rhyme
rhyme — verb
- rhymepresent simple I / you / we / they
- rhymes3rd person singular
- rhyming-ing form
- rhymedpast simple
1. When two lines or two words share the same ending sound, especially the vowel an
When two lines or two words share the same ending sound, especially the vowel and any consonant after it — for example, 'cat' and 'hat' both end with the same '-at' sound.
The words 'cat' and 'hat' rhyme in English, so poets often pair them together.
rhyme + with (implied: X and Y rhyme)
Anika asked her teacher if 'moon' rhymes with 'spoon' during phonics class.
question: Does X rhyme with Y?
The children clapped when they noticed that 'tree' and 'bee' rhyme perfectly.
how X and Y rhyme (adverb)
In traditional Japanese haiku, the lines do not rhyme with one another.
negative: do not rhyme
Wei spent ten minutes trying to find a word that would rhyme with 'orange'.
find a word that rhymes with [word]
- rhyme with
- rhyme perfectly
- rhyme together
- correspond in sound
more formal and technical than 'rhyme'
Grammar Patterns
rhyme + with + noun
rhyme (no object)
Usage Note
Frequently used with the preposition 'with': 'word A rhymes with word B.' In informal questions, 'Does X rhyme with Y?' is more natural than 'Do X and Y rhyme?'
Common Mistakes
2. To write poetry or song lyrics by choosing words whose endings sound alike.
To write poetry or song lyrics by choosing words whose endings sound alike.
The children spent the whole afternoon rhyming silly words in the back garden.
rhyming (intransitive, progressive aspect)
Grandpa used to rhyme love letters to Grandma when they were first dating.
rhyme + noun phrase (transitive)
Diego rhymed a short verse about the moon for his sister's birthday card.
rhymed + noun phrase (transitive, past tense)
The poet sat alone in his study, carefully rhyming each line before moving on.
rhyming each line (transitive, progressive)
Kofi enjoys writing free verse because he does not have to rhyme every stanza.
negative: does not have to rhyme
- rhyme a poem
- rhyme a verse
- rhyme a line
Grammar Patterns
rhyme + noun phrase (transitive)
rhyme (no object, intransitive)
Usage Note
Both transitive ('rhyme a poem', 'rhyme a line') and intransitive ('He sat rhyming for hours') uses are natural. The intransitive form focuses on the activity of verse-making, while the transitive form specifies what is being composed.
Common Mistakes
rhyme — noun
- rhymesingular
- rhymesplural
1. A word whose final sounds match those of another word — for instance, 'night' is
A word whose final sounds match those of another word — for instance, 'night' is a rhyme for 'light' because they share the '-ight' ending.
The teacher asked the class to think of a rhyme for the word 'cake'.
a rhyme for [word]
Oliver wrote down every rhyme he could find for 'flight' in his notebook.
find a rhyme for [word]
'Chair' is a good rhyme for 'bear' because both words end in the same sound.
is a good rhyme for [word]
The dictionary lists common rhymes for each word to help poets and songwriters.
common rhymes for each word
Yuki's favourite word game involved finding rhymes for her friends' names.
finding rhymes for
- rhyme for
- perfect rhyme
- good rhyme
- double
informal, used in word games like 'find me a double for cat'
Grammar Patterns
a rhyme for + noun
a rhyme
Usage Note
Use the preposition 'for', not 'of', when identifying a matching word: 'a rhyme for house' (not 'a rhyme of house').
Common Mistakes
2. A short piece of writing, often for children, in which the words at the end of e
A short piece of writing, often for children, in which the words at the end of each line share the same sound, creating a bouncy and memorable rhythm.
The toddler giggled as her father read her a funny rhyme about a dancing pig.
a rhyme about [topic]
Nursery rhymes like 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' help children learn new words.
nursery rhyme (common expression)
Emma wrote a short rhyme about her cat for the school poetry competition.
wrote a short rhyme about
Lena's favourite bedtime rhyme tells the story of a cow jumping over the moon.
bedtime rhyme
The children clapped along as the teacher recited a traditional Chinese rhyme.
recited a rhyme
- nursery rhyme
- bedtime rhyme
- recite a rhyme
- write a rhyme about
Grammar Patterns
a rhyme about + noun
nursery rhyme
Usage Note
The compound 'nursery rhyme' is a fixed term for traditional short poems for very young children. A 'bedtime rhyme' is any rhyme read to a child before sleep.
