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-cede, -ceed or -sede?
One word, three words, and everything else.
Grades 7-12
The rule
This is one of the few English spelling rules with no fuzzy edges. Supersede is the only word ending in -sede. Exceed, proceed and succeed are the only three ending in -ceed. Every other word takes -cede.
How it works
| supersede | the only -sede word in English |
| exceed, proceed, succeed | the only three -ceed words |
| precede | everything else → -cede |
| recede, concede | everything else → -cede |
| intercede, secede, accede | everything else → -cede |
Watch out for
- Procedure drops to one e even though it comes from proceed — a favourite trap.
- Learn the four odd ones out and the rest of the family follows automatically. There are no other exceptions.