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Unit 21. The 'I' before 'e' rule – does it work?
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Study the word list: ei saying /ay/

These ei words do not follow the rule i before e except after c. This is because they have the long /a/ sound.

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vein 		The vein was visible on his forehead.
rein 		Keep a tight rein on your spending.
reign 		The country prospered under the King's reign.
deign 		Will the boss deign to attend our party?
feign 		In soccer today, the defender fell for the attacker's feign.
neigh 		I heard the horse neigh from the stable.
eight 		I get to work at eight o'clock.
weigh 		Mother weighed out a kilo of flour.
weight 		To win the cake you must guess its weight.
freight 		The freight was loaded onto the ship.
neighbor American English spelling 		Their new neighbor was very kind.
sheik 		The sheik wore traditional dress.
veil 		The bride wore a long white veil.
beige 		The golfer wore beige slacks.
sleigh 		The kids enjoyed the sleigh ride.

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Learn about these words in Unit 21. The 'I' before 'e' rule – does it work?

Use the list: ei saying /ay/

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