I Before E Except After C spelling rule worksheet with words to circle that break the rule.
Worksheet titled "I Before E Except After C" with a list of words to identify those that don't follow the rule, featuring a cartoon character in the top right corner.
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: I Before E Except After C Worksheets - 15 Worksheets Library
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: I Before E Except After C Worksheets - 15 Worksheets Library
Explanation:
We are given the spelling rule: “I before E except after C”, or when the sound is like “A” (as in *neighbor* or *weigh*).
Our job is to find the words in the grid that do NOT follow this rule — meaning they have E before I but not after C, and also not pronounced like “A”.
Let’s go row by row and check each word:
1. field → f-i-e-l-d
- “ie” appears, but it's not after C, and the sound is /iː/ (long E), not like “A”.
- Rule says: I before E except after C → here it's *i before e*, so this follows the rule. ✔
2. believe → b-e-l-i-e-v-e
- Look at “ei” in “lieve”: l-i-e → actually it's i before e, so okay? Wait — spelling is *b-e-l-i-e-v-e*. The relevant part: “lie” = l-i-e → i before e → follows rule. ✔
But hold on — many people think *believe* breaks the rule because of “ei”, but no: it's i before e (l-i-e), not e-i. So it's fine.
3. heist → h-e-i-s-t
- Here we have e before i, and it's not after C.
- Sound is /eɪ/, like “A” (rhymes with “feast”), so this is an exception for the *“sound like A”* case.
- Since the rule says “except when sounded like A”, and *heist* sounds like “A”, it’s allowed. ✔
4. either → e-i-t-h-e-r
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈaɪðər/ — the “ei” sounds like “eye”, not exactly like “A” as in *neighbor*.
- Does it count as “sounded like A”? Let’s compare: *neighbor*, *weigh* → both have long “A” (/eɪ/). *Either* is /ˈaɪðər/ — that’s a diphthong /aɪ/, not /eɪ/. So it’s not the “sound like A” exception.
- So e before i, not after C, and not sounding like “A” → this breaks the rule. ✘
5. brief → b-r-i-e-f
- i before e → follows rule. ✔
6. height → h-e-i-g-h-t
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /haɪt/ — again /aɪ/, not /eɪ/. Not the “A” sound. So this breaks the rule. ✘
7. leisure → l-e-i-s-u-r-e
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈleʒər/ — the “ei” sounds like /e/ (short e), not /eɪ/. Not the “A” sound. So this breaks the rule. ✘
Wait — actually, in British English, *leisure* is /ˈleʒə/, and in American /ˈliːʒər/ — still not /eɪ/. So yes, violates rule.
8. feisty → f-e-i-s-t-y
- e before i, not after C.
- Sounds like /ˈfaɪsti/ — /aɪ/ again, not /eɪ/. So breaks rule. ✘
9. chief → c-h-i-e-f
- i before e, and it’s after C? No — “ch” is not “c” alone. The rule is *after C*, meaning the letter C directly before the *ei*. Here it’s “ch”, which is a digraph, not just C. So “chief” = c-h-i-e-f → the *i* comes after *h*, not after *c*. So i before e is fine. ✔
Also, standard example: *chief* follows the rule (i before e, even though after “ch”, the rule only cares about literal “c”).
10. forfeit → f-o-r-f-e-i-t
- Look: “fei” → e before i, and it’s after F, not C.
- Pronounced /ˈfɔːrfɪt/ — “ei” sounds like /ɪ/, not /eɪ/. So this breaks the rule. ✘
11. hygiene → h-y-g-i-e-n-e
- “gie” → g-i-e → i before e → okay. ✔
(The “ei” at the end is “ene”, not relevant; main vowel pair is i-e.)
12. foreign → f-o-r-e-i-g-n
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈfɔːrən/ — “ei” sounds like /ə/ or /ɛ/, not /eɪ/. So this breaks the rule. ✘
13. neither → n-e-i-t-h-e-r
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈnaɪðər/ — /aɪ/ sound, not /eɪ/. So breaks rule. ✘
14. siege → s-i-e-g-e
- i before e → follows rule. ✔
15. beige → b-e-i-g-e
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /beɪʒ/ — here, “ei” sounds like /eɪ/ (like A!). Yes! *Beige* rhymes with “age”, /eɪ/. So this is the *“sound like A”* exception. ✔
16. retrieve → r-e-t-r-i-e-v-e
- Look: “rie” → r-i-e → i before e → okay. ✔
(The “ei” is not consecutive; it's r-e-t-r-i-e)
17. piece → p-i-e-c-e
- i before e → okay. ✔
(Even though after “c”? No — it’s p-i-e-c-e: the *i-e* comes before the *c*, so not “after C”.)
