2025.12.28 – Single-R vs Double-R: The Spanish “We Want” Form That Trips People Up

Key Takeaways

One letter, big difference
The correct spelling uses a single r in the “we” form used for wishes, doubts, and possibilities.

Where the double-r belongs
A double rr is normal in the simple future and conditional forms, so the mix-up feels tempting.

A quick check that works
If the sentence sounds like a hope or a “maybe,” the single-r spelling is the safe choice.

Story & Details

A small spelling trap that stayed popular in December two thousand twenty-five
In December two thousand twenty-five, a familiar question kept surfacing in everyday Spanish writing: should the “as many as we want” idea use a single r spelling or a double rr spelling in the “we want” verb form? The detail looks tiny. The difference is not.

Why the single-r spelling wins in this case
The key is the mood. Spanish has a special set of verb forms for uncertainty, desire, recommendations, and hopes. In that “maybe / I hope / it is possible” space, the “we want” form is written with a single r. The double rr version is treated as a nonstandard slip in that same mood.

Why the double-r spelling feels so believable
Spanish does use double rr in other parts of the same verb family—especially the simple future and the conditional. That is where the sound and spelling naturally pull writers toward the doubled consonant. The trouble starts when that future-style spelling gets copied into the mood used for doubt or hope.

A tiny Dutch mini-lesson from the Netherlands (Europe)
Dutch offers a neat parallel for “as many as we want,” and it stays very steady in everyday use:
zoveel als we willen
A simple meaning first: it is used to say “as many or as much as we want.”
Now the useful zoom-in, word by word:
zoveel = “so much / so many” in one word, chosen by context; als = “as”; we = “we”; willen = “want,” in the “we” form.
A close, natural variant that is also common:
zo vaak als we willen
zo = “so”; vaak = “often”; als = “as”; we = “we”; willen = “want.”
That version is handy when the idea is “as many times as we want,” not “as many things as we want.”

A practical way to avoid the Spanish slip
Two quick habits help. First, listen for meaning: if the sentence is about a wish, a doubt, or a possibility, the “we want” form takes the single r spelling. Second, if the sentence is clearly about “we will want” or “we would want,” that is when the double rr spelling fits.

Conclusions

A single consonant can carry a whole grammar choice. In this case, the single-r spelling belongs to the Spanish form used for uncertainty and hope, while the double-r spelling belongs to future-style forms. Once that map is clear, the “as many as we want” line stops feeling like a coin toss and starts feeling like a clean, repeatable decision.

Selected References

[1] Royal Spanish Academy — usage note on the “to want” verb form and the nonstandard double-r spelling in the relevant mood: https://www.rae.es/dpd/querer
[2] FundéuRAE — guidance note explaining why the single-r spelling is recommended and why the double-r spelling spreads by analogy: https://www.fundeu.es/recomendacion/queramos-no-querramos/
[3] Royal Spanish Academy — conjugation tables showing the single-r form in the relevant mood and double-r forms in future and conditional patterns: https://www.rae.es/drae2001/querer?id=XUMhZfERqVcRj2ydzKOr
[4] Royal Spanish Academy (YouTube) — an official session presenting the Academy’s usage-doubt resource that covers spelling and grammar questions like this: https://www.youtube.com/live/pYtOfegHDI4

Appendix

Conditional
A verb form used for “would” ideas, often signaling a hypothetical or polite distance.

Conjugation
The way a verb changes its form to match person, number, time, and mood.

Double consonant
A letter written twice, like rr, which can mark a different sound or a different standard pattern.

Mood
A verb system that shows how a speaker frames an idea: as a fact, a possibility, a wish, or a command.

Present subjunctive
A set of verb forms used for uncertainty, wishes, recommendations, and emotional reactions.

Royal Spanish Academy
An institution based in Spain (Europe) that publishes widely used reference works on Spanish usage.

Usage guide
A reference that explains standard forms, common mistakes, and recommended choices in real writing.