What's the first spelling rule you learned, or the first one you can think of?

Your answer is probably the same one we get when we ask the working adults in our classes. They always recite that old "i-before-e" rule—at least the first part of it. Very few of them recall the end, which goes something like "except after c, or when sounded like a, as in neighbor or weigh."

Most of us learned that rule in the early grades, and had it reinforced over the years by teachers and books. So it must be a good rule, right?

Well, what makes a rule good? One criterion is the number of exceptions—if there are too many, the rule can become practically useless. And how many are we dealing with here? Some books say there are five exceptions to the i-e rule, some say seven, one says nine. So we decided to run a simple little check of our own.

We started a list, and whenever one of us thought of an exception, we jotted it down. In two or three weeks, with no computer help, we had a list of more than forty exceptions to the rule. We'd be willing to bet that there are at least a hundred, maybe many more. So the rule is not only of little if any value, it could work against us when we're trying to spell one of the many exceptions.

So forget the rule—if you can.

And forget the rest of the old spelling rules too. Use these instead. They work.

• Use your spellchecker, but don't depend on it entirely.

• Keep a good dictionary in reach, and reach for it often.

• Ask a good speller to proofread your work.

• Learn memory aids (there's a rat in separate) or make up your own.

• Keep a personal list of words you have trouble with.