There is a mnemonic device that has been taught to help individuals learn the spelling of some words. This rule is “I before E except after C.” Many people do not know that the saying is longer than just this phrase. The entire saying is “I before E, except after C or when sounded as A, as in neighbor and weigh. And weird is just weird.” While this saying is useful when it comes to remembering some spellings, there are a couple of exceptions to this rule. We will look at these exceptions below.
Categories of I Before E Except After C Exceptions
When sounded as “AY,” as in neighbor and weigh
Words that have an “AY” sound in them, such as neighbor, weigh, eight, vein, or veil are spelled with the e before the i.
When sounded as “EYE,” as in Einstein
Words that have an “EYE” sound in them, such as Einstein, Eileen, and Heidi are spelled with the e before the i as well.
Words commonly mistaken as exceptions (but are spelled correctly)
There are many words that are commonly thought of as being exceptions, but are in fact spelled correctly. There is no easy way to remember these words. The list of commonly mistaken words is below:
Neither, weird, foreign, leisure, seize, forfeit, height, protein, caffeine, forfeiture, codeine, and heifer.
We recommend that you memorize these words, or that you save this list for reference.
CIEN words
Most words that contain the letters “CIEN” are spelled correctly and do not follow the “I before E except after C” rule. We have included a list of some of these words below.
CIEN word examples:
- Efficient
- Ancient
- Conscience
- Sufficient
Final Thoughts on Remembering I Before E Except After C Exceptions
“I before E except after C” is a grammar rule that will help you with remembering the spelling of some words. It is important that you do not rely on this rule completely, as there are exceptions and words that can trick you. We recommend that you memorize our list of exceptions, and keep them in mind when you are writing. If you are unsure of yourself when it comes to the spelling of these words, let eContent Pro (eCPro) help.
At eCPro, we take pride in providing top-notch editorial services that are tailored to meet the needs of our clients. With over 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, we have earned a reputation for delivering high-quality work that is error-free and polished to perfection at the quickest turnaround time.
When you choose eCPro for your copy editing and academic proofreading needs, you can rest assured that you are working with a team of experts who are passionate about what they do. Our native English-speaking copy editors and certified proofreaders are highly experienced and specialize in over 10 research areas, ensuring that your document is in good hands.
In addition, we use Microsoft Word's Track Changes feature to perform edits, allowing you to easily review and manage the changes made to your document. We also follow various style guides, including APA 7th edition, MLA, APA, Chicago Style, and more, to ensure that your document adheres to the standards set by your academic institution or publisher.
So why wait? Contact us today to learn more about our editorial services and how we can help you achieve your publishing goals. With our team of experts by your side, you can be confident that your document will be polished to perfection and ready to stand out in the competitive publishing landscape.
Upload Your Document NowAbout eContent Pro
Based in Hershey, PA, eContent Pro offers high-quality editorial services with the fastest turnaround (1-2 business days, sometimes the same day, at no extra cost) and exceptional customer service. Since our inception, we have provided copy editing services to scholars in 90+ countries to achieve successful publications, and we have supported publishers, university presses, and organizations by streamlining their publishing workflows.
