People memorize many sayings in order to learn how to spell. Perhaps none are as well known as the ditty “i before e except after c.” This past week, the British government took steps to phase out this rule because they believe it is too confusing. A letter sent to thousands of primary schools said there are so many exceptions to this rule that it is “not worth teaching.”

“There are so few words where the ei spelling for the ee sounds follows the letter c that it is easier to learn the specific words.” These include receive, ceiling, perceive and deceit.

Yes, there are a lot of exemptions to this rule. But, I still find myself repeating it every now and again when writing without spell check on. The phrase is easy to remember and sticks with you. And, it’s frequently correct.

The other simple spelling rules just don’t have the same kind of zing. “Dropping Final E.” Yawn. “Doubling Final Consonants.” Snooze. “I before e” is the rock star of the group. It’s the one most people remember twenty years down the line.

The last thing we need is to make spelling more difficult. It’s already complicated enough. What’s next? Closing down Conjunction Junction?!