# Exceptions to the i and e rule

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exceptions-to-the-i-and-e-rule/89677>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 26, 2001, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exceptions-to-the-i-and-e-rule/89677 "2001-10-26T00:26:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![2nd\_guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/d07c76/32.png) [@2nd\_guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_guest)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exceptions-to-the-i-and-e-rule/89677/21 "2001-10-27T23:39:53Z")

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The trick to ie spellings is to know whether the source of the word is German or French. German started as a composite of many dialects, and had a major spelling reform that brought things into phonetic alignment.

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