Rhyming words are words that have the same ending sound. For example, the words ‘cat’, ‘hat’, and ‘rat’ all rhyme because they end with the same sound (-at).
Rhyming words are often used in poetry and songwriting to create a musical or rhythmic effect. In this article, you will learn about some common rhyming words in English and how to use them in your own writing.
Full Rhymes
Full rhymes are words that have the same ending sounds, like “cat” and “hat,” “dog” and “fog,” or “sun” and “fun.” When we hear a poem or a song with full rhymes, it can make the words sound really fun and pleasing to our ears.
Full rhymes are a big part of poetry and music. They can help make a song or poem sound more musical, and they can help us remember the words better. In fact, a lot of nursery rhymes and children’s songs have full rhymes, like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” or “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
Full rhymes can also help poets and songwriters express their emotions and ideas in a creative way. For example, a songwriter might use full rhymes to create a catchy chorus for a song that everyone will remember. Or a poet might use full rhymes to create a powerful message that sticks in our heads long after we hear it.
So, full rhymes are an important part of language, music, and poetry. They’re words that have the same ending sounds, and they can make the words we hear sound more fun, musical, and memorable.
Example of full rhymes:
Here are some examples of full rhymes:
- cat and hat
- dog and log
- cake and bake
- fun and sun
- moon and spoon
- face and race
- time and rhyme
- duck and luck
- wind and pinned
- bear and chair
- red and bed
- ball and call
- light and kite
- rose and nose
- train and main
- night and kite
- tree and free
- chair and hair
- day and say
- rock and sock
Half Rhymes
Half rhyme words are words that sound similar but are not exactly the same. When we hear words that rhyme, they have the same ending sound. For example, “cat” and “hat” are rhyming words because they end with the same sound “at.”
Half rhyme words are similar, but not exactly the same. They might have some similar sounds, but they won’t match up perfectly. For example, “cat” and “cut” are half rhyme words because they have similar sounds at the end, but they don’t sound exactly the same.
Half rhyme words are also sometimes called “near rhymes” or “slant rhymes” because they are not a perfect match like traditional rhyming words. For example, “love” and “move” are not perfect rhyming words, but they have similar sounds at the end and are considered half rhyme words.
Half rhyme words can also be used to convey different emotions or moods in writing. For instance, in a poem or song, a half rhyme might be used to create a sense of tension or uncertainty. It can also be used to create a unique rhythm or cadence in the writing.
One famous example of half rhyme words in poetry can be found in the work of Emily Dickinson. She used half rhyme words in many of her poems, creating a distinct and unconventional style of writing. In her poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death,” for instance, she uses half rhyme words such as “ground” and “swelling” to create a haunting and mysterious atmosphere.
Example of half rhymes:
- love and of (“I love the taste of chocolate.”)
- sun and done (“The sun has set and my work is done.”)
- care and air (“I don’t care about the hot air.”)
- time and climb (“It’s time to climb the mountain.”)
- grow and know (“As we grow, we learn more and more.”)
- wait and fate (“I’ll wait to see what fate has in store.”)
- house and mouse (“A mouse ran across the floor of my house.”)
- fear and near (“The sound of footsteps drew near, filling me with fear.”)
- home and dome (“I could see the beautiful dome of the Capitol from my home.”)
- light and right (“The light turned green, so it was right to go.”)
- view and blue (“The beautiful view of the blue ocean took my breath away.”)
- harm and charm (“She used her charm to prevent any harm.”)
- still and will (“I’m still not sure what I will do.”)
- mind and kind (“Be kind to your mind, it deserves a break.”)
- tall and fall (“I watched the leaves fall from the tall tree.”)
- spark and dark (“The spark of the lighter was the only light in the dark room.”)
- true and through (“I’ll stand by you through and through, because I know you’re true.”)
- show and know (“I don’t know how to show my gratitude.”)
- seal and feel (“I could feel the seal of the envelope under my fingers.”)
- meet and sweet (“I can’t wait to meet the sweet little puppy that I’ve heard so much about.”)
Internal Rhymes
Internal rhyme is when words inside of a sentence or phrase rhyme with each other. For example, in the sentence “I took a look at the book and shook my head,” the words “took” and “look” rhyme with each other, as do the words “book” and “shook.”
