Spelling
🔒 Log in to tracki before e — and the exceptions that fill the paper
🔒 Log in to trackThe old rhyme says: i before e, except after c. It works only when the pair makes the long 'ee' sound. Say the word first, then apply the rule. The paper also uses a short list of exceptions, such as weird, seize and foreign. Learn that list by heart.
The rule in one line
Write ie when the pair sounds like a long 'ee' and no c comes before it.
- believe, achieve, grief, field, shield, niece, piece
- After c, the order flips to ei: receive, deceive, perceive, conceive, ceiling
Rule: i before e, except after c, or when it sounds like 'ay' as in neighbour and weigh.
Sound decides the spelling
Say the word before you apply the rule. The rule needs the 'ee' sound.
| Sound of the pair | Spelling | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 'ee', no c before it | ie | believe, achieve, relieve, retrieve, brief, siege, yield, shriek |
| 'ee', straight after c | ei | receive, deceive, perceive, conceive, ceiling, receipt, deceit, conceit |
| 'ay' | ei | neighbour, weigh, weight, eight, vein, rein, reign, beige, freight, sleigh |
| 'eye' | ei | height, sleight |
Height is not covered by the rhyme. Its 'ei' sounds like 'eye', so treat it as an exception.
Watch: Most mistakes come from using the c-rule on a word that has no 'ee' sound.
When c is followed by ie
Two groups keep ie after a c.
- The c sounds 'sh'. The letters 'ci' make the 'sh' sound. Examples: ancient, efficient, sufficient, proficient, deficient, deficiency, conscience, species.
- The i and e are in different syllables. Examples: sci-ence, so-ci-e-ty, fan-ci-er.
Every word ending in -cient or -ciency is in the first group. So proficient is right and proficeint is wrong.
The exception list
These words break the rule. Learn them as one list.
- 'ee' sound, but ei: seize, weird, protein, caffeine, either, neither
- ei with other sounds: leisure, foreign, sovereign, forfeit, counterfeit, heir, their
- ie with a short vowel: friend, mischief, sieve
Tip: Remember friend as fr-I-END. It ends with END.
Long words keep the base spelling
A longer word keeps the ie or ei of its base word.
- achieve, achievement
- grieve, grievance
- deceive, deceit, deceitful
- perceive, perception
- receive, receipt (keep the silent p in receipt)
A quick pair table
Fix one word of each pair and its partner follows.
| Word | Its partner |
|---|---|
| believe | achieve |
| receive | deceive |
| height | weight |
| foreign | sovereign |
How the options are built
The setter gives four versions of one word.
- The correct spelling.
- The ie/ei swap, such as recieve.
- The swap plus another slip, such as reciept.
- A sound spelling, such as receve.
Find the pair first. Check for a c before it. Then check the sound. The other slips usually rule themselves out.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
Long 'ee' with no c: ie
The options differ only in ie/ei. The letter before the pair is not c (achieve, retrieve, grievance, niece).
Say the word. The pair makes an 'ee' sound.
Check the letter before the pair. It is not c.
Choose ie.
Reject sound spellings like retreeve.
For the 'ee' sound, ie is the default spelling.
Retrieve / Retreive / Retrive / Retreeve
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The pair makes an 'ee' sound.
The letter before it is r, not c.
So the pair is ie.
Retrieve
Straight after c: ei
The pair comes directly after a c (receipt, deceit, perceive, ceiling).
Confirm the c is right before the pair.
Confirm the 'ee' sound (re-CEIPT, de-CEIT).
Choose ei.
Check for extra letters, such as the silent p in receipt.
The 'except after c' part of the rule is reliable for the 'ee' sound.
Receipt / Reciept / Receit / Reciet
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The pair follows c, so it is ei.
Receipt keeps its silent p.
Only one option has both.
Receipt
ei exceptions with no c
The word is on the exception list: seize, weird, foreign, leisure, sovereign, counterfeit, forfeit, protein.
Recognise the word as an exception.
Choose ei even though there is no c.
Check the rest of the word. Foreign has -eign-, not -iegn-.
Setters pick these words because the general rule gives the wrong answer.
Seize / Sieze / Seeze / Siese
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Seize has the 'ee' sound but takes ei.
There is no c, yet the word is on the exception list.
Seize
c + ie when c sounds 'sh'
A c is followed by ie, but the c sounds 'sh' or the i and e are in different syllables: proficient, deficiency, species, society.
Say the c. Does it sound 'sh' (effi-SHENT)?
If yes, keep ie after the c.
Reject options that force ei after the c, such as proficeint.
The c-rule covers only the one-sound 'ee' pair. A 'cie' with a 'sh' sound is a different letter group.
Proficient / Proficeint / Profficient / Proficent
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The c sounds 'sh': pro-FI-shent.
So ie follows the c, as in efficient and ancient.
Only one option has ie and a single f.
Proficient
'ay' or 'eye' sound: ei
The pair does not sound like 'ee'. It sounds like 'ay' (weigh, reign, vein) or 'eye' (height).
Say the word. Is the sound 'ay' or 'eye'?
If yes, choose ei.
Ignore the c-rule.
Such words follow the 'or when sounded like ay' part of the rhyme.
Neighbour / Nieghbour / Neighbur / Naibour
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The pair sounds like 'ay'.
So it is ei: neighbour.
Neighbour
Longer word from a base word
The word is built from a base: achievement, grievance, deceitful, perception.
Find the base word (achieve, grieve, deceive).
Copy its ie or ei exactly.
Then check the ending.
A longer word keeps the ie/ei of its base word.
Achievement / Acheivement / Achievment / Achiivement
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The base is achieve, with ie.
The suffix -ment is added and the e stays.
Only one option keeps both.
Achievement
Shortcuts that save time
Is there a c right before the pair? Then choose ei (receive). No c? Usually choose ie (believe). Ten exceptions override this: weird, seize, height, foreign, sovereign, leisure, either, neither, their, protein.
Which is correct: deceive or decieve?
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The pair follows a c.
After c the order is ei.
deceive
Some words match each other. Height and weight match. Believe and achieve match. Receive and deceive match. Fix one word of a pair and you get its partner free.
Say the word slowly in your head: be-lieve, re-ceive. Your ear often confirms what your eye doubts.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Applying 'except after c' to words with no 'ee' sound, such as neighbour.
Say the word first. The c-rule works only for the long 'ee' sound.
Writing recieve or decieve.
After c, the order is ei: receive, deceive, perceive, conceive.
Writing proficeint or sufficeint because a c comes before the pair.
When c sounds 'sh', the spelling is -cient: proficient, sufficient, ancient.
Writing wierd, sieze or foriegn by the ie habit.
These are exceptions with ei and no c: weird, seize, foreign.
Writing freind or mischeif.
Friend and mischief keep ie. Remember fr-I-END.
Dropping the silent p in receipt, as in receit.
Receipt keeps its silent p.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
The rule applies only to the long 'ee' sound.
'ee' sound: ie, except straight after c (receive, ceiling, receipt).
'ay' sound gives ei (neighbour, weigh, reign). 'eye' sound gives ei (height).
c + ie is right when c sounds 'sh' (ancient, efficient, species) or the letters are in separate syllables (science, society).
Exceptions: seize, weird, protein, caffeine, either, neither, leisure, foreign, sovereign, forfeit, counterfeit, heir, their.
Friend, mischief and sieve keep ie.
Derived words keep the base spelling: achievement, grievance, deceitful, receipt.
Practice: 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 7 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.