The Complete I
Before E Rule
- With
Explanations
|
Memorize the following poem and learn
how to apply
each part of the rule. |
Explanations |
|
Use i before
e |
Unless you have a reason not to,
use
ie as
in thief,
believe,
priest,
etc.
|
|
Except after
c |
except after c Means: use
cei
as in receive,
deceive,
ceiling,
etc.
|
Or when
sounded as "EYE" or "AY"
as in Einstein and weigh. |
Or when sounded as EYE or AY Means: use
ei
in "EYE" words such as
Einstein,
Eileen,
Heidi,
stein,
Steinbrenner,
etc. It also means use
ei
in "AY" words
such as weigh,
eight,
vein,
veil.
|
Neither,
weird, foreign, leisure,
Seize, forfeit, and height
Are Exceptions spelled right |
And so are: protein
and caffeine
forfeiture,
codeine,
heifer,
etc. Memorize these!
|
|
But don't let
the
C-I-E-N
words get you uptight! |
Means:
cien
as in efficient,
ancient,
conscience,
and sufficient
etc. |
Use i before e Family
with difficulty levels on scale of 1.00 to 21.00
grief
(12.25)
thief relief
(12.00)
chief
(7.50)
mischief
(11.00)
priest
(12.20)
grieve
(15.70)
thieve relieve
(14.00)
achieve sieve niece
(13.30)
piece
(9.55)
apiece
(11.70)
centerpiece siege besiege
pier
(11.90)
bier tier
frieze
field
(7.05)
battlefield yield
(13.90)
shield
(13.25)
shriek friend fiend view review
(9.80)
preview
patient
(12.65)
impatient
patience
(15.80)
fielder wield
Except after c Family
(See p. 441 for -ceive receive family)
receipt
(17.60)
receiver
(14.40)
deceit deceive
(15.70)
deceitful
ceiling
(14.05)
conceivable inconceivable
receipts
(17.95)
conceited conceivably
Or when sounded as "EYE"
ein Einstein fraulein Eileen Holstein eider
eidetic Pheiffer Feiffer feisty heist meister
Eisenhower Eiffel
height
(12.45)
Heidi Heidelburg farenheit
H. J. Heit T. J. Heidt Heifitz sholem aleichem
stein heigh-ho
Weisenheimer Heinlein Heinrich Heinz Heiss
Heisenberg
Weiss Weissmuller Poseidon Rottweiler apartheid
Or when
sounded as "AY"
weigh
(9.25)
weight
(7.50)
eight
(3.35)
freight
(11.60)
freighter neigh
neighbor
(10.30)
sheik
sheikh heir
(15.75)
their
(7.05)
heinous
lei skein vermeil
Eire inveigle
feint
sleigh
(13.35)
deign
reign
(16.75)
rein Pompeii
feign
veil
(16.20)
unveiled vein
(16.30)
Chow mein seine
reindeer
(13.05)
Or when exceptions
neither
(10.90)
weird foreign
(14.90)
leisure
(16.90)
seize
(15.15)
forfeit
height
(12.45)
weirdo foreigner leisurely seizure forfeiture
protein caffeine codeine heifer surfeit
counterfeit
C-I-E-N words
science
(9.15)
conscience
(18.60)
ancient
(14.60)
efficient
(18.55)
sufficient
(18.10)
scientist conscientious inefficient
efficiency
(19.80)
proficient omniscient
scientific
(14.85)
prescience inefficiency coefficient proficiency
omniscience
Homophones:
ceiling/sealing weigh/way weighed/wade weight/wait
neigh/nay sleigh/slay reign/rein/rain vein/vain/vane
lei/lay Eire/heir/air tier/tear they’re/there/their
seize/sees/seas/c’s pier/peer bier/beer piece/peace
feign/fain feint/faint bier/beer pier/peer
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