18. heifer → h-e-i-f-e-r
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈhɛfər/ — “ei” = /ɛ/, not /eɪ/. So breaks rule. ✘
19. retrieve — already did.
20. diesel → d-i-e-s-e-l
- i before e → okay. ✔
(d-i-e: i before e)
21. neighborhood → n-e-i-g-h-b-o-r-h-o-o-d
- “nei” → e before i, not after C.
- But *neighbor* is the classic exception: sounds like /ˈneɪbər/ → /eɪ/ sound. So *neighborhood* inherits that — “ei” sounds like “A”. So this is allowed. ✔
22. weight → w-e-i-g-h-t
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /weɪt/ — /eɪ/ sound → exception for “sound like A”. ✔
23. weird → w-e-i-r-d
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /wɪərd/ or /wɜːrd/ — not /eɪ/. In fact, *weird* is the most famous exception that doesn’t fit either condition — it’s e before i, not after C, and doesn’t sound like “A”. So breaks rule. ✘
24. sleigh → s-l-e-i-g-h
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /sleɪ/ — /eɪ/ sound → exception. ✔
25. friend → f-r-i-e-n-d
- i before e? Yes: f-r-i-e-n-d → i before e → follows rule. ✔
26. seize → s-e-i-z-e
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /siːz/ — “ei” sounds like /iː/, not /eɪ/. So this breaks rule. ✘
Wait — actually, *seize* is another known exception. It does not follow the rule and isn’t the “A” sound. So yes, ✘
27. sovereign → s-o-v-e-r-e-i-g-n
- Look for “ei”: it's “e-i” at the end: e-i → e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈsɒvəreɪn/ — the “ei” is /eɪ/! Yes, sounds like “A”. So exception. ✔
28. their → t-h-e-i-r
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ðɛər/ or /ðer/ — “ei” sounds like /eə/ or /ɛ/, not /eɪ/. But *their* is often grouped with *there*, *they* — and the rule exception includes words like *their*, *theirs*, because they’re irregular. However, strictly by the given rule (“except when sounded like A”), *their* does not sound like “A” (/eɪ/). So it breaks the rule. ✘
But wait — let’s double-check official common exceptions. The classic list of words that break “I before E except after C” includes:
- weird
- seize
- either
- neither
- height
- foreign
- heifer
- forfeit
- leisure
- feisty
- their
Now let’s verify which ones in the grid truly violate both conditions:
- Not after C
- Not pronounced with /eɪ/ sound
Let’s list all 28 words and mark violations:
1. field — ✔
2. believe — ✔ (i before e)
3. heist — ✔ (/eɪ/)
4. either — ✘ (/aɪ/, not /eɪ/)
5. brief — ✔
6. height — ✘ (/aɪ/)
7. leisure — ✘ (/ˈleʒər/, not /eɪ/)
8. feisty — ✘ (/ˈfaɪsti/, /aɪ/)
9. chief — ✔
10. forfeit — ✘ (/ˈfɔːrfɪt/, /ɪ/)
11. hygiene — ✔
12. foreign — ✘ (/ˈfɔːrən/, /ə/)
13. neither — ✘ (/ˈnaɪðər/, /aɪ/)
14. siege — ✔
15. beige — ✔ (/eɪ/)
16. retrieve — ✔
17. piece — ✔
18. heifer — ✘ (/ˈhɛfər/, /ɛ/)
19. retrieve — duplicate
20. diesel — ✔
21. neighborhood — ✔ (/eɪ/)
22. weight — ✔ (/eɪ/)
23. weird — ✘ (famous exception)
24. sleigh — ✔ (/eɪ/)
25. friend — ✔
26. seize — ✘ (/siːz/, not /eɪ/)
27. sovereign — ✔ (/eɪ/)
28. their — ✘ (not /eɪ/)
So violating words:
- either
- height
- leisure
- feisty
- forfeit
- foreign
- neither
- heifer
- weird
- seize
- their
That’s 11 words.
