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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Spelling ie vs. ei #225881 11/01/16 09:48 PM Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 1 S Storysmith OP stranger OP Storysmith stranger S Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 1 As a child I learned the spelling rhyme: “i" before “e” except after “c” or when sounding like “a” as in neighbor and weigh. This has helped me spell many words according to the recommended standard, including (“i” before “e”) wield, piedmont, lien, diesel lenient, piece, mien, lieutenant (except after “c”) ceiling, conceit, receive (or when sounding like “a”) feint, neigh, sleigh But there are words that don’t follow this rule, that don’t have a long “a” sound, and aren’t after a “c", such as height (sounding like a long “i”) seize (sounding like a long “e”) sleight (sounding like a long “i”) Is there some historical etymological reason behind these anomalies? For that matter, is there some historical reason behind the “rule” in the rhyme? (And does anyone know of exceptions that have an "ie" after "c"?) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Spelling ie vs. ei Storysmith #225884 11/01/16 11:22 PM Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,968 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,968 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water WELCOME ----please, draw me a sheep---- Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Spelling ie vs. ei Storysmith #225893 11/03/16 01:28 AM Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 11,032 Likes: 2 Worcester, MA W wofahulicodoc Carpal Tunnel wofahulicodoc Carpal Tunnel W Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 11,032 Likes: 2 Worcester, MA ...And does anyone know of exceptions that have an "ie" after "c"? prophecies science species and a raft of others. Go to onelook.com and enter " *cie* " -- you don't even have to Enter it; just look in the dropdown! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,915 Posts230,127 Members9,198 Most Online4,270 Aug 30th, 2025 Newest Members testawad, Bill_L, achz, MAGNVSTALSMA, Burlyfish 9,198 Registered Users Who's Online Now 0 members (), 2,201 guests, and 2 robots. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 21 A C Bowden 14 LukeJavan8 1 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,032 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,968 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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