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Did you know that the English language rule "I before E except after C" is not true ?

Don't believe me ? Here are some examples :

A
agreeing
albeit
Alzheimer's
ancient
atheism
B
beige
Beijing
being
C
caffeine
codeine
concierge
D
deice
deicide
deify
deign
deindustrialize
deity
disagreeing
dreeing
dreidel
E
efficiency
efficient
eigen-
eight
either
F
Fahrenheit
fancier
feign
feint
feisty
financier
foreign
foreseeing
forfeit
freight
G
geitost
gesundheit
glacier
gneiss
H
heifer
height
heinous
heir
heist
herein
I
inveigle
K
kaleidoscope
keister
L
lei
leisure
M
madeira
meiosis
N
neigh
neighbor
neighbour
neither
O
obeisance
onomatopoeia
P
peine
policies
poltergeist
protein
R
reify
reign
reignite
reimburse
rein
reindeer
reindustrialize
reinstall
reinvest
reisolate
reissue
S
scarabaeid
schlockmeister
science
seeing
seignorial
seine
seismic
seize
sensei
sheik
skein
sleigh
sleight
sovereign
species
stein
surfeit
surveillance
T
their
theism
therein
V
veil
vein
W
weigh
weighing
weighings
weighs
weight
weir
weird
wherein
whereinto
X
xanthein
Z
zeitgeist
zootheism
SW-User
like 87% of those words are loanwords tho 😁
SW-User
@SW-User also i’d like to point out your list is full of words that do follow the rule. like ‘efficiency’
Wraithorn · 51-55, M
@SW-User I'm afraid that's not true. If you think about it you will see that they also disobey the rule.
abe182 · 46-50, M
@SW-User except after C
The rule is only applicable when the sound that it represents is, phonetically, 'ee' - even when there is no 'c'.
@Wraithorn It has always been considered as a 'general' rule. We have similar rules in my language but in all modes of grammar and syntax there are exceptions to the rule because most evolving languages induct words from other countries and include them in their own dictionaries. If you believe I am defending a 'ridiculous' rule, I am not. Structure , though, in any language must and should always been maintained so that we may express ourselves accurately in all fields of human study.
Wraithorn · 51-55, M
@EugenieLaBorgia Tell that to the Americans who seem to do what they please to the English language. ☺
@Wraithorn I take your point,W. It is the same here!! Everyone distorts everything so much!!
SW-User
That is why none of us can spell properly...LOL! ;)
SW-User
@Wraithorn I know they say English is very hard for other nationalities to learn, but I find many speak it very well and many of us do not know other languages, I never learned any.
They were teaching Spanish in the schools here, not sure if they still do that or not?
They did not when I went.
Wraithorn · 51-55, M
@SW-User I think it is good to teach a 2nd language in school. Maybe it depends on your government's desire to do so.
My niece is in Vietnam teaching English to kids. Strictly speaking she is teaching them American English. So my South African niece is helping to Americanise Vietnam. ☺
SW-User
@Wraithorn How neat.
I had a man who's third language is English gently correct my improper grammar.
I got a kick out of that one, as I am not easily offended ,in that way, it is only when people are obnoxious about it, that I get prickly.
Thevy29 · 41-45, M
Well spotted sir. Now remind me not to sit next to you on a long voyage anywhere. 😉
Wraithorn · 51-55, M
@Thevy29 Lol. Fair enough.
abe182 · 46-50, M
Well let's just toss out that silly rule then.
Wraithorn · 51-55, M
@abe182 Indeed ! ☺
NickiHijab · F
My whole life has been a lie.
Wraithorn · 51-55, M
@NickiHijab Looolll. ☺ Sorry about that.
Life on Earth just isn't fair is it ?
SW-User
Your post was an eye-opener! Thank you for the info
The i before e ditty/rule is clearly pretty limited
Wraithorn · 51-55, M
@SW-User Indeed. People who are trying to learn English must get very frustrated with this kind of thing.

Anyway I hope you're all good. I haven't seen you around for a while.
SW-User
@Wraithorn I think English is really known as a messed up language!! So many different roots. And look at pronounciation rules too😨

Thank you☺
LyricalOne · F
I’m completely devastated. 😞
Wraithorn · 51-55, M
@LyricalOne That's easy to fix. Check out this cool cat and forget the stupid rule.

LyricalOne · F
@Wraithorn Ooh.... so cute. What a life! Rule, what rule?
Wraithorn · 51-55, M
@LyricalOne ☺ There you go...:-)
somethingIsuppose · 31-35, F
That's one reason why English is one of the hardest to learn
SW-User

 
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