# Spelling tricks your teachers taught you **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 21, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278 "2011-04-21T20:11:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/41 "2011-04-22T15:39:37Z")
> [@Damfino](#): > > “i” before “e” except after “c” ? > [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](#): > > …or when sounded like “ay”, as in “neighbor” or “weigh”… > > …except for eight exceptions. Weird height, foreign leisure, neither seize nor forfeit, either. > > Yeah. That one. What about “ancient”? ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/42 "2011-04-22T15:50:23Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > My Very Educated Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizza-pies. > > I learned that at a planetarium when I was little. I still remember the tune. > > I suppose I could change it to My Very Educated Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizza-pies, Eggplant Chorizo. Kuiper. > [@flatlined](#): > > My Very Engenious Mother Just Served Us Nine Pumpkins. Looks like a few people forgot what the thread was about. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/43 "2011-04-22T15:51:51Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Looks like a few people forgot what the thread was about. Was it read the OP tricks your teachers taught you? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/44 "2011-04-22T16:32:51Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > Sep-a-rate it out for separate; I’m weird not wired > [@Mahaloth](#): > > There is “a rat” in the middle of separate. “2 As, 2 Es” is the only thing that stuck in my head to remember how to spell “separate”. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/45 "2011-04-22T16:39:36Z")
Wednesday Wed (like wedding) nes -day As kids we tended to leave out the d. Teacher told us to sound it out like wedding day. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/46 "2011-04-22T19:53:20Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > What about “ancient”? Have to ask my teacher about that one! It’s been a long time. Though not exactly on topic: My Very Extravagant Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pence. ---
**Author:** ![osme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/df788c/32.png) [@osme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/osme)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/47 "2011-04-22T20:20:21Z")
neighbor and weigh also go against the i before e rule. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/48 "2011-04-22T20:23:30Z")
I remember wedding day! We did that too. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/49 "2011-04-22T20:31:06Z")
> [@osme](#): > > neighbor and weigh also go against the i before e rule. > [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](#): > > …or when sounded like “ay”, as in “neighbor” or “weigh”… > > …except for eight exceptions. Weird height, foreign leisure, neither seize nor forfeit, either. > > Yeah. That one. Also surfeit, counterfeit, ceiling, and probably others. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/50 "2011-04-27T02:38:00Z")
> [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](#): > > …or when sounded like “ay”, as in “neighbor” or “weigh”… > > …except for eight exceptions. Weird height, foreign leisure, neither seize nor forfeit, either. > > Yeah. That one. > [@Lakai](#): > > Cool. > > I never heard of the eight exceptions. > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > What about “ancient”? I just found out (from QI) that if we take the rule as “when there’s a c, it goes ei and when there’s not a c, it goes ie,” then there are more exceptions to the rule than cases that follow it. Stephen Fry said that they no longer teach this in schools since discovering this. However, I’d need to see a list of the words, because it may be that the simpler words do conform to the “rule” more often and thus it is still useful for children. I believe the list they were talking about includes the “neighbor and weigh” sounding words as well. There’s a [wiki article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_before_E_except_after_C) on it. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/51 "2011-04-27T03:09:43Z")
\*\*Since \*\*I \*\*rely \*\*on your goodwill, I sign - **Sincerely** ---
**Author:** ![Junkman209](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/junkman209/32/5522_2.png) [@Junkman209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junkman209)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/52 "2011-04-27T03:33:02Z")
When you assume, you make an ASS out of U and ME ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/53 "2011-04-27T04:41:02Z")
Who are the toys? The toys are us! ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/54 "2011-04-27T04:45:05Z")
Emba **rr** a **ss** ed – Two robbers from Sing Sing are embarrassed A de **ss** ert has two scoops of ice cream All I remember ---
**Author:** ![limegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@limegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/limegreen)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/55 "2011-04-27T16:05:47Z")
Our spelling books still have the ‘i before e’ thing, which is silly because of all the exceptions, so I play them Brian Regan’s take on it – I before E except after C And in words that say “ay” like neighbor and weigh And on weekends and holidays and all throughout May And you’ll ALWAYS be wrong, no matter what you say!’ They can all repeat that, now. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/56 "2011-04-27T23:07:05Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > I don’t have anything to contribute, but I really could use one for ‘necessary.’ A cess pool is necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/57 "2011-04-27T23:10:35Z")
It’s always means it is or it has. Need help for “personnel” ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278/58 "2011-04-27T23:38:38Z")
> [@Ignatz](#): > > A cess pool is necessary. I’m definitely using that one! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spelling-tricks-your-teachers-taught-you/579278.md?page=2)