Sometimes spelling reform works in reverse, making spelling less phonetic. The words doubt and debt were borrowed from French as
douse and det (or dette), but a new awareness of their Latin origins led scholars to insert a b in each to reflect their etymologies. Look up both words in your dictionary.
<em>Dubitāre </em>in Latin means to doubt, question, hesitate or waver in opinion.
Considering the rest of the alternatives, <em>douten </em>comes from Old French and signifies to dread, fear or be afraid. It is an obsolete word nowadays. As regards <em>douter</em>, it is a French transitive verb that means to hesitate or to doubt.
