How many words does the I before E rule apply to?

How many words does the I before E rule apply to?

Writing Tip 68: The “i” before “e” except after “c” Challenge. The claim states, “There are 923 words that break the ‘i’ before ‘e’ rule. Only 44 words actually follow that rule.” With this clarification, many of the aforementioned 923 words become less defiant.

How often is i before e except after c wrong?

“If you’re struggling to order an ‘ei’/’ie’ pair in a word,” Cunningham writes, “there’s an approximately three to one chance that the ‘i’ will go first.” So far so good. (These are the little grammar rules to follow to sound smarter.) “Except after C” is where everything falls apart.

What is the rule for i before e?

However, here is a simple way to remember the spelling of words that have the vowels ‘I’ and ‘E’, such as field and receive. The rule that you need to remember for these spellings is: I before E, except after C, unless it sounds like A (e.g. neighbour, weigh).

What has EI after C?

Many of us were taught the “i before e, except after c” rhyme to help us remember this rule….Examples of I Before E and E Before I Words.

What words are not I before E?

The “I before E except after C” rule is highly inconsistent in the English language and should not be considered a solid rule. Some exceptions include “weird,” “forfeit,” “albeit,” “glacier,” and “seize,” all of which break this well known saying.

Why is height spelled with EI?

So height is spelled as a compromise, maintaining the pronunciation of “hight” while being spelled with ei to reflect the Old English ties. The ei form is older–as the OED notes, hight was created in later assimilation with the word high. High, on the other hand, maintains its Middle English roots.

Why the i before e rule is wrong?

Here’s why. The “I before E except after C” rule is highly inconsistent in the English language and should not be considered a solid rule. Some exceptions include “weird,” “forfeit,” “albeit,” “glacier,” and “seize,” all of which break this well known saying. Well, the English language can be inconsistent.

How do you teach the i before e rule?

The “I before E except after C” guideline applies to words in which the ie combination has a long E sound. You will see an ie after the letter c at the end of words and in a few important exceptions. When the ei combination is pronounced like a long A, it will be used after letters other than c.

What words do not follow I before E?

Where do we use e and i?

How to Use “ie” and “ei” | Grammar Differences

1. I before E… When the sound is e [/ē/], write ‘ie’ Examples: belief, believe, brief, chief, field, hygiene, niece, priest, relieved, thief, tier.
2. … except after C.
3. Or when sounding like AY. When the main vowel sounds like AY, use ‘ei’