We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Poetry

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is a Rhyme?

By Kelly Ferguson
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 23,151
Share

A rhyme is a literary term that means that the last sounds that two or more words make sound the same or very similar. Rhymes are frequently seen in certain types of poetry, but are also commonly found, whether intended or not, in normal writing and speech. The placement of rhymes in poetry is most often at the end of lines, especially when the lines have a similar meter, or number of stressed or unstressed syllables.

An example of two simple words that rhyme are "brave" and "save." Less intuitively, however, the word "autoclave" would also be considered a rhyme with "brave" or "save," despite its extra two syllables at the beginning. Unlike other literary terms such as alliteration, in which similar sounds can occur in the beginning or middle of words, a rhyme requires both the ending vowel and consonant combinations to sound alike. For example, while "barely" and "fairly" would be a rhyme, "bare" and "fairly" would not, although the vowel sounds remain the same.

Rhymes can also occur when two or more words sound the same together as another word. For instance, the well-known saying "You are a poet and you didn't even know it" rhymes because "poet" and "know it" produce the same sounds. In this example, the two rhyming sounds are also placed evenly apart in the meter so if the lines were written differently, "poet" and "know it" would both appear at the end of a line.

The technique of putting rhyming words at the end of lines of similar meter has the effect of not only tying the lines together but also giving them a sort of pleasing song-like sound when said aloud. This makes the poem sound more appealing and also makes it easier to remember and recite. The rhymes also serve as audible markers to signify to the listener the poem's meter and structure. For example, if "You are a poet and you didn't even know it" were instead written as "You are a poet and you weren't even aware of that," the saying becomes no longer memorable or pleasing to listen to, and it loses its structure as a poem altogether. Some types of poetry, such as limericks, take advantage of this fact and use a very specific rhyme and meter pattern to make a silly or humorous song memorable and enjoyable to listen to.

Share
Language & Humanities is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.languagehumanities.org/what-is-a-rhyme.htm
Copy this link
Language & Humanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Language & Humanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.