Rhyme Names, Wow there are lots!

Here is a list of rhyme names with examples of how the rhyme works.

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Amphisbaenic: The final syllable is the same, but inreverse:

• cruel/lurk

Apocopated: Rhyming a two syllable word with a one syllable word where the first syllable of the first word is accented. (the opposite of trailing rhyme):

• cancer/dance

Assonance: The similarity of vowel sounds:

• grow/home

Additive: Two words with the second extended by an additional consonant:

• cinder/hindered

Beginning: The first words of lines rhyme:

• Cry to me another song
• Lie to me before
• I long to touch you...

Broken: Involves breaking the last word of a line so its internal sound will rhyme in a pair:

• When empty roads a-call
• And the morning sun is al-
• Ready up .

Consonant: When the final consonant sounds of two words are the same but the vowel before them is different:

• soon/own

Continuous: Are two matched sounds next to each other within a single line:

• It's not my way, they can't say

Double Consonance: Where the final two consonants are the same:

• brick-brack/rack

Echo: The final syllables in a line are followed by an echo using the same words, but changing their meaning:

• Stressed, stressed
• I was so distressed,
• I couldn't get dressed today

Elided: This is when rhyming pairs would otherwise be perfect, but one of the words has a vowel sound not found in the other:

• canned/planet

Feminine (Double): Occurs where two consecutive syllables rhyme:

• curtain/certain

There's more rhymes names.

Half-Double: This is where the final stressed syllable of one word rhymes with the first stressed syllable of the second:

• groove/mover

Homophone: Are words that sound the same but are spelled differently:

• bear/bare

Identity: These are rhymes that repeat the same word:

• I don't know you
• But I can hear you
• And I don't like you

Be careful with these. They work well in a chorus etc if you want to repeat for effect. But generally don't rely on identity rhymes in other situations. Do the work and find a better word.

Internal Rhymes This is where similar sounds occur within lines:

• It's best, I guess, to mess around

This can be very effective. Spend the extra time and try this, it will improve your songs. Rap lives on this as it requires twice as much rhyme as other genres.

Leonine: When a word in a line and ending word in the same line rhyme:

• No one could move while the band was in a groove

Try to build as much or this into your hook line or title.

Light (Weakened) The rhyming syllable is accented in one and non-accented in the other:

• see/truly

Below are more examples of rhyme names.

Linked: This is using the same or similar sound at the end of one line and again at the beginning of the next line:

• I don't understand
• And I don't want to know
• So, carry me today

Masculine: This is where the final syllable of the rhyming pairs are stressed:

• spring/bring

(Aren't rhyme names fun?)

Mosaic: Where a single word with multiple syllables is made to rhyme with two or more words, as in the end rhymes of the following two lines from W.S. Gilbert's song "The ModernMajor-General":

• About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news,
• With interesting facts about the square of the hypotenuse.

Para: This is when the initial and final consonant sounds are identical but the vowel sounds are different:

• spoon/spine

Paragram: This technique is altering a rhyming word for purposeful effect:

• Something that's bawdy, something for everybawdy.

Perfect: These are words in which the vowel and the following consonants in a stressed syllable are identical in sound, even if spelled differently:

• two/blue

This provides the most stability and resolution to two lines. (Assuming your music does this as well.)

Sight (Eye): This is where word pairs rhyme only visually:

• move/love

Careful who your audience is with this one. Its for people who are reading it. Someone just listening won't get it.

Slant: This is when the rhyming pairs don't quite rhyme:

• last/least

Slant rhymes are very useful to expand the number of words available to you. This rhyme names type is a songwriter's best friend.

Subtractive: This is when you remove a consonant after the vowel.

• left/deaf

Trailing: This is to rhyme a single syllable word with the first syllable of a two syllable word or the first of two words where the first syllable of the second word is stressed:

• plate/grating

Triple: This is where all three syllables of word pairs rhyme:

• flowery/showery

Unstressed: The final syllable of two words is unstressed:

• listen/missin'

Many thanks to Richhoncho's Songwriters Links for the list of definitions of rhyme names.