I Before E Except After C
By Jef Raskin
In this piece, Raskin turned his analytical mind to one of the most commonly taught rules in English spelling: the mnemonic “i before e, except after c.”
The Investigation
Most English speakers learn this rule in elementary school and carry it through life as a reliable guide. Raskin, characteristically, decided to test the claim rather than accept it on authority. By systematically examining the English lexicon, he assessed how often the rule actually held true and how often it failed.
Findings
The analysis revealed that the rule is far less reliable than its ubiquity in education would suggest. English contains a substantial number of common words that violate the pattern — words where “ei” appears without a preceding “c,” and words where “ie” follows “c.” When exceptions like “weird,” “seize,” “science,” and “sufficient” are tallied against conforming words, the rule’s predictive value diminishes considerably.
Broader Point
For Raskin, this was more than a linguistic curiosity. It exemplified a theme that ran through all his work: the danger of accepting received wisdom without verification. Just as he challenged conventional explanations of aerodynamic lift and standard assumptions about interface design, here he demonstrated that a universally taught rule could be more misleading than helpful.
Significance
The essay showcases Raskin’s characteristic approach — applying quantitative rigor to a question that most people never think to ask, and communicating the results with clarity and wit. It reflects the same intellectual temperament that drove him to question why computer interfaces worked the way they did.
This page is part of the Jef Raskin Archive, preserving the published works of the creator of the Macintosh project.