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Unit 21: Spelling the ie and ei words 'i before e except after c'
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Unit 21: The i before e rule – does it work?

Unit Startpage 1Course Testpage 3Course Testpage 5page 6Course Testpage 8page 9Unit End

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Spelling ie and ei words

The rule would make us believe that the letters i and e will appear in that order unless they come immediately after the letter c. However, there are words that contain ei without there being a c in sight! These often make the sound /a/ (which we covered in Unit 7).

 ei as in reindeer Spelling rule, i before e except after c

Here are the most common examples:

Study the words with ei saying /ā/:
Several of them have a silent g or gh

English spelling English spelling
vein* rein* reign* deign* feign neigh

eight* weigh* weight* freight

veil* feint* beige sheikh (or sheik)* sleigh
English spelling English spelling

When you have finished studying the words click here to start the test.  

Read the clue and choose the best ei word from the box above:

Blood runs through it.
Noise made by a horse.
Use this to control a horse.
Eighty-eight minus eighty.
It covers the face.
Pale brown colour.
Goods transported, cargo.
Rule as king or queen.
Heaviness.
Find out how heavy.
To pretend.


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Please turn your screen to landscape to play this game.
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The Spellzone interactive course is intended to be used online and may not be printed.

"Spellzone fits in beautifully with our Scope and Sequence of Phonological Awareness and Spelling. It also aligns perfectly with the four areas of spelling knowledge and uses the Brain, Ears, Eyes approach to learning spelling."
Thank you!

Teacher, Australia