{"id":38890,"date":"2015-02-23T00:10:49","date_gmt":"2015-02-23T08:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=38890"},"modified":"2015-02-21T18:47:44","modified_gmt":"2015-02-22T02:47:44","slug":"exceptions-rule-e-except-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2015\/02\/exceptions-rule-e-except-c\/","title":{"rendered":"I Before E, Except After C"},"content":{"rendered":"
Jeremy R. asks: Is it true that more words break the I before E rule than follow it? If so, how come this is taught at all?<\/div>\n

\"caffeine\"<\/a>If you ever want to start a fight among a group of linguists and orthographers, bring up the grammar school rule: “I before E, except after C,” which has been around since at least the mid-19th century. You will likely begin the most sedate and erudite brawl you could ever hope to witness.<\/p>\n

First, there are arguments over what exactly the rule should be. Some (like me) were taught what I’m calling the “neighbor [ei<\/strong>]\u00a0rule”: “I before E, except after in C or words that say “\u0101” [ei<\/strong>], as in neighbor and weigh.”[1]<\/em><\/p>\n

Others were given a variation, hereinafter called the “receive [i] rule<\/a>“: “I before E except after C when the sound is “ee”” [i].<\/em><\/p>\n

Although not perfect, it appears the latter version makes a better rule (if you’re going to have one), since it has fewer exceptions given that a smaller number of words are brought within its orbit in the first place.<\/p>\n

Note that some words fit the first part of both rules:<\/p>\n

ie: <\/em><\/strong>belie<\/strong>ve, collie<\/strong>, die<\/strong> <\/em>and frie<\/strong>nd<\/em><\/p>\n

cei<\/em><\/strong>: cei<\/strong>ling, decei<\/strong>ve <\/em>and recei<\/strong>pt<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After that, the list of compliant words (and exceptions) begins to deviate. Consider this list of words that do not violate the receive [i] rule, but do violate the neighbor [ei<\/strong>] rule:<\/p>\n

ei<\/em><\/strong>: counterfei<\/strong>t, fei<\/strong>sty, forei<\/strong>gn, kalei<\/strong>doscope, poltergei<\/strong>st, sei<\/strong>smograph, surfei<\/strong>t and thei<\/strong>r<\/em><\/p>\n

cie<\/em><\/strong>: ancie<\/strong>nt, deficie<\/strong>nt, glacie<\/strong>r, proficie<\/strong>nt, socie<\/strong>ty, scie<\/strong>nce <\/em>and sufficie<\/strong>nt<\/em><\/p>\n

ie<\/em><\/strong> [ei<\/strong>]: gaie<\/strong>ty<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of course, there are some exceptions that violate both rules as well, and these include:<\/p>\n

ei<\/em><\/strong>: caffei<\/strong>ne, lei<\/strong>sure, protei<\/strong>n, se<\/strong>ize <\/em>and wei<\/strong>rd[2]<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

cie<\/em><\/strong>: deficiencie<\/strong>s and specie<\/strong>s<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

All of this leads to another argument: whether or not to have a rule at all.<\/p>\n

Some, like Geoffrey K. Pullum<\/a> (who ascribes to the receive [i] rule, although for him the phoneme is written [i:]), have characterized it as “a very helpful guide to one small point in the hideous mess that is English orthography.”<\/p>\n

And others, like Mark Wainwright<\/a>, have noted that because the “except after C” portion “covers the many derivatives of Latin capio <\/em>[= “take”] . . . receive, deceit, inconceivable<\/em> . . . [the] simple rule of thumb is necessary” and efficacious.<\/p>\n

Of course, there are those who find the exceptions have swallowed the rule, rendering it useless, and these include the UK’s education department which, in 2009, advised teachers through a document titled, Support for Spelling<\/em> that: “The I before e except after c rule is not worth teaching [since] it applies only to words . . . which . . . stand for a clear \/ee\/ sound and unless this is known, [many] words . . . look like exceptions. There are so few words where the ei spelling for the \/ee\/ sound follows the letter c that it is easier to learn the specific words.”<\/em><\/p>\n

This point of view finds support in the claim, made on the BBC show QI<\/em>, that there are 923 words that are spelled<\/a> cie<\/em>, and only about 40 or so that are spelled cei<\/em>, and for those who follow the neighbor [ei] rule, the extreme<\/em> number of exceptions has rendered the rule “dumb and useless<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show (iTunes<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, Google Play Music<\/a>, Feed<\/a>), as well as:<\/p>\n