i before e except after c - an English spelling rule

Let’s face it.

让我们面对吧。

English spelling is crazy.

英文拼写法疯了。

我们写的字词时常都不像它们的发音。

The way we write words is often nothing like they sound.

But maybe there are some rules we follow.

然而这里也许 有一些我们可以遵守的规则。

We’ve collaborated on this video with our good friend Clare from English at Home.

我们已经在这部影片和我们的好朋友 ——"在家学英文"的Clare合作了。

Clare is British like me, and she has a YouTube channel too.

Clare跟我一样也是英国人，然后她还有一个YouTube频道。

Make sure you subscribe to her channel so you can see all her great lessons.

确保你订阅她的频道 这样你就可以去看她所有的好课程。

Yeah.

对呀。

In this lesson we’re going to take you to a spelling competition.

在这一课我们即将会带你来到一个拼写大赛。

Or a spelling bee as we call them in American English.

或者我们在美式英语 称为一个“拼字大赛”。

While you watch, try to work out what spelling rule we’re following.

在你观看的时候，试着去猜我们遵循的拼写规则。

Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the Tiddly on Thames spelling competition.

女生们、先生们，晚上好， 欢迎来到Tiddly的泰晤士拼写比赛。

Let’s meet our two finalists: Jay and Vicki.

让我们看看最后两位决赛选手：Jay和Vicki。

OK.

好

The first word is for Vicki.

第一个单词给Vicki。

Chief.

Chief (主要的)

For example, global warming is one of the chief problems we face today.

例如：全球暖化是我们现今面临的主要问题之一。

Chief.

Chief (主要的)

CHIEF.

Correct.

正确。

Now Jay, your word is believe.

现在到Jay， 你的单词是believe(相信)。

For example: I don’t believe in ghosts.

例如：我不相信有鬼。

Don’t you?

你不信？

I do.

我信。

Please spell the word, Jay.

请你把字拼写出来，Jay。

BELIEVE.

Correct.

正确。

Vicki, your next word is brief.

Vicki,你下一个单词是brief(短暂的)。

例如：在对话中有一段短暂的停顿。

For example, there was a brief pause in the conversation.

BRIEF.

太棒了。

Excellent.

OK, Jay your next word is receive.

好了，Jay 你下一个单词是receive(收)。

For example: They posted the letter but we didn’t receive it.

例如：他们发了(posted)那封信， 但我们没有收到(received)。

所以他们邮寄(mailed)了但我们没得到(get)。

So they mailed it but we didn’t get it?

Just spell the word ‘receive’, please Jay.

请你就拼字吧，Jay。

RECEIVE.

Correct.

正确

Do you know the spelling rule?

你知道这个拼写规则吗？

It’s i before e except after c.

就是“i在e的前面但有c就在后面”。

So if you’ve got an i and an e together, the i comes first.

那么，如果你有一个i和e在一起， 那i就会在前面。

Chief, believe and brief follow this pattern and so do lots more words:

“主要的”,“相信”和“短暂的” 都跟着这个规律，还有其他词语也是：

achieve, niece, diesel, hygiene, piece, thief. But if you have an i and an e after c, the

“达到”、“侄女”、“柴油机”、“卫生”、“片/块”、“贼” 但如果你在c后面有i和e的话，

e comes first.

那e会在前面

So receive follows this pattern and there are others.

所以“收”就跟着这个规律，然后其他的也是

Deceive, deceit, receipt, ceiling, conceive.

“欺骗”(动词)，“欺骗”(名词)，“收据”，“天花板”，“构想”

So this is the rule, but do we always follow it?

所以这就是拼写规则，但我们经常遵循这个吗？

Let’s go back to the competition and see.

让我们回到比赛来看看。

OK, Jay, your next word is leisure.

好了，Jay，你下一个单词是leisure(闲暇)

For example, when people work shorter hours, they have more leisure time.

例如：当人们工作少几个小时， 他们会有更多闲暇时间。

Oh, you mean leisure.

哦，你是指leisure(ˈliː.ʒɚ)。

我是指leisure(ˈleʒ.ə:)。

I mean leisure.

请你拼写这个单词。

Please spell the word.

LEISURE.

Correct.

正确。

Vicki,你下一个单词是foreign(外来的)。 例如：Jay是美国人。

Vicki, your next word is foreign: For example: Jay is American.

He isn't British.

他不是英国人。

He's foreign.

他是外来的。

Oh yeah, foreign.

哦对，外来的。

FOREIGN.

Correct.

正确。

The score is three points to Vicki and three points to Jay.

