I Before E Spelling Practice: A2–B1 Test | ESL-Tests

Welcome to the A2–B1 spelling test on words with "ie" and "ei". The rhyme that English-speaking children learn in school sums the rule up perfectly:

"I before E, except after C — or when sounded as /eɪ/, as in neighbor and weigh."

The rule covers most English words with "ie" or "ei", but a handful of common exceptions break it — and those are the ones that trip up learners again and again.

What you will practice

• "IE" words that follow the rule: believe, friend, piece, field, chief, niece, achieve
• "EI" after the letter C: receive, ceiling, receipt
• "EI" when it sounds like "ay" /eɪ/: eight, eighteen, eighty, neighbor, weight, weigh
• Exceptions to remember: weird, height, foreign, either, science, ancient

Each word comes with a simple definition and clear native audio. Listen, type the word, and get instant feedback on your spelling. The retry button loops you through any words you missed until you spell every one correctly.

Why these words matter

Words with "ie" and "ei" are among the most commonly misspelled in English — not just by learners but by native speakers too. They appear everywhere in everyday writing: emails, school work, shopping receipts, text messages to friends. Once you know the rule and its main exceptions, you can confidently spell hundreds of English words that use these letter combinations.

Ready for more practice? Explore the full B1 spelling exercises across all topics.