Remember: I before E, except after C!
This has to be another one of the all-time favourite errors people make.
I learnt from a very young age to say the rhyme, “I before E, except after C!”, and you know what? I still use it today when I’m writing! That’s right – it has stuck with me through quite a few decades, and has been a great tool for me over the years.
Examples:
“My sister’s daughter is my niece.”
Psst! Remember how to spell niece by saying, “Nice niece!” … which means write the *i* in *nice* before the *e*.
Remember this poem:
I before e except after c
Or sounding like A
As in NEIGHBOUR and WEIGH
But LEISURE and SEIZE
Do as they please.
I do hope you’ve enjoyed these tips about “I before E” – do you have any tips you’d like to share?
Spelling question – Is it ware and tare or wear and tear?
Do people make up words these days?
Is spelling important in your resume?
What’s the right way to use embiggen?
OUCH! No, no, no – there is no such word as “embiggen”. It was invented and first aired in the animated series The Simpsons, in February 1986. Unfortunately many people started to use it online, and it has spread like wildfire. Whenever I read it, it makes me cringe
I checked several online dictionaries and this is what they say:
and here is the original:
So please – don’t use the word “embiggen” – it hurts my eyes and ears
Teena