各自得分：Vicki三分，Jay也是三分。

This is the final round.

现在是最后一局。

Jay, your word is scientist.

Jay,你的单词是scientist(科学家)。

For example, the British scientist Charles Babbage invented the computer.

例如：英国科学家查尔斯巴贝奇发明了电脑。

I thought it was invented by American scientists.

我还以为是美国科学家发明的。

Just spell the word please.

请你拼字。

SCIENTIST.

Correct.

正确。

Vicki, please spell the word efficient.

Vicki，请你拼出efficient(高效的)。

For example, the British National Health Service is very efficient.

例如：英国国家卫生服务非常高效。

Is it?

是吗？

Yes, it’s excellent.

当然，这好得不得了

EFFICIENT.

Correct.

正确

OK, so there we saw some examples where the rule doesn’t work.

好，我们看了一些词语起不了规则作用的例子。

The i didn’t come before the e.

i没有在e的前面

And there are more words where the rule doesn’t work.

还有更多这规则起不了作用的词语。

Some are common words, like their, and the number eight.

有些是常见词语，像“他们的”，还有数字8

And there are some measurement words - weigh, weight and height.

还有一些衡量单词 - “称重”，“体重”和“身高”。

And then there’s weird.

然后有weird(奇怪的)。

Weird means strange or peculiar.

weird的意思是“奇怪的”或“奇特的”

Perhaps you can remember how to spell it because the spelling of weird is weird.

也许你能记得怎么拼，因为weird的拼写怪怪的。

And we don’t always follow the other part rule – the except after c.

我们并不总是遵循这个规则的另一部分 除了c之外。

So after c it should be e then i, but look at the words science and efficient.

所以在c之后应该是e然后i， 但看看science(科学)和efficient(高效的)。

It's i then e.

是先i然后e。

We also have words like ancient, glacier and conscience.

我们也有一些词像“古代的”，“冰川”和“良心”。

So is it worth learning this rule if we break it?

那么如果我们违背了这个规则，还是否值得去学习呢？

Before you answer we want to show you something.

在你回答之前，我们想向你展示一些东西。

Here are more some words that follow the rule.

这里有更多遵循这个规则的单词。

Notice their pronunciation.

注意他们的发音。

They all have an eee sound.

他们都有一个eee的声音。

Beleeeve, cheeeef, acheeeve, eee.

And here are some words with a c.

然后这里有一些跟c的词语。

They all follow the rule too!

他们也都遵守规则！

Again there’s an eee sound.

再来这有一个eee音。

Receeeive.

Ceeeiling, deceeeive, So if we change the rule a little, it works.

所以如果我们稍微改变一下规则，它就会起作用。

We just have to add a bit that says, ‘if the word has an eee sound.”

我们只需要补充一点：'如果这个词有eee音。'

Lets go back to the competition and see who wins.

让我们回到比赛并看看谁赢了。

Our competitors are tied, so we will now go to a sudden death round.

我们的选手都同分，所以我们现在要来“致命一击”。

You will both spell the same word.

你们都会要拼写相同的单词。

But if one person makes a mistake, the other person will win.

但是如果一个人犯错，另一个人就会获胜。

Vicki, please put your headphones on so you can’t hear Jay’s answer.

Vicki，请戴上耳机，以免听到Jay的回答。

Jay, the word is neighbour.

Jay，这个词语是neighbour(邻居)。

For example, our neighbour complained about the noise from the party.

例如:我们的邻居对派对产生的噪音发牢骚。

Neighbour.

邻居

NEIGHBOR.

Thank you Jay.

谢谢你,Jay

Vicki, please take off your head phones and spell the word neighbour.

薇琪，请摘下你的耳机， 并拼出“邻居”这个词语。

NEIGHBOUR That is the correct answer.

这是正确答案。恭喜Vicki!

Congratulations Vicki!

Jay, I’m afraid you spelt it wrongly.

Jay，抱歉你拼错了。

But... but my answer was right.

但是......但我的答案是对的。

That’s how we spell it in American English.

这就是我们用美式英语拼写它的方式。

American spelling is weird.

美国英语的拼写法真怪。

Hard luck Jay and well done Vicki.

倒霉的Jay, 做得好Vicki。

And that’s it for this week.

这一周的视频就是这样。

Make sure you subscribe to our channel to see more of our videos.

确保你订阅我们频道 去查看更多我们的视频。

And be sure to subscribe to Clare’s channel, English at Home, too.

并且一定要订阅Clare的频道 “在家学英语”。

See you next Friday everyone!

大家下周五见！

Bye-bye.

拜拜了