When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking
i before e except after c (when you hear ee)
Did the rules really help anyone? With all the exceptions to the rules I think the only way to learn to spell English words correctly is to remember them all and that is to say it can never happen ever.

Sometimes saying words correctly is just too difficult so we add the alternate pronunciation to the dictionary. Hey, it worked for species, coupon and associate.
And the proper way to say those nowadays would be? Is the way he pronounced them conventional or alternate or it is American vs. British thing?