Grade 4 · Pattern 59 of 70
ie and ei spelling words
i before e, except after c, or when it says /ay/ as in neighbor and weigh. A few words break the rule and must be learned, as in either, neither and seize.
- Practice: makes a list of these words, then your child hears each one, spells it, checks it and fixes it.
- Print: makes the same list, then a test packet with an answer strip that folds out of sight.
- Free, and no account needed. Lists are saved on this device.
The words
15 ie and ei words for grade 4. A practice list uses some of them, and you can swap any word.
- believe
- either
- field
- society
- chief
- piece
- eight
- weight
- receive
- neither
- variety
- achieve
- relief
- brief
- neighborhood
How to practice
Spell it.
Hear the word in a sentence, then write the whole word from memory.
Check it.
Compare it with the right spelling, letter by letter.
Fix it.
Write any word you missed again, the right way.
Practice testing is one of the best-supported ways to learn spelling words: recalling the whole word, then checking and fixing it, works better than copying or word games.
Related patterns
For teachers
Mix this pattern with others from any grade and print up to 10 shuffled versions, each with its own answer strip.
Choose patterns to mixWord list uses the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (Carnegie Mellon University). View full license