"I before E, except after C" is a mnemonic rule of thumb for English spelling. If one is not sure 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. For example: * ie in believe, fierce, collie, die, friend * ei after c in receive, ceiling, receipt The rule is very well known; Edward Carney calls it "this supreme, and for many people solitary, spelling rule".