3. Deliberate matching of word endings in lines of poetry or song lyrics, used as a
Deliberate matching of word endings in lines of poetry or song lyrics, used as a structural device to create rhythm and link ideas.
The poet used rhyme to give her work a musical and flowing quality.
used rhyme to + verb
In rap music, rhyme is central to the rhythm and energy of each verse.
rhyme is central to (importance)
Amir studied how different poets employ rhyme to create mood and build tension.
employ rhyme to create (formal)
The song's clever rhyme made it easy for fans to remember all the lyrics.
clever rhyme (adjective + rhyme)
Many traditional poems follow a strict pattern of rhyme throughout every stanza.
pattern of rhyme
- use rhyme
- pattern of rhyme
- rhyme scheme
- strict rhyme
- clever rhyme
- rhyming
gerund form; interchangeable in many contexts ('the use of rhyme/rhyming')
Grammar Patterns
use rhyme
pattern of rhyme
in rhyme
Usage Note
As an uncountable noun, 'rhyme' refers to the technique itself. For a specific instance of a matching sound, use the countable sense (noun/1).
4. Language that is arranged as poetry, with matching ending sounds on successive l
Language that is arranged as poetry, with matching ending sounds on successive lines — typically used to describe the form rather than the content.
The story was written in rhyme, which made it more fun to read aloud.
written in rhyme
Birthday cards often express greetings in rhyme to make them more playful.
express in rhyme
The children performed a short play in rhyme for their parents at school.
a play in rhyme
Sofia prefers stories told in rhyme because the words flow like music.
told in rhyme
Long epic poems were traditionally composed in rhyme to aid memorisation.
composed in rhyme
- in rhyme
- written in rhyme
- told in rhyme
- composed in rhyme
Grammar Patterns
in rhyme
written in rhyme
Usage Note
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'in rhyme' rather than standing alone as a subject. 'Rhyme' here is uncountable and refers to the form of the whole text.
Common Mistakes
5. In phonetics, the part of a spoken syllable that begins with the vowel sound and
In phonetics, the part of a spoken syllable that begins with the vowel sound and includes any consonant sounds that follow it — for example, in 'cat', the rhyme is the '-at' part.
In the word 'cat,' the rhyme is the vowel 'a' followed by the final 't' sound.
the rhyme is [vowel + following consonant]
Linguistics students learn to split syllables into the onset and the rhyme.
onset and rhyme (technical pair)
The rhyme of a syllable determines which words will share a similar sound in verse.
the rhyme of a syllable
Children who can identify syllable rhymes often learn to decode new words faster.
identify syllable rhymes
In 'flat', the onset is 'fl' and the rhyme is 'at', following standard phonetic rules.
the rhyme is [sound] (definition example)
- syllable rhyme
- onset and rhyme
- the rhyme of
- rime
alternative spelling used in linguistics
- onset
the consonant sound(s) before the vowel in a syllable
Grammar Patterns
the rhyme of a syllable
onset and rhyme
Usage Note
This is a technical sense used mainly in linguistics and phonology. The 'onset' is the consonant(s) before the vowel; everything else is the 'rhyme'. Most English learners will not need this sense.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
While all four words relate to patterns of sound and writing, they differ in scope and typical use. Rhyme (noun/1) is the narrowest: it refers to a single word that matches another in final sound. A poem is a full literary work that may or may not rhyme. Verse often means a line or stanza within a poem, but it can also refer to poetry as a form. A jingle is a short, catchy rhyme used in advertising — it is always simple and commercial. For example, you might say 'night is a rhyme for light,' but you would call 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' a poem, and a car company's 'Have it your way' slogan a jingle.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'rhyme' entered English through Old French 'rime', which came from Latin 'rithmus', itself borrowed from Greek 'rhythmos' (measured flow, rhythm). Over time, the spelling was influenced by the related Greek word 'rhythmos', leading to the modern 'rh' spelling. The original sense of 'number' or 'measure' gradually shifted toward the idea of matching sounds in poetry.