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Reduplication is a linguistic process in which all or part of a word is doubled, either with an exact repeat, an ablaut vowel shift (I -> A -> O), or a rhyming consonant substitution.
English speakers instinctively obey a universal phonetic rule known as Ablaut Reduplication: when two related words or syllables are combined, the vowel order must always progress from high-front /ɪ/ to low-front /æ/ to back /ɒ/ (I -> A -> O). That is why we say "tic-tac-toe", "ding-dong", "ping-pong", "flip-flop", and "zigzag", while saying "zag-zig" or "flop-flip" feels completely unnatural to a native speaker. Rhyming reduplications (like "okey-dokey", "razzle-dazzle", "hocus-pocus") originated in popular folklore and nursery games for rhythmic and mnemonic emphasis.
Analyze twin-form words for ablaut vowel shifts or rhyming patterns:
Verified English words exemplifying reduplications (ablaut & rhyming twin words) with Scrabble scores
Linguistic definitions, etymological origins, and tournament usage
Ablaut reduplication is the linguistic rule governing vowel progression in twin words, requiring vowels to move from high-front /I/ to low-front /A/ to back /O/ (as in "tic-tac-toe" or "ding-dong").