HPA and GSMS Grade Eight LA

 

In general:

Write i before e, except after a soft c that sounds like an s.

 

Examples of ei after a soft c:

ceiling          conceive          perceive          receive          conceited          deceive          receipt

 

Note: Watch out for ancient, species, and financier.

 

Some other words that put e before i:

atheist, being, deice, deity, eider, eidolon, eight, Einstein, either, feign, foreign, Frankenstein, freight, Heidi, heifer, heigh-ho, height, heinous, heir, heiress, heist, lei, leisure, neighbour, neither, peignoir, protein, reign, rein, reindeer, seine, Seinfeld, seismic, seismology, seize, seizure, sheik, sleigh, stein, their, veil, wein, weigh, weight, weir, weird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2002 by Nancie Atwell from

Lessons That Change Writers

(Portsmouth, NH:Hainemann)

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