But wait — some sources say *leisure*, *heifer*, *foreign*, *neither*, *either*, *height*, *weird*, *seize*, *their* are the main ones.
Let’s cross-check pronunciation precisely:
- leisure: /ˈleʒər/ (US) or /ˈleʒə/ — “ei” = /e/, not /eɪ/ → violation
- heifer: /ˈhɛfər/ — /ɛ/ → violation
- foreign: /ˈfɔːrən/ — /ə/ → violation
- neither, either: /ˈnaɪðər/, /ˈaɪðər/ — /aɪ/, not /eɪ/ → violation
- height: /haɪt/ — /aɪ/ → violation
- weird: /wɪərd/ — /ɪə/ → violation
- seize: /siːz/ — /iː/ → violation
- their: /ðɛər/ — /ɛə/, not /eɪ/ → violation
- forfeit: /ˈfɔːrfɪt/ — “ei” = /ɪ/ → violation
- feisty: /ˈfaɪsti/ — /aɪ/ → violation
Yes, all 11 break the rule.
But the worksheet says: *Circle the words that don’t follow the rule.* So we need to list them.
However, let’s make sure we didn’t miss any that actually *do* follow.
What about believe? Spelling: b-e-l-i-e-v-e → the “lie” part is l-i-e → i before e → correct. ✔
piece: p-i-e-c-e = i before e → correct. ✔
chief: c-h-i-e-f → i before e, and though after “ch”, the rule only cares about literal “c”, so okay. ✔
Now, is sovereign really /eɪ/? Yes: SOV-er-ein → /ˈsɒvəreɪn/ → “ein” = /eɪn/, so /eɪ/ → exception. ✔
So final list of words that do NOT follow the rule:
- either
- height
- leisure
- feisty
- forfeit
- foreign
- neither
- heifer
- weird
- seize
- their
That’s 11 words.
But let’s count the grid: 7 rows × 4 = 28 words. We identified 11 violators.
However, some teachers may consider *heist* and *beige* and *weight* and *sleigh* and *neighborhood* as valid exceptions (due to /eɪ/), which we marked ✔.
Now, the question: “Circle the words that don’t follow the rule.” So answer is the list of violating words.
Since the output should be the final answer (only), and the task is to identify which words to circle, we list them.
Final Answer:
either, height, leisure, feisty, forfeit, foreign, neither, heifer, weird, seize, their
We are given the spelling rule: “I before E except after C”, or when the sound is like “A” (as in *neighbor* or *weigh*).
Our job is to find the words in the grid that do NOT follow this rule — meaning they have E before I but not after C, and also not pronounced like “A”.
Let’s go row by row and check each word:
1. field → f-i-e-l-d
- “ie” appears, but it's not after C, and the sound is /iː/ (long E), not like “A”.
- Rule says: I before E except after C → here it's *i before e*, so this follows the rule. ✔
2. believe → b-e-l-i-e-v-e
- Look at “ei” in “lieve”: l-i-e → actually it's i before e, so okay? Wait — spelling is *b-e-l-i-e-v-e*. The relevant part: “lie” = l-i-e → i before e → follows rule. ✔
But hold on — many people think *believe* breaks the rule because of “ei”, but no: it's i before e (l-i-e), not e-i. So it's fine.
3. heist → h-e-i-s-t
- Here we have e before i, and it's not after C.
- Sound is /eɪ/, like “A” (rhymes with “feast”), so this is an exception for the *“sound like A”* case.
- Since the rule says “except when sounded like A”, and *heist* sounds like “A”, it’s allowed. ✔
4. either → e-i-t-h-e-r
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈaɪðər/ — the “ei” sounds like “eye”, not exactly like “A” as in *neighbor*.
- Does it count as “sounded like A”? Let’s compare: *neighbor*, *weigh* → both have long “A” (/eɪ/). *Either* is /ˈaɪðər/ — that’s a diphthong /aɪ/, not /eɪ/. So it’s not the “sound like A” exception.
- So e before i, not after C, and not sounding like “A” → this breaks the rule. ✘
5. brief → b-r-i-e-f
- i before e → follows rule. ✔
6. height → h-e-i-g-h-t
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /haɪt/ — again /aɪ/, not /eɪ/. Not the “A” sound. So this breaks the rule. ✘
7. leisure → l-e-i-s-u-r-e
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈleʒər/ — the “ei” sounds like /e/ (short e), not /eɪ/. Not the “A” sound. So this breaks the rule. ✘
Wait — actually, in British English, *leisure* is /ˈleʒə/, and in American /ˈliːʒər/ — still not /eɪ/. So yes, violates rule.
