I before E except after C......NOT

[Disney1fan2002]

My 5th grader was all excited that he learned that rhyme to help him with his ie spelling words.

I did not want to confuse him by telling him the rule did not always apply.

Who made it up? they forgot about

height
weight
weird

and probably more that don't come to mind right away.

 

[groovyguestgirl]

My 5th grader was all excited that he learned that rhyme to help him with his ie spelling words.

I did not want to confuse him by telling him the rule did not always apply.

Who made it up? they forgot about

height
weight
weird

and probably more that don't come to mind right away.

We just had a test specifically focusing in ie and ei words (I'm in 6th grade), and I felt like all of the words didn't apply to the rule. At least, all the ones that I was thinking about!

Spelling, one strange subject..

 

[paigevz]

I before E except after C OR words that say a as in sleigh and weigh..............

That's the rest of it, but I tell my students, "Weird is just plain weird".........

English is nutsy..............

 

[tevagirl]

I think it's just when it precedes a 'v'. ('I think' being the key words here.)

 

[dcgrumpy]

there's another version "i before e except after c or when sounding like a as in neighbor and weigh" but there are still many other exceptions

 

[Sparx]

I speak english. I should get credit for that.

I am horrible at spelling....and grammar....and english in general.

 

[goofy's friends]

I am because I just took a shower after helping 4th grader study for her test and thought I would start the same thread Came and sat down and here it is!!!!!!!!

SPOOKY!!!!!!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I think it's just when it precedes a 'v'. ('I think' being the key words here.)

being! another one!

It doesn't say "when it precedes a V" in the rhyme! LOL

sleigh and weigh say ay...

but height, weird, being....what is the rule for them?

 

[paigevz]

Well, being is actually be with the suffix -ing.........it's not really a word itself, it's a word AND a suffix.

I do not know about height................is that the only i word with ei.............I can't think of more, it may just be an exception to the word.........we call those "elephant" words..........I have no idea why.....

 

[Lanshark]

I teach phonics to dyslexics.

I can give rules to cover the vast majority of words. Those words we just can't explain are called "sight" words. In other words, I have no explanation why they sound or are spelled that way, you just have to know them.

English is a very tough language.

eigh is taught as making a long a sound

eight
weigh
weight
sleigh

 

[Buckalew11]

Keith

 

[paigevz]

Yeah, but that's a name..............names often don't follow rules, but that would give more I ones..........Klein.........


BUT, OP, I just realized I hadn't said, we DO teach them that the rules don't always apply, so you won't confuse him that way, though when to apply and not might!

 

[Buckalew11]

True, it is a name but the rule doesn't say anything about words that say a as in neighbor and weigh and proper names! LOL

DH's name is Keith. Most people tend to spell his name wrong. "Kieth" --it just LOOKS wrong! LOL

 

[KrnB]

I before E except after C OR words that say a as in sleigh and weigh..............

That's the rest of it, but I tell my students, "Weird is just plain weird".........

English is nutsy..............

Yep, it is definitely nutsy. Two good friends of mine at work are not native English speakers (one is from China and one is from Vietnam), so we've had discussions a number of times about the oddities of the English language.

I think the only grammar rule that has no exception is the one that says, "there's an exception to every rule."

I've always been glad that I didn't have to learn this as a second language.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

science, neighbor, eight, society, vein.
Just thought I would throw a few more in the pot. Hate this rule!

 

[famofsix]

We call all words that don't follow the rules JAIL words. You just have to know them and watch out for the little criminals. DS likes to color jail bars on the words on his practice list that are rule breakers.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

science, neighbor, eight, society, vein.
Just thought I would throw a few more in the pot. Hate this rule!

Good catch! A reverse rule breaker!


Veil! Another one. Oh and their.

So many words break the rule, so why bother with the rule?

 

[almacdonald]

rottweiler

There's actually a car commercial about this. A man and woman discussing the rule and listing off words that don't fit. Kinda funny to the nerdy crowd like myself.

 

[justjulie]

What about

neither and either?

 

[salmoneous]

Haven't any of you people ever seen A Boy Named Charlie Brown