Internal rhyme is different from end rhyme, which is when the last word of one sentence or phrase rhymes with the last word of another sentence or phrase. For example, in the nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty,” the words “wall” and “fall” rhyme at the end of each line.
Internal rhyme adds musicality to language. It is when words inside of a sentence or phrase rhyme with each other, such as in the sentence “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” In this sentence, the words “Peter” and “pepper” rhyme with each other, as do the words “picked” and “pecked” and “pickled” and “peppers.”
Internal rhyme can be used in poetry, songs, and other forms of writing to create a sense of rhythm and flow. It can also make language more memorable and catchy, which is why it’s often used in advertising slogans and jingles.
Example of internal rhyme:
- Misty and twisty
- Lucky and plucky
- Candy and dandy
- Heaven and seven
- Jolly and folly
- Beaming and dreaming
- Fuzzy and buzzy
- Flaming and blaming
- Flirty and dirty
- Bouncy and pouncy
- Shiny and whiny
- Silly and chilly
- Thrifty and nifty
- Hippy and trippy
- Grumpy and lumpy
- Gloomy and roomy
- Fancy and chancy
- Snappy and happy
- Chilly and willy
- Sneaky and freaky
- Sappy and happy
- Droopy and snoopy
- Mellow and yellow
- Breezy and cheesy
- Wavy and gravy
- Leafy and beefy
- Witty and pretty
- Crispy and tipsy
- Misty and twisty
- Steady and ready
End Rhymes
End rhyme is a type of rhyme that occurs at the end of a line of poetry. When two or more words have the same ending sound, they are said to rhyme. For example, if you were writing a poem and you ended one line with the word “cat,” and the next line with the word “hat,” those two words would be end rhymes because they have the same ending sound (-at).
End rhyme is important in poetry because it can create a sense of rhythm and musicality. It can also help to tie different lines together and make a poem feel more cohesive. Many famous poets throughout history have used end rhyme in their work, including William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, and Robert Frost.
Here’s an example of a poem that uses end rhyme:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
In this poem, each line ends with a word that rhymes with the last word of the previous line (star, are, high, sky). This helps to create a sense of musicality and repetition that makes the poem feel cohesive and memorable.
Example of end rhyme:
- cat and hat
- time and rhyme
- moon and soon
- run and fun
- light and sight
- play and day
- sing and ring
- bee and tree
- call and wall
- seen and green
- door and floor
- know and show
- way and say
- feet and neat
- chair and bear
- fly and sky
- glove and love
- cheer and near
- name and game
- fall and ball
- boat and coat
- bed and red
- night and sight
- win and grin
- loud and proud
- sail and tale
- shake and cake
- white and sight
- snake and lake
- bloom and room
Eye Rhymes
Eye rhyme is a type of rhyme that occurs when two or more words look like they should rhyme, but they do not actually sound the same.
For example, if you were to read the words “love” and “move,” they would not be considered a true rhyme because they do not have the same ending sound. However, they are an example of eye rhyme because they look like they should rhyme due to the identical “ove” ending.
Eye rhyme can be a bit tricky because it relies on visual similarity rather than auditory similarity. It is also sometimes referred to as a “sight rhyme” for this reason. Poets often use eye rhyme as a way to create a sense of symmetry and visual appeal in their work.
Here’s an example of a poem that uses eye rhyme:
The words of love are sweet and true,
But sometimes they can make us blue.
We search and search, both far and near,
To find someone to hold so dear.
In this poem, the words “true” and “blue” do not actually rhyme, but they are an example of eye rhyme because they look like they should rhyme due to the identical “ue” ending. The same is true for the words “near” and “dear,” which look like they should rhyme because of the identical “ear” ending.
Example of eye rhyme:
- Love – move
- Though – bough
- Laugh – cough
- Come – home
- Through – enough
- Blue – true
- Buy – guy
- Eye – lie
- Hear – near
- Height – weight
- Night – sight
- Right – sight
- Sigh – high
- Soul – foul
- Tough – rough
- Truth – youth
- Water – slaughter
- Wear – fear
- Weight – great
- Wind – kind
- Womb – tomb
- Wonder – thunder
- Word – sword
- Work – cork
- Worse – course
- Worth – birth
- Year – fear
- Yellow – fellow
- Yore – more
- Youth – truth