The Mystery of the Ending 'S': Why Do We Often Omit Letters in the Word Respons?

The misspelling as 'respon' occurs due to the phonotactic tendencies of Indonesian speakers who often simplify consonant clusters at the end of words. Since the Indonesian tongue rarely encounters the 'ns' suffix naturally, the final 's' is often perceived as unnecessary or mistaken for an English plural marker that should be removed.

This word is adapted from the Dutch 'respons' or the English 'response'. Its root originates from the Latin 'responsum', which is the neutral past participle form of 'respondere', meaning to answer or promise in return.

In daily usage, the form 'respon' is far more popular and considered more practical in casual communication and mass media. However, in formal and academic contexts, the use of the 's' suffix is crucial to maintain technical accuracy, especially in the fields of psychology and communication.