Recieve or Receive: Which Spelling Is Correct?
Recieve or receive? This is one of the most common misspellings in English, and it appears in emails, messages, and school work every day. Only one spelling is correct, and the reason is a famous spelling rule with a few well known exceptions. This guide explains the correct spelling, the rule behind it, the exceptions, and easy tips to get it right every time.
Quick Answer
Quick Answer: Receive is correct. Recieve, with e before i, is a misspelling. Remember it this way: i before e, except after c. In receive, the letters are c, then e, then i, then v, then e. The c comes first, so the e comes before the i, following the except after c part of the rule. If you write recieve, with i before e after c, you break the rule.
Why Is It Spelled Receive?
The rule is: i before e, except after c. In most words, i comes before e, as in friend, field, and piece. After the letter c, the order flips, and e comes before i, as in receive, ceiling, and receipt. Receive follows the second part. The word starts with re, then c, then e, then i. That is why receive is spelled with ei, not ie. The rule is not perfect, and it has exceptions, but it works for receive, and for many other common words after c.
Exceptions to the Rule
The i before e rule has famous exceptions, and it helps to know them, so the rule does not confuse you. Weird is an exception, because it has ei but not after c. Seize is an exception, because it has ei but not after c. Science is an exception in the other direction, because it has ie after c, breaking the except after c part. Other exceptions include either, neither, and foreign. These words do not follow the rule, and they simply have to be learned as they are. Receive is not one of these exceptions. It follows the rule, so there is no reason to spell it recieve.
Meaning and Definition
Receive means to get, accept, or be given something. It can be a letter, a gift, a message, a payment, or news. For example: She received a letter yesterday. It can also mean to welcome someone, as in to receive guests, or to experience something, as in to receive praise. The word is a verb, and it is used in formal and informal writing alike. Its opposite, in many cases, is send or give.
Receive Verb Forms
- Receive, base form, as in I receive many emails.
- Receives, third person singular, as in She receives many emails.
- Received, past tense and past participle, as in She received a letter yesterday.
- Receiving, present participle, as in She is receiving a letter now.
Note the spelling in every form. The ei after c stays the same in all forms. Received is spelled with ei, not ie. Receiving is spelled with ei, not ie. Once you learn receive, the other forms follow the same pattern.
Related Words
Deceive follows the same pattern, with ei after c, as in do not deceive your friends. Perceive also follows it, with ei after c, as in I perceive a problem here. Receipt follows it too, with ei after c, even though the p is silent. Conceive follows it as well, with ei after c. Learning these words together helps, because they all show the same except after c pattern, and they all look wrong if you write them with ie.
Comparison Table
| Spelling | Correct? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Receive | Yes | I will receive the parcel tomorrow. |
| Recieve | No | This is a common misspelling. |
| Received | Yes | She received good news today. |
| Recieved | No | This is a common misspelling. |
Examples in Sentences
- Did you receive my email?
- She received an award for her work.
- We will receive the results next week.
- He receives a newsletter every month.
- They received a warm welcome at the hotel.
- Please let me know when you receive the parcel.
Common Mistakes
Wrong: I will recieve the parcel tomorrow. Correct: I will receive the parcel tomorrow.
Wrong: She recieved good news. Correct: She received good news.
Wrong: He is recieving a call. Correct: He is receiving a call.
Wrong: Did you recieve my message? Correct: Did you receive my message?
The mistake is always the same, ie written after c, instead of ei. Checking the letter after c is the fastest way to catch it. If the letter after c is e, then i, the spelling is right for receive. If it is i, then e, it is wrong.
Tips to Remember
slowly, and look at the middle of the word, not just the start and end. Other tricky spellings also become easier when you check one letter at a time, instead of guessing the whole word.
For the past tense form in emails, see Recieved or Received.
Frequently Asked Questions About Recieve or Receive
No. Recieve is always a misspelling. The correct spelling is receive.
The rule says i comes before e, except after c, where e comes before i. Receive follows the except after c part.
Because ie is more common in many words, such as friend and piece, so writers apply that pattern by mistake, even after c.
With ei, after c. Received is spelled r, e, c, e, i, v, e, d.
No. Words like weird, seize, and science break the rule, but receive follows it, so the rule is useful here.
Check the letters after c every time. After c, write e, then i. With practice, the correct spelling becomes automatic.
Conclusion
Receive is correct, and recieve is a misspelling. The i before e, except after c rule explains why, because after c, e comes before i. Learn the rule, learn its exceptions, and check the letters after c, and this common misspelling will stop appearing in your writing.
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