Progamming vs Programing? What is the difference?  

Spelling / By

The difference between programming and programing is the spelling convention. While both are accepted forms of spelling, in the English language, only the word ‘programming’ would be pronounced correctly. Without 2 m’s the a in programing would be mispronounced as a long a, as in April.

Continue reading on to learn more about the etymology of the word programming, how to learn pronunciation rules by the spelling of the word, and how to use different forms of programming correctly in a sentence.

Etymology of Programming

The word programming can be traced back to the Latin and Greek languages sometime in the 1630s. The word was first written as ‘programma’ and was defined as a written public notice, proclamation, or edict. By 1805, the definition had changed to mean a written list of pieces played at a concert, now commonly known as a playbill.

Today, the Oxford English Dictionary defines programming as the process or activity of writing computer programs. The definition has expanded and now has no resemblance to the original definition of the word. Programming is still used in the theater and entertainment industry. In this industry, programming refers to scheduling media content such as tv shows or radio station songs.

Learning Vowel Sounds by Word Spelling

There are many rules in the English language which can seem daunting for non-native speakers but learning a few spelling rules can help one understand the pronunciation of some words. The word programming contains a double consonant.

In English, words with double consonants will usually have a short vowel sound before. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but any word with double b, d, g, m, n, or p will always have a short vowel sound. The short a in programming sounds like other short a words like bat, cat, map, or nap.

Using Programming in a Sentence

You can use programming in a sentence in different ways. Present, past, and future tenses of the word programming all look a bit different but mean the same thing, just in a different time. Here are a few examples of how to use each tense in a sentence.

  • The computer technician is in the process of programming the new email client.
  • The new hire starts today, can you make sure their computer has been programmed properly?
  • Did you happen to see the newly installed computer program?
  • The tv station has programmed reruns of all my favorite shows.

 

Conor
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