Grapheme clusters, a.k.a.real characters

[Random832]

On Tue, Jul 18, 2017, at 10:23, Anders Wegge Keller wrote:
> På Tue, 18 Jul 2017 23:59:33 +1000
> Chris Angelico <rosuav at gmail.com> skrev:
> > On Tue, Jul 18, 2017 at 11:11 PM, Steve D'Aprano
> >> (I don't think any native English words use a double-V or double-U, but
> >> the possibility exists.)  
>  
> > vacuum.
> 
>  That's latin. 

Define "native" then. My interpretation of "native English words" is
"anything you wouldn't have to put in italics to use in a sentence".
Which would also include "continuum".

As for double-v, a quick search through /usr/share/dict/words reveals
"civvies", "divvy", "revved/revving", "savvy" and "skivvy", and various
conjugations thereof. All following, more or less, the rule of using a
double consonant after a short vowel in contexts where a single
consonant would suggest the preceding vowel was long.