i Before e Worksheet
A free, printable i before e worksheet for 3rd to 5th grade. Your child fills in ie or ei, sorts words by sound and fixes common mistakes. Answer key included.
What's inside
- Page 1: fill in ie or ei for 10 words, then sort 9 words.
- Page 2: fix 4 misspelled words, then write 2 sentences.
- Page 3: answer key.
How to use it
- Teach or review the rule first with the i before e lesson. It takes about 10 minutes.
- Read the directions for each part out loud. Early readers can point while you read.
- Check Part A together before your child goes on, so any confusion gets fixed early.
- Use the answer key on the last page.
Prints on US Letter paper (8.5 × 11 in). No sign-up needed.
Tips for doing it together
- Keep it short. One page a day is plenty for most young children, and two short sessions beat one long one.
- Let your child read each sentence out loud before answering. Many mistakes get caught by ear.
- Mark a mistake with a small dot instead of an X, and let your child find and fix it. That's where the learning happens.
What your child is practicing
Use ie for the long e sound (piece) except right after c (receive), and ei for the long a sound (eight). Words like their and weird are exceptions to learn by heart.
Practice online
After the worksheet, the 10-question i before e quiz gives instant feedback and reads each question aloud. For a game, try Word Slash.
More spelling worksheets
- Spelling rules worksheet (2nd–4th grade)
- ck or k? worksheet (1st–2nd grade)
- ai or ay? worksheet (1st–2nd grade)
- Doubling rule worksheet (2nd–3rd grade)
Last reviewed: November 11, 2026