8. feisty → f-e-i-s-t-y
- e before i, not after C.
- Sounds like /ˈfaɪsti/ — /aɪ/ again, not /eɪ/. So breaks rule. ✘
9. chief → c-h-i-e-f
- i before e, and it’s after C? No — “ch” is not “c” alone. The rule is *after C*, meaning the letter C directly before the *ei*. Here it’s “ch”, which is a digraph, not just C. So “chief” = c-h-i-e-f → the *i* comes after *h*, not after *c*. So i before e is fine. ✔
Also, standard example: *chief* follows the rule (i before e, even though after “ch”, the rule only cares about literal “c”).
10. forfeit → f-o-r-f-e-i-t
- Look: “fei” → e before i, and it’s after F, not C.
- Pronounced /ˈfɔːrfɪt/ — “ei” sounds like /ɪ/, not /eɪ/. So this breaks the rule. ✘
11. hygiene → h-y-g-i-e-n-e
- “gie” → g-i-e → i before e → okay. ✔
(The “ei” at the end is “ene”, not relevant; main vowel pair is i-e.)
12. foreign → f-o-r-e-i-g-n
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈfɔːrən/ — “ei” sounds like /ə/ or /ɛ/, not /eɪ/. So this breaks the rule. ✘
13. neither → n-e-i-t-h-e-r
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈnaɪðər/ — /aɪ/ sound, not /eɪ/. So breaks rule. ✘
14. siege → s-i-e-g-e
- i before e → follows rule. ✔
15. beige → b-e-i-g-e
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /beɪʒ/ — here, “ei” sounds like /eɪ/ (like A!). Yes! *Beige* rhymes with “age”, /eɪ/. So this is the *“sound like A”* exception. ✔
16. retrieve → r-e-t-r-i-e-v-e
- Look: “rie” → r-i-e → i before e → okay. ✔
(The “ei” is not consecutive; it's r-e-t-r-i-e)
17. piece → p-i-e-c-e
- i before e → okay. ✔
(Even though after “c”? No — it’s p-i-e-c-e: the *i-e* comes before the *c*, so not “after C”.)
18. heifer → h-e-i-f-e-r
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈhɛfər/ — “ei” = /ɛ/, not /eɪ/. So breaks rule. ✘
19. retrieve — already did.
20. diesel → d-i-e-s-e-l
- i before e → okay. ✔
(d-i-e: i before e)
21. neighborhood → n-e-i-g-h-b-o-r-h-o-o-d
- “nei” → e before i, not after C.
- But *neighbor* is the classic exception: sounds like /ˈneɪbər/ → /eɪ/ sound. So *neighborhood* inherits that — “ei” sounds like “A”. So this is allowed. ✔
22. weight → w-e-i-g-h-t
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /weɪt/ — /eɪ/ sound → exception for “sound like A”. ✔
23. weird → w-e-i-r-d
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /wɪərd/ or /wɜːrd/ — not /eɪ/. In fact, *weird* is the most famous exception that doesn’t fit either condition — it’s e before i, not after C, and doesn’t sound like “A”. So breaks rule. ✘
24. sleigh → s-l-e-i-g-h
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /sleɪ/ — /eɪ/ sound → exception. ✔
25. friend → f-r-i-e-n-d
- i before e? Yes: f-r-i-e-n-d → i before e → follows rule. ✔
26. seize → s-e-i-z-e
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /siːz/ — “ei” sounds like /iː/, not /eɪ/. So this breaks rule. ✘
Wait — actually, *seize* is another known exception. It does not follow the rule and isn’t the “A” sound. So yes, ✘
27. sovereign → s-o-v-e-r-e-i-g-n
- Look for “ei”: it's “e-i” at the end: e-i → e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ˈsɒvəreɪn/ — the “ei” is /eɪ/! Yes, sounds like “A”. So exception. ✔
28. their → t-h-e-i-r
- e before i, not after C.
