# The brain moves in a mysetrious way

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brain-moves-in-a-mysetrious-way/850226>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 25, 2020, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brain-moves-in-a-mysetrious-way/850226 "2020-03-25T02:56:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![moes\_lotion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brain-moves-in-a-mysetrious-way/850226/21 "2020-03-31T02:22:03Z")

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> [@Isamu](#):
>
> I never get any ‘ie’ or ‘ei’ order correct on the first go. I never learned the rule because it doesn’t seem to have a rule.

Hey, completely unrelated, but I was supposed to be on holiday in Japan now, would have been on the Izu peninsula today after spending some time in the Kyoto area…

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brain-moves-in-a-mysetrious-way/850226/22 "2020-03-31T12:47:44Z")

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> [@Isamu](#):
>
> I never get any ‘ie’ or ‘ei’ order correct on the first go. I never learned the rule because it doesn’t seem to have a rule.

I once [grepped](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grep) my thesis. (The longest document I have written.) Found more exceptions to the “rule” than ones that fit the rule. For both “ie” and “ei”.

Yeah, really helpful “rule” you have there.

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**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brain-moves-in-a-mysetrious-way/850226/23 "2020-03-31T18:39:50Z")

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> [@Isamu](#):
>
> I never get any ‘ie’ or ‘ei’ order correct on the first go. I never learned the rule because it doesn’t seem to have a rule.

The full rule is pretty good, actually: I before E, except after C, or when sounded like A, as in “neighbor” and “sleigh”, or in certain other weird words.

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brain-moves-in-a-mysetrious-way/850226/24 "2020-03-31T20:45:12Z")

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> [@Rocketeer](#):
>
> The full rule is pretty good, actually: I before E, except after C, or when sounded like A, as in “neighbor” and “sleigh”, or in certain other weird words.

Or weighty words. Of course a lot of people are willing to list their exceptions. It’s not rocket science.

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-brain-moves-in-a-mysetrious-way/850226/25 "2020-03-31T21:08:01Z")

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> [@ftg](#):
>
> Or weighty words. Of course a lot of people are willing to list their exceptions. It’s not rocket science.

Well, “weighty” falls under the “ay” sound exception. But then there’s “their,” which doesn’t fit under the rule and is among the most common of the “ei/ie” words. So it is a pretty shaky guideline, at best.

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