Why is "writing" spelled with only one T? [duplicate]
You spell it with one ‹t› because if it were spelt with two, it would rhyme with hitting instead of with fighting.
As for how “hard” your ‹t› is, compare these:
-
writing
[ˈɹʷʌɪɾɪŋ] -
written
[ˈɹʷɪʔn̩] -
riding
[ˈɹʷaɪɾɪŋ] -
ridden
[ˈɹʷɪɾn̩] -
tighten
[ˈtʰʌɪʔn̩] -
photon
[ˈfoʊˌtʰɑn]
Notice how only the last one has a “real” ‹t› in the middle of it.
Edit: Integrating some comments.
You’re right that the ‹t› in writing is different from the one in written. The one in writing is still heard, although it is often a simple flap: [ɾ].
However, the ‹t› in written often reduces to a mere glottal stop: [ʔ]. That means it is not heard; the glottis just stops moving for a moment.
Phonemic /t/ in English has several different allophones, which vary by word and sometimes by speaker. Expect to hear /t/ realized as any of [tʰ], [t], [ɾ], and [ʔ], depending on various complex factors.
- Because it's write + -ing, with the e dropped, giving us writing.
- Because it's pronounced /ˈraɪtɪŋ/ not /ˈrɪtŋ/ and in English the doubled letter of writting would give us the latter short vowel sound (rhyming with hitting and sitting) rather than the long vowel sound it has (rhyming with sighting and biting).