1.
... except after c
A persistent little lie.
"it's wierd how i before e except after c is always true LOL"
See wierd, conformist, idiot, false, you lose, pwn3d
2.
A more complete rule is:
"i" before "e" except
- after "c",
- in words where it sounds like long "a", or
- in words that are weird or foreign,
- and scientific words often do not follow the rules.
"i" goes before "e" in words like the following: believe, chief, field, niece, relief, sieve, and yield.
Some exceptions containing the long "a" are the usually-noted neighborand weigh. Some more are: freight, vein, veil, geisha, sheik, and dreidel. The last three fall under the "foreign" clause even if you like to pronounce them with a long "e" sound.
The word weirdis weird. 'nuff said.
The word foreign is, well, foreign. So are recent arrivals to the language, such as leisureand its ilk, from French*, and sheila, an Aussie slang word for "girl".
The word sciencedoesn't follow the original "except after-c" rule. And caffeine, codeine, protein, and other words with the "-eine" or "-ein" ending and a long "e" sound are other scientific exceptions in the other direction.
* TheFreeDictionary notes that leisurecomes from Middle English, from Norman French leisour, from Old French leisir meaning "to be permitted", from Latin licre. In terms of language, this is recent. At least, it is recent enough that the spelling has not changed to match the rule. Of course, you might be rightfully getting the impression that this rule is not much of a rule, given the hefty list of exceptions.
But then again, this is the English language. 'nuff said.
They require I use i before e in a sentence to enter this information.
See science, weird, wierd, foreign, neighbor, leisure
3.
The common rule in spelling that many, including myself from time to time, have forgotten.
I before E, except after C.
4.
....except for words that have the pronouncation "ay" in them.
weigh, neighbor etc.
See James
5.
If the word rhymes with bee put i before e
You should use i before e if the word rhymes with bee as in "I believe that he grieves" but not in "you weigh the sleigh"
See receive, rasty
