I before E, except after C

English

Alternative forms

• i before e, except after c

Etymology

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.

Proverb

I before E, except after C

1. (orthography, mnemonic) 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).