Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

i before e, except after c

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.67 in modern English

Syllables: i be-fore e, ex-cep-t after c
IPA

41

Scrabble Score

20

Letters

4

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

proverb

In English words that contain the letters I and E together, the I tends to come before the E (ie), except in cases when the two are preceded by the letter C, in which case the E comes before the I (cei).

noun

Alternative letter-case form of I before E, except after C.

Uncountable

Etymology

Formed because of the rhyme between the names of the letters E and C, /iː/ and /siː/. The "rule" was invented in the 19th century.

Usage

Uncountable

Questions

What does i before e, except after c mean?: In English words that contain the letters I and E together, the I tends to come before the E (ie), except in cases when the two are preceded by the letter C, in which case the E comes before the I (cei).
Where does i before e, except after c come from?: Formed because of the rhyme between the names of the letters E and C, /iː/ and /siː/. The "rule" was invented in the 19th century.

How to pronounce i before e, except after c

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