i before e, except after c

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).

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

i before e, except after c1

nouni before e, except after c (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAlternative letter-case form of I before E, except after C.

I before E, except after C2

proverb

alternative i before e, except after c

  1. mnemoniccommunicationsIn 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).

Origin

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.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

i before e, except after c. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/i%20before%20e%2C%20except%20after%20c

MLA

“i before e, except after c.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/i%20before%20e%2C%20except%20after%20c. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “i before e, except after c,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/i%20before%20e%2C%20except%20after%20c.

Source: i before e, except after c on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.