I before E except after C

I before E except after C is a spelling rule used in English. This rule of thumb is not always true. However, if we interpret it correctly it can be useful.

If the pronunciation of a vowel is stressed /iː/ and you are not sure if you should spell "ie" or "ei" then go for "ie" except in /siː/ which is "cei".

A shorter form is

I before E except after C if the vowel-sound rhymes with bee.

Examples

You are not sure if it’s "chief" or "cheif". The rule helps you to spell "chief".

You are not sure if /siːlɪŋ/ is "seiling", "sieling", "ceiling", or "cieling". The rule tells you it’s "ceiling".

You are not sure if /ˈsiːʒər/ is "seizure", "siezure", "ceizure" or "ciezure". The rule misleads you into thinking it’s *"ceizure", or maybe *"siezure".

You don’t know how to spell /ˈfriːkwənt/. The rule tells you it is not "freiquent" and it might be "friequent". However, the actual spelling is "frequent".

Common words

• achieve, belief, believe, brief, chief, field, grief, niece, piece, relief, shield, skied, thief, yield

• After C: ceiling, conceive, deceit, deceive, perceive, receipt, receive

Unstressed /iː/

The rule doesn’t hold

• caffeine, protein, species

Unstressed /iː/ or /ɪ/

The rule doesn’t hold

• Plurals: agencies, currencies, democracies, fancies, frequencies, policies
• Verbal forms: fancied, fancies

The rule holds (even if it doesn’t apply)

• Plurals: babies, cities, companies, countries, families, stories, parties
• Verbal forms: carries, copies, marries, studies, worries

Exceptions

• either - leisure^AmE - neither - seizure

See also

• Decoding exercises: "ei"
• Decoding exercises: "ie"