Common Letter
Patterns
ei or ie spellings
Guess the spelling rule!
i before e except after c?
We all learned this in primary school. But it is wrong!
Copy these words down and try and work out the rule:
Eight
ceiling
height
neigh
Believe
field
friend
receipt
Piece
wield
shield
niece
CLUE - Think about sounds/rhymes
ie or ei Rule
Here is a new rule to copy into your jotter and learn:
i before e if it rhymes with me. (believe, field)
i AFTER e when it doesn’t rhyme with me. (eight)
i AFTER e when after c. (receive)
There are exceptions to the rule though:
Seize, protein, weird, caffeine, neither, counterfeit, either,
science, ancient, and names, such as Keith, Neil or
Sheila.
Another ie or ei Rule
If any suffix or plural is being added to a word ending in
y, even if there is a c, add –ie.
Example: Fancy = fancied, emergency = emergencies
If the cie in a word sounds like ‘sh’ then the i comes
before the e.
Example: ancient, species, sufficient
If the i and the e are two separate sounds, ignore all the
above rules! Spell it as it sounds!
Example: sci ence
con ven i ent
Extension Work
Rhymes
with me
Doesn’t
rhyme
with me
After c
Sh sound
Two
separate
sounds
Copy and fill in the table with the following words:
Brief, siege, cashier, deceive, fierce, fiend, wield, grievous, pierce, perceive, weight,
forfeit, shield, field, heiress, veil, freight, mischief, audience, society, their,
conscience, rein