'ei' or 'ie'?

German spelling can be tricky to get to grips with when you first start learning, but there's a simple trick to remembering whether the word you're writing is 'ei'  (e.g. 'bleiben') or 'ie' (e.g. 'spielen'). If, when the word is said out loud, the vowel sound you can hear is an 'i', as in 'bleiben', then the word is spelled 'ei'. If, when the word is said out loud, the vowel sound you can hear is an 'e', as in 'spielen', then the word is spelled 'ie'. The vowel you can hear when the word is said is the vowel that comes second in the spelling of the word.

AH
Answered by Anita H. German tutor

2909 Views

See similar German GCSE tutors

Related German GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What are cases in German and how are they used.


What are coordinating and subordinating conjunctions and how do I use them in a sentence?


Why exactly did Petra's grandfather want to see the film?


Spanish GCSE Question: Difference between SER and ESTAR.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning