MEPX
Chapter 4 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Why English is like this
  2. 2Doubling consonants
  3. 3Adding endings
  4. 4The i before e rule
  5. 5Words people mix up
  6. 6The commonly misspelled
  7. 7Plurals and possessives
  8. 8British and American
  9. 9Spell checkers
  10. 10Getting better

Chapter 4 of 10

The i before e rule

More exception than rule.

What it claims

I before e except after c, when the sound is ee. Believe, receive. It works often enough to be taught and fails often enough to mislead.

  • Exceptions: weird, seize, protein, caffeine, science, their, foreign.
  • When the sound is not ee, the rule does not apply at all: neighbour, weigh.

Better approach

Learn the specific words you use rather than the rule. A short personal list of your own repeated errors is worth more than any mnemonic.