Which of the following spellings is correct?

• A. Recieve
• B. Recive
• C. Receive
• D. Receieve

Answer: (C)

The correct spelling follows the common rule that after a c, the letters should be e then i. In the word, after the letter c you see the sequence ei, so the middle of the word is ceive, and with the rest of the letters it becomes receive. The ending also includes the final e, which is part of this word’s standard spelling.

The other spellings mess with this sequence or omit a required letter. For example, swapping i and e after the c breaks the ei pattern after c; dropping the final e changes the ending; and adding an extra e changes the overall structure. So the form with the ei after c and the final e is the correct one.