Add i before e except after c.
Most people remember this rule because of the jingle “Write i before e / Except after c / Or when sounded like ay / As in neighbor and weigh.” Exceptions: either, foreign, forfeit, height, leisure, neither, seize, weird
Spell most words ending in the sound “seed” as -cede.
| precede | recede | secede | intercede |
Exceptions: proceed, succeed, supersede
If you have learned Canadian or British English, you may have noticed some differences in the way that words are spelled in U.S. English.
| U.S. English | Canadian or British English |
| color | colour |
| realize | realise (or realize in Canadian English) |
| center | centre |
| defense | defence |