Skip to content

Avoid repeated words (EK00024)

A doubled word is almost always a typo, so removing the duplicate keeps your documentation clean and credible before it reaches readers.

A doubled word is almost always a typo, so removing the duplicate keeps your documentation clean and credible. EkLine flags the same word written twice in a row (rule EK00024).

Repeated words slip past a quick read yet stand out to your audience and undercut the credibility of otherwise accurate documentation. Catching them automatically means a stray “the the” never reaches a published page. Clean, single-word phrasing also keeps sentences easy to scan.

EK00024 matches the same word repeated back to back.

  • Incorrect: Restart the the server after the update.
  • Correct: Restart the server after the update.
  • Incorrect: You can can configure it in settings.
  • Correct: You can configure it in settings.

Delete the duplicated word so the phrase reads once.

Repeated words like “the the” often survive editing because a quick read skips over them, yet they stand out to your audience.

Are back-to-back repeated words ever intentional?

Section titled “Are back-to-back repeated words ever intentional?”

Yes. Phrases like “had had” or a stuttered quotation repeat a word on purpose. Keep them and ignore the rule for that line.

PropertyValue
Rule IDEK00024
CategorySpelling and grammar
Default severityError
Enabled by defaultYes

To keep a repeated word on one line, add an inline comment:

<!-- ekline-ignore-next-line EK00024 -- intentional repetition in quotation -->
She said, "I had had enough of the errors."

To disable the rule across your project, add it to the ignore list in your configuration file.

  • EK00025 — Use a single space between words
  • EK00300 — Enable dictionary-based spell checking