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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Spelling ie vs. ei #225881 11/01/2016 9:48 PM Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 1 Storysmith stranger Storysmith stranger 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 Share Post on Reddit Re: Spelling ie vs. ei Storysmith #225884 11/01/2016 11:22 PM Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,974 Likes: 3 Land of the Flat Water LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel LukeJavan8 Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,974 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 Share Post on Reddit Re: Spelling ie vs. ei Storysmith #225893 11/03/2016 1:28 AM Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 11,212 Likes: 2 Worcester, MA wofahulicodoc Carpal Tunnel wofahulicodoc Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 11,212 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 Share Post on Reddit 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 Topics13,916 Posts230,387 Members9,211 Most Online7,006 Mar 7th, 2026 Newest Members Boo boo kitty fu, peterreineck, Peripatetic Toad, JerryC, blvd 9,211 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 33 A C Bowden 17 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,211 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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