Comments on: I before E, ESPECIALLY after C

By: Suzanne Karl-Brigman

Suzanne Karl-Brigman — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:35:42 +0000

English spelling would make a lot more sense if people also studied the history of the language. Look up spelling and pronunciation changes from the 1400s to 1600s.

By: bobby

bobby — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:21:12 +0000

if you notice the list of words that violate the rule after a “c”, most of those words are plural versions of words, such as “aristocracies.” I think these words do follow the “rules” just not the one you’re so worked up about :]… but yeah english is a pretty messed up language.

By: Bruce Graham

Bruce Graham — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:30:36 +0000

In the UK, there used to be a fuller version of this that ended with “…whenever the sound is “eee”".
Having read the article, I am unsure whether this helps or hinders, because my brain is now bleeding from trying to comprehand the analysis – however, I thought I’d just add it into the mix anyhow.

Bruce Graham

By: links for 2010-01-19 « doug – off the record

links for 2010-01-19 « doug – off the record — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:05:49 +0000

[...] I before E, ESPECIALLY after C | Dave Mozealous Every American elementary schooler is taught the mnemonic device, “I before E, except after C.” I am dumbfounded by how bad this rule is. I misspell words all the time. Words like policies, species, and caffeine I can never spell correctly because they violate the rule (tags: spelling) [...]

By: A Grammar Rule Gone Bad | eLearning Brothers

A Grammar Rule Gone Bad | eLearning Brothers — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:05:14 +0000

[...] I before E, ESPECIALLY after C [...]

By: Andrew Scivally

Andrew Scivally — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:46:37 +0000

Love it! Now I need to somehow stop saying that rule in my head every time I try to spell those words.

By: mozealou

mozealou — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:25:39 +0000

Ha, thanks Matthew!

@Adam, good point, someone should create a crafty mnemonic device to help me remember. Also, while I am investigating these grammatical rules I should also figure out when it is and isn’t appropriate to switch between past/present/future tense since I changed tenses about 15 times in this post.

By: Adam Schwartz

Adam Schwartz — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 21:18:59 +0000

Wow Dave! That’s some analysis.

Since you’re clearly obsessed with the correct order of things, you’d probably appreciate to know that the percent sign comes *after* the digits.

By: Matthew Bibby

Matthew Bibby — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:21:19 +0000

Dave, you are my new hero …