Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
Alternative letter-case form of I before E, except after C.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
proverb
In English words that contain the letters I and E together, the I tends to come before the E (ie), except in cases when the two are preceded by the letter C, in which case the E comes before the I (cei).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: mnemonic
Topics: communications, journalism, literature, media, orthography, publishing, writing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Formed because of the rhyme between the names of the letters E and C, /iː/ and /siː/. The "rule" was invented in the 19th century.