- Pronounced /ðɛər/ or /ðer/ — “ei” sounds like /eə/ or /ɛ/, not /eɪ/. But *their* is often grouped with *there*, *they* — and the rule exception includes words like *their*, *theirs*, because they’re irregular. However, strictly by the given rule (“except when sounded like A”), *their* does not sound like “A” (/eɪ/). So it breaks the rule. ✘
But wait — let’s double-check official common exceptions. The classic list of words that break “I before E except after C” includes:
- weird
- seize
- either
- neither
- height
- foreign
- heifer
- forfeit
- leisure
- feisty
- their
Now let’s verify which ones in the grid truly violate both conditions:
- Not after C
- Not pronounced with /eɪ/ sound
Let’s list all 28 words and mark violations:
1. field — ✔
2. believe — ✔ (i before e)
3. heist — ✔ (/eɪ/)
4. either — ✘ (/aɪ/, not /eɪ/)
5. brief — ✔
6. height — ✘ (/aɪ/)
7. leisure — ✘ (/ˈleʒər/, not /eɪ/)
8. feisty — ✘ (/ˈfaɪsti/, /aɪ/)
9. chief — ✔
10. forfeit — ✘ (/ˈfɔːrfɪt/, /ɪ/)
11. hygiene — ✔
12. foreign — ✘ (/ˈfɔːrən/, /ə/)
13. neither — ✘ (/ˈnaɪðər/, /aɪ/)
14. siege — ✔
15. beige — ✔ (/eɪ/)
16. retrieve — ✔
17. piece — ✔
18. heifer — ✘ (/ˈhɛfər/, /ɛ/)
19. retrieve — duplicate
20. diesel — ✔
21. neighborhood — ✔ (/eɪ/)
22. weight — ✔ (/eɪ/)
23. weird — ✘ (famous exception)
24. sleigh — ✔ (/eɪ/)
25. friend — ✔
26. seize — ✘ (/siːz/, not /eɪ/)
27. sovereign — ✔ (/eɪ/)
28. their — ✘ (not /eɪ/)
So violating words:
- either
- height
- leisure
- feisty
- forfeit
- foreign
- neither
- heifer
- weird
- seize
- their
That’s 11 words.
But wait — some sources say *leisure*, *heifer*, *foreign*, *neither*, *either*, *height*, *weird*, *seize*, *their* are the main ones.
Let’s cross-check pronunciation precisely:
- leisure: /ˈleʒər/ (US) or /ˈleʒə/ — “ei” = /e/, not /eɪ/ → violation
- heifer: /ˈhɛfər/ — /ɛ/ → violation
- foreign: /ˈfɔːrən/ — /ə/ → violation
- neither, either: /ˈnaɪðər/, /ˈaɪðər/ — /aɪ/, not /eɪ/ → violation
- height: /haɪt/ — /aɪ/ → violation
- weird: /wɪərd/ — /ɪə/ → violation
- seize: /siːz/ — /iː/ → violation
- their: /ðɛər/ — /ɛə/, not /eɪ/ → violation
- forfeit: /ˈfɔːrfɪt/ — “ei” = /ɪ/ → violation
- feisty: /ˈfaɪsti/ — /aɪ/ → violation
Yes, all 11 break the rule.
But the worksheet says: *Circle the words that don’t follow the rule.* So we need to list them.
However, let’s make sure we didn’t miss any that actually *do* follow.
What about believe? Spelling: b-e-l-i-e-v-e → the “lie” part is l-i-e → i before e → correct. ✔
piece: p-i-e-c-e = i before e → correct. ✔
chief: c-h-i-e-f → i before e, and though after “ch”, the rule only cares about literal “c”, so okay. ✔
Now, is sovereign really /eɪ/? Yes: SOV-er-ein → /ˈsɒvəreɪn/ → “ein” = /eɪn/, so /eɪ/ → exception. ✔
So final list of words that do NOT follow the rule:
- either
- height
- leisure
- feisty
- forfeit
- foreign
- neither
- heifer
- weird
- seize
- their
That’s 11 words.
But let’s count the grid: 7 rows × 4 = 28 words. We identified 11 violators.
However, some teachers may consider *heist* and *beige* and *weight* and *sleigh* and *neighborhood* as valid exceptions (due to /eɪ/), which we marked ✔.
Now, the question: “Circle the words that don’t follow the rule.” So answer is the list of violating words.
Since the output should be the final answer (only), and the task is to identify which words to circle, we list them.
Final Answer:
either, height, leisure, feisty, forfeit, foreign, neither, heifer, weird, seize, their
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of i before e except after c worksheet.
