“I” before “e” except after “c”: Maybe, maybe not!

Most of us learned the spelling rule “i before e, except after c.” But, handy though it may seem, it doesn't cover all bases. In fact, there are many exceptions! (See our writing tip “Spelling: Words with ‘ei’ and ‘ie’” for details.)

See if you can determine which word is spelled correctly in the questions below.

1. I picked up my Placeholder for the answer from the airport when she returned from her holiday in Kelowna.
2. “Placeholder for the answer must be the most boring colour there is, don’t you think?”
3. “The recipe Placeholder for the answer a half-dozen muffins. Maybe we should double it.”
4. Mya had Placeholder for the answer savings for a down payment, but not enough for renovations, too.
5. The Placeholder for the answer child put up a courageous fight against the bullies and succeeded in driving them off.
6. “We’ll need copies of all your Placeholder for the answer before we can reimburse you for your travel expenses.”
7. “You can retire with the satisfaction of knowing that you had a long, successful Placeholder for the answer as head of the company.”
8. “These are the Placeholder for the answer strawberries I’ve ever eaten!”
9. Placeholder for the answer is one of Jonah’s favourite summertime activities.
10. Marketing often aims to Placeholder for the answer people into thinking that they need a product or service.