The word "stiltier" is spelled with the letter "i" before "e" even though the general rule is to spell it the other way around. This is because the letter "i" in "stiltier" is pronounced as /ɪ/ while the letter "e" is silent. This makes it an exception to the rule of "i" and "e" spelling. So, despite its unusual spelling, stiltier still follows the pronunciation pattern of similar words like "stilt" and "stilted."