The well-known “rule” is stated in the following jingle: “i before e except after c, or when sounded as a as in neighbour and weigh.”
However, there are many exceptions to this guideline. Some common ones are listed below.
Exceptions
Words with the letters ie coming after c
- deficient/efficient/sufficient, etc.
- science
- species
Words with the letters ei not coming after c and not sounded as a
- either/neither
- feisty
- foreign
- forfeit
- heifer
- height
- heist
- leisure
- seize
- sovereign
- their
- weird
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