in America than Britain (e.g. sheikh, leisure, either have , , respectively). With the "long e" vowel Words where ei, not preceded by c, represents the vowel of FLEECE (), are the only exceptions to the strictest British interpretation of the "long e" version of the rhyme. Less strict interpretations admit as exceptions those words where eir, not preceded by c, represents the vowel of NEAR (). Some categories of exception: Many proper names, often because they are adopted from other languages. Fowler says the rule "is useless with proper names"; Carney says "As one might expect of any rule, there are likely to be even more exceptions in names, many of which are Scottish": forenames and surnames Keith, Neil, Sheila, Stein, etc. placenames Leith, Keighley, Rheims, Raleigh, etc. Eid in the names of Muslim holidays (Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, etc.) others like Cassiopeia Chemical names ending in -ein or -eine (caffeine, casein, codeine, phthalein, protein, etc.). Here -ein(e) was originally pronounced as two syllables Scottish English words (deil, deid, weill, etc.) Mark Wainwright writes "There are many exceptions in Scots, so speakers with a large Scots vocabulary may as well give up on this rule." Other exceptions: FLEECE either*, heinous*, inveigle*, keister, leisure*, monteith, neither*, obeisance*, seize, seizin, sheikh*, teiid NEAR madeira, weir, weird. (This sound may also be spelled ier, as in pierce.) With the "long a" vowel There are many words where ei, not preceded by c, represents the vowel of FACE (). There are a few where eir, not preceded by c, represents the vowel of SQUARE (). These groups of words are exceptions only to the basic form of the rhyme; they are excluded from both of the common restricted forms. FACE With eigh spelling: eight, freight, heigh-ho*, inveigh, neigh, neighbo(u)r, sleigh, weigh Others: abseil, beige, capoeira, cleidoic, deign, dreidel, feign, feint, geisha, glei, greige, greisen, heinous*, inveigle*, nonpareil*, obeisance*, peignoir*, reign, rein, seiche, seidel, seine, sheikh*, skein, surveillance, veil, vein. (While Carney says this sound is never spelled ie, the last vowel in lingerie* is often the FACE vowel.). SQUARE heir, their. (This sound is never spelled ier) With other sounds These are exceptions to the basic and "long a" versions of the rhyme, but not to the "long e" version. PRICE German origin: einsteinium, gneiss, leitmotiv, Rottweiler, stein, zeitgeist. Others: eider, either*, feisty, heigh-ho*, height, heist, kaleidoscope, neither*, seismic, sleight (This sound may