Spelling 1

Spelling 1

IE and EI

i before e except after c and when sounding like "ay" as in neighbor and weigh

The IE rule

• long e sound

• Examples: achieve, belief, cashier, chief, fierce, niece, piece, retrieve, series, wield

Exceptions

• It can sound like short e, as in friend

• It can sound like long i, as in piety, fiery, quiet, notoriety, society, science

• The only time the ie combination comes after c is when it sounds like sh, as in ancient, deficient, conscience

The EI rule

• long a sound

• Examples: deign, eight, feign, freight, heinous, reign, sleigh, surveillance, vein, weight

Exceptions:

• In some words, ei is used even though it sounds like ee, as in either, seize, weird, sheik, seizure, leisure

• Sometimes ei sounds like long i, as in height, sleight, stein, seismology

• Sometimes ei sounds like short e, as in heifer, their, foreign, forfeit

• After c you use ei, even if it sounds like ee, as in ceiling, deceit, conceited, receive, receipt

Multiple Choice

She took her _____ to the zoo on Saturday.

• niece

• neice

Multiple Choice

They gave the _____ the money for the bill.

• cashier

• casheir

Multiple Choice

The agents were allowed to _____ the narcotics at the border.

• sieze

• seize

Multiple Choice

The doctor checked the baby's __________.

• hieght and wieght

• height and weight

Multiple Choice

She believed him to be the _____ who had stolen the old woman's inheritance.

• fiend

• feind

Multiple Choice

She collected the grocery _____ for six months.

• reciepts

• receipts

Multiple Choice

Which set has all words spelled correctly?

• retrieve, fierce, conscience

• weild, peice, sliegh

• neice, frieght, siesmology

"Spelling is improved when reading is done."

Stephen D. Krashen