missing one C is less common than missing an M, but still a frequent error.

Error 2 — Only one M (the most common mistake)

✗ accomodate → ✓ accommodate
This is by far the most frequent misspelling. The double M is often dropped even by confident writers.

Error 3 — Missing both doubles

✗ acomodate → ✓ accommodate
Both the CC and the MM are written as single consonants. This version looks very wrong on screen but still appears surprisingly often in informal writing.

Correct vs Incorrect Spelling Examples

Correct spelling	Incorrect spelling	Error type
accommodate	acommodate	Missing one C
accommodate	accomodate	Missing one M
accommodate	acomodate	Missing both C and M doubles
accommodating	accomodating	Missing one M in the participle
accommodation	accomodation	Missing one M in the noun form
accommodated	acommodated	Missing one C in the past tense

Notice that the error carries through to all derived forms: accommodation, accommodating, accommodated, accommodates. Get the base word right, and all the related forms follow.

Memory Tip

💡 The hotel trick: Imagine a large, spacious hotel. It is grand enough to accommodate two Cots (CC) and two Mattresses (MM) in every room. The word accommodate is grand enough to accommodate two C’s and two M’s.

If you prefer a simpler verbal cue: “accommodate has CC and MM — two C’s, two M’s.” Saying it aloud a few times when you first learn the word is often enough to fix the pattern in memory.

Another approach is to break the word into syllables: ac · com · mo · date. The double consonants sit neatly at the joins between syllables — ac|com and com|mo — which makes them easier to hear when you say the word slowly.

What Does Accommodate Mean?

Accommodate is a verb with two related meanings in contemporary British English:

To provide space or room for something or someone. This is the most common meaning and often appears in contexts of lodging, venues, or capacity:
“The new stadium can accommodate 60,000 spectators.”
To make allowances or adjustments for someone’s needs, preferences, or requests. This meaning is common in professional and formal communication:
“We will do our best to accommodate your dietary requirements.”

The hotel accommodates up to 150 guests.

Can you accommodate a last-minute change of date?

The design was modified to accommodate users with visual impairments.

The hall was not large enough to accommodate the entire group.

Related Word Forms

All forms of accommodate retain the double C and double M:

Form	Example
accommodate (base verb)	We can accommodate* your request.*
accommodates (third-person)	The venue accommodates* 300 people.*
accommodated (past tense)	All guests were accommodated* comfortably.*
accommodating (participle / adjective)	The staff were very accommodating.
accommodation (noun)	Have you booked your accommodation* yet?*

Practise Your Spelling

Now that you know the correct spelling, test yourself with a LexFizz exercise:

Flash Cards — practise accommodate alongside other commonly misspelled words.
Hangman — guess the letters of difficult words one by one.
Spelling Quiz — choose the correctly spelled word from four options.

You may also find the following LexFizz articles useful:

Best Ways to Improve English Spelling — practical strategies for all learner levels.
Common English Mistakes — spelling, grammar, and vocabulary errors to watch out for.
English Grammar for Beginners — if you are building your foundations alongside spelling.

For confusing word pairs that also catch learners out, see Affect vs Effect — another high-frequency error in academic and everyday writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell accommodate?

Accommodate is spelled A-C-C-O-M-M-O-D-A-T-E. The word has 11 letters and contains both a double C (CC) and a double M (MM). It is one of the most commonly misspelled words in English, and getting both doubled consonants right is the key challenge.

Does accommodate have one C or two?

Accommodate has two C's (double C). The correct spelling is a-CC-ommodate. Writing only one C — acommodate — is a misspelling. A useful way to remember this: accommodate is spacious enough to accommodate two C's.

Does accommodate have one M or two?

Accommodate has two M's (double M). Writing only one M — accomodate — is the single most common misspelling of this word. Both the C and the M must be doubled: a-cc-o-MM-o-date. If you only remember one thing about this word, remember the double M.

What are the most common misspellings of accommodate?

The three most frequent errors are: accomodate (one M — the most common mistake), acommodate (one C), and acomodate (missing both the double C and the double M). The correct spelling always requires CC and MM: accommodate.

Where does the word accommodate come from?

Accommodate derives from the Latin verb accommodare, meaning to make fit or to adapt. It was formed by combining the prefixes ad- and com- with the root modus (measure, manner). The double C comes from the assimilation of ad- + com-, and the double M comes from com- + modus. English borrowed the word in the 16th century, keeping the original Latin spelling intact.

What is a good memory trick for spelling accommodate?

The most effective trick is the hotel image: a large hotel is grand enough to accommodate two Cots (CC) and two Mattresses (MM). Alternatively, break the word into syllables — ac·com·mo·date — and notice that the double consonants sit at the syllable boundaries: ac|com and com|mo. Saying the syllables slowly a few times helps the pattern stick.

Is it accomodate or accommodate?

The correct spelling is accommodate with double M. Accomodate — with only one M — is a misspelling, even though it looks almost right and appears regularly in informal writing. If you are writing a formal document, CV, or essay, always double-check that both the C and the M are doubled.

How is accommodation spelled?

Accommodation follows exactly the same pattern: A-C-C-O-M-M-O-D-A-T-I-O-N — double C and double M again. This is the noun form of accommodate, and the same spelling rules apply. Common misspellings are accomodation (one M) and acommodation (one C).

How do you use accommodate in a sentence?

Accommodate is used in two main ways. First, to mean providing space for: "The venue can accommodate 200 guests." Second, to mean making adjustments for someone's needs: "We are happy to accommodate your request." Both uses are common in B1–C1 English, particularly in travel, hospitality, business, and academic writing contexts.

Is accommodate used in formal or informal English?

Accommodate is used across all registers but is especially frequent in formal and professional English — hotel and travel bookings, business emails, academic essays, and official documents. In informal speech, people often say "fit in", "squeeze in", or "make room for" instead. For written English at B2 level and above, accommodate is the precise and expected word, so spelling it correctly matters.