I before E except after...

Pudney · 27 Jul 2006 at 13:58

Welshy said:
It always annoyed me as a kid when the teachers used to say there's a vowel in every word, when there isnt a vowel in Rythm

Actually there is a vowel, "y" is a semi-vowel, depending on circumstance it's either a vowel or consonant, which of course makes your teachers correct, an English word must have a vowel in it. The reason? Vowels are the sounds your voice box creates, consonants are the manipulations of the base sounds through various means, such as tongue placement/movement and the shape of your mouth. Without vowels you'd just be creating funny facial expressions

I love studying languages

big_white_dog84 · 27 Jul 2006 at 14:48

My name and my gf's name both break the i before e thing.

Basher · 27 Jul 2006 at 14:49

Pudney@work said:
an English word must have a vowel in it.

How about psst ? it's in the OED!

L0rdMike · 27 Jul 2006 at 14:50

SCIENCE

Mat · 27 Jul 2006 at 15:23

Epitome and indictment always manage to trip me...

Pudney · 27 Jul 2006 at 15:26

Basher said:
How about psst ? it's in the OED!

Meh, I refuse to accept that as a word, it's a sound and thus impossible to spell

Edit: Thinking about it, that word doesnt originate from the voice box, that can be my defense!

Psyk · 27 Jul 2006 at 15:56

The I before E except after C rule can hardly be called a rule since there are probably more exceptions to it than there are words that fit it. The english language is probably the most inconsistent language in the world.

kitten_caboodle · 27 Jul 2006 at 16:02

big_white_dog84 said:
My name and my gf's name both break the i before e thing.

names don't count

alexthecheese · 27 Jul 2006 at 17:04

kitten_caboodle said:
Er..it is i before e except after C? There's no c in sieve?

Annoying word : Bough

(pronounced Bow)

Annoying word: jeopardise!

Who came up with that?!

Beren · 27 Jul 2006 at 17:32

Most annoying word for me used to be Gaol... When I was a kid I used to read Biggles... well actually think read all of them. And got really really confused as I had only ever seen the american spelling.

Stretch · 27 Jul 2006 at 18:15

This "rule" is becoming more worthless by the minute.

English isn't about rules. It's about learning each and every word parrot fashion. Which is why I never bothered

monkeypants · 27 Jul 2006 at 18:38

Psyk said:
The english language is probably the most inconsistent language in the world.

But it's the easiest because it's natural. The human brain thinks in English.

Zip · 27 Jul 2006 at 18:43

Welshy said:
It always annoyed me as a kid when the teachers used to say there's a vowel in every word, when there isnt a vowel in Rythm

Y is a Vowel Substitute

Vowel is funny, if read like it looks its sounds Vo-Well

Zip · 27 Jul 2006 at 18:44

Zip said:
Y is a Vowel Substitute

Vowel is funny, if read like it looks its sounds Vo-Well

Edit:Crap there is 2 pages of this thread

Edit: Crap i hit quote instead of edit

Borris · 27 Jul 2006 at 19:05

SiriusB said:
all words have at least one vowel in them [regardless how they are spelled]

Syzygy.

Pronounced "szzsgsgs" (think "drunk sausages").

/may be lying.

Bri · 27 Jul 2006 at 19:13

eXSBass said:
Is that as in the bough area on a snooker table?

No, because that's the baulk

kitten_caboodle · 27 Jul 2006 at 19:16

Stretch said:
This "rule" is becoming more worthless by the minute.

English isn't about rules. It's about learning each and every word parrot fashion. Which is why I never bothered

well that makes no sense at all. The whole backbone of the English language is grammar and without it your sentences will just be a long string of words you learnt parrot fashion - which is hardly using the language, rather just repeating sounds.

Psyk · 27 Jul 2006 at 19:34

monkeypants said:
But it's the easiest because it's natural. The human brain thinks in English.

Not just humans, my pet goldfish also think in English.