You are given two strings `word1` and `word2`. Merge the strings by adding letters in alternating order, starting with `word1`. If a string is longer than the other, append the additional letters onto the end of the merged string.

Return _the merged string._

**Example 1:**

**Input:** word1 =  "abc ", word2 =  "pqr "
**Output:**  "apbqcr "
**Explanation:** The merged string will be merged as so:
word1:  a   b   c
word2:    p   q   r
merged: a p b q c r

**Example 2:**

**Input:** word1 =  "ab ", word2 =  "pqrs "
**Output:**  "apbqrs "
**Explanation:** Notice that as word2 is longer,  "rs " is appended to the end.
word1:  a   b 
word2:    p   q   r   s
merged: a p b q   r   s

**Example 3:**

**Input:** word1 =  "abcd ", word2 =  "pq "
**Output:**  "apbqcd "
**Explanation:** Notice that as word1 is longer,  "cd " is appended to the end.
word1:  a   b   c   d
word2:    p   q 
merged: a p b q c   d

**Constraints:**

*   `1 <= word1.length, word2.length <= 100`
*   `word1` and `word2` consist of lowercase English letters.


def mergeAlternately(word1: str, word2: str) -> str:
    result = []
    i, j = 0, 0
    while i < len(word1) and j < len(word2):
        result.append(word1[i])
        result.append(word2[j])
        i += 1
        j += 1
    result += word1[i:]
    result += word2[j:]
    return "".join(result)
