Ie Spelling Rule


by Steve Morgan - Date: 2008-10-15 - Word Count: 341 Share This!

I was never any good at spelling when I was at school. I could read well but I didn't choose to - I was a reluctant reader so I never really caught on to the aspects of spelling. Everything to me had to be phonetic. I could spell 'procrastinate' because it is spelt as it sounds but I struggled with words such as 'sure' because it sounded like it needed a sh to start it etc.

 I needed every tricky strategy I could find to help me commit those strange sounds to memory. I needed every spelling rule I could unearth in order to cope with the everyday dreaded spelling tests.

 One of the most popular of course is the "ie" rule. Many teachers spouted it to me over the years and I still got half of them wrong! Why? Because the rule was faulty!

 "'I' before 'e' except after 'c' was the rule I was taught over and over again. The trouble is this rule only works about 50% of the time so most of my tests still ended up less than half right.

 So as a teacher I sympathised even empathised with those poor spellers struggling everyday not only in their basic spelling tests but also in the carry over into all the other written language subjects.

Here's the updated "ie" rule for those who need it as a crutch:

 WHEN THE DIPHTHONG RHYMES WITH "EE"; "I" BEFORE "E" EXCEPT AFTER "C" OTHER THAN NAMES.

 A diphthong, by the way, is a combination of two vowels that make a combined sound.

Words that have the double "EE" sound: chief, belief, field, relieve, brief.

Words that don't have the double "EE" sound:  weigh, eight, rein, reign, height.

Words that have the double "EE" after a "c":  receive, deceive, ceiling.

Words that have the double "EE" sound that are names: Neil, Keith, Einstein.

 The only exceptions I can recall are these two words: weird and seize. Pity!!!!!!!

 I hope this helps some of you who struggle with spelling like I used to.


Related Tags: help, school, poor, teacher, rule, test, spelling, ie diphthong

Retired Principal originally from England but now resident in New Zealand for the past 55yrs

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