Check ei after c and its exceptions

1 · Learn

Say receive, deceive and ceiling. In these words the long ee sound is written ei immediately after c. Receive means get something, deceive means mislead, and ceiling names the inside upper surface of a room. Learn the meaning with the letters, rather than chanting a rule without understanding the word.

The familiar saying about i before e except after c is not a rule for all words. It is limited to this long ee sound and still has exceptions. Protein, caffeine and seize use ei without an immediately preceding c. Either and neither vary in pronunciation; their spelling stays ei. Words such as science and their have different sound patterns and do not fit this shortcut.

2 · Worked example

To write 'We will receive a letter', I choose receive, with c-e-i. I do not spell recieve. In 'The child seized the chance to speak', seize also has ei, although the letter before ei is s. This is an exception to remember, not evidence that the printed word must be wrong.

3 · Your turn

Choose receive/recieve, ceiling/cieling and seize/sieze. Which selected word has ei without c immediately before it? Explain why the saying cannot spell every English word.

4 · Apply your learning

Sort receive, deceive, protein, caffeine and seize into ei after c and other ei spellings. Define each, then write two meaningful sentences. Check with a dictionary rather than changing a correct exception to match a chant.