What changes occur to the spelling of a base word when adding a suffix that begins with a consonant?

When adding a suffix that begins with a consonant to a base word, the most common practice is to make no changes to the base word itself. The spelling of the base word remains intact, as the addition of a consonant-initial suffix does not require any alteration to accommodate the new suffix.

For instance, when the base word "help" is combined with the suffix "-ful," it simply becomes "helpful." This demonstrates that the base word can retain its original form while still forming a new word with the suffix, thereby maintaining clarity and meaning without the need for modification.

In contrast, altering the base word, removing letters, or doubling letters would apply to different scenarios, such as when a vowel-initial suffix is added or if specific spelling rules govern the modification of the base word. Thus, the approach of keeping the base word unchanged when attaching a suffix that starts with a consonant is consistent with standard English spelling conventions.