Sign in or 
Share this
"I"Before "E" Except...
“I” before “E” except….
By: Michael Drake
This is one of the most famous rules in the English language. It is a mnemonic device, which is usually just a special word or poem used to help with memory. In this case, the rule has been turned into a poem; and there are different versions of it. The British version is: “When the sound is ee / it’s i before e / except after c.” There is a longer American version: “i before e / except after c / or when sounding like ‘a’ / as in neighbor or weigh / their, weird and either, / foreign, seize and neither, / leisure, forfeit and height / are exceptions spelled right.” This version is more extensive and more explanatory but it is less likely that someone bother to memorize it all. Some people barely memorize as far as the “except after c” part. There is another shorter American version that also acknowledges the fact that there are so many exceptions in the English language: “i before e / except after c / but we live in a weird society.” It defies both parts of the rule; ‘weird’ has an ei in it and ‘society’ has an ie after c.
Some examples of words that follow the “I before E except after C” rule:
Friend
Receive
Relief
Shriek
Thief
Some examples of words that do not follow the “I before E except after C” rule:
Protein
Science
Neighbor
Weight
Beige
The problem with rules like this one is that they are too general. That is why they seem to have so many exceptions. Instead, we should focus on a more meaningful examination of when to use I’s and E’s. The rule mainly applies when the “ee” sound is made like in the words priest, achieve, and piece. The “ay” sound (as in the word day) is likely to be made with a spelling of ei. Examples of this are eight, weight, and heir. An ei spelling is also likely with the sounds “i” and the long “i” as they sound in the words fit and eye, respectively. Examples of these two sounds are forfeit, sovereign, and height.
The deeper problem has to do with the English language as a whole. There are too many rules and too many exceptions to counter those rules. The “I before E” rule is a perfect example of that.
Sources: Wikipedia Blurtit.com
By: Michael Drake
This is one of the most famous rules in the English language. It is a mnemonic device, which is usually just a special word or poem used to help with memory. In this case, the rule has been turned into a poem; and there are different versions of it. The British version is: “When the sound is ee / it’s i before e / except after c.” There is a longer American version: “i before e / except after c / or when sounding like ‘a’ / as in neighbor or weigh / their, weird and either, / foreign, seize and neither, / leisure, forfeit and height / are exceptions spelled right.” This version is more extensive and more explanatory but it is less likely that someone bother to memorize it all. Some people barely memorize as far as the “except after c” part. There is another shorter American version that also acknowledges the fact that there are so many exceptions in the English language: “i before e / except after c / but we live in a weird society.” It defies both parts of the rule; ‘weird’ has an ei in it and ‘society’ has an ie after c.
Some examples of words that follow the “I before E except after C” rule:
Friend
Receive
Relief
Shriek
Thief
Some examples of words that do not follow the “I before E except after C” rule:
Protein
Science
Neighbor
Weight
Beige
The problem with rules like this one is that they are too general. That is why they seem to have so many exceptions. Instead, we should focus on a more meaningful examination of when to use I’s and E’s. The rule mainly applies when the “ee” sound is made like in the words priest, achieve, and piece. The “ay” sound (as in the word day) is likely to be made with a spelling of ei. Examples of this are eight, weight, and heir. An ei spelling is also likely with the sounds “i” and the long “i” as they sound in the words fit and eye, respectively. Examples of these two sounds are forfeit, sovereign, and height.
The deeper problem has to do with the English language as a whole. There are too many rules and too many exceptions to counter those rules. The “I before E” rule is a perfect example of that.
Sources: Wikipedia Blurtit.com
|
mdrake2 |
Latest page update: made by mdrake2
, Dec 1 2008, 3:27 PM EST
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by mdrake2
3 words added view changes - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
None
More Info: links to this page
|
There are no threads for this page.
Be the first to start a new thread.
