What is the rule for the proper use the letter "i"? as in "i" before "e" except after "c".

what are the exceptions?

What is the rule for the proper use the letter "i"? as in "i" before "e" except after "c".
"I before E except after C, or when sounding like 'A' as in neighbor or weigh. This is the "American" version.





"When the sound is like 'EE', it's I before E, except after C."


This is the British version, and is somewhat more encompassing.





Exceptions: "seize", "inveigle", "caffeine",


"protein", and "codeine", and the American versions of "either" and "neither", as well as a few others.
Reply:Just know that "their" is no rules that apply to the english langauge since it is derived from so many other langauges.


More than 6 million words in the English Langauge.


Next closest is German with only 600 thousand.





I aced english in school, yet still don't feel I know enough about it
Reply:The rule is "i" before "e", except after "c" but sound it like "a" as in neighbour or weigh.





So it's "i" before "e" but not after c or when it sounds like an "a" sound.
Reply:If you get confused with the spellings of the words 'believe' and 'receive', this may be helpful.


Usually 'ie' makes a sound of /ee/ or /i:/, but after the sound of /s/,whose spelling is not only c but also s, 'ie' changes into 'ei', for example: receive, seize, conceive.