"I before E, except after C" is a mnemonic rule of thumb for English spelling. If one is unsure whether a word is spelled with the digraph ei or ie, the rhyme suggests that the correct order is ie unless the preceding letter is c, in which case it is ei.

What words break the I before E except after C rule?

Words that break both the "I before E" part and the "except after C" part of the rule include cheiromancies, cleidomancies, eigenfrequencies, obeisancies, oneiromancies.

What is the full rhyme I before E except after C?

The full rhyme states, “I before E, except after C — or when sounded like A as in 'neighbor' and 'weigh. ' ” It doesn't take an Einstein to figure out this rule is just plain weird.