Rhyme

Vowels & Consonants

What is a Rhyme?
Rhyme is a connection between syllables, not words. To determine whether two syllables rhyme, compare their vowel sounds, any
consonant sounds that precede those vowel sounds and any consonant sounds that follow those vowel sounds.

Consonant sounds can be a) identical, b) different, in which case they also belong to different categories (fricative, plosive, nasal or
affricate), c) related, in which case they are different, but belong to the same category (fricative, plosive, nasal or affricate), or d)
additive, in which case one of the consonant sounds has additional consonant sounds.

Note: if two syllables have the same preceding consonant sounds, they are not rhymes, they are identities and should be avoided.

Masculine & Feminine Rhymes

Rhymes are masculine if the two words are monosyllabic - e.g., hit : bit - or, if one, or both of the words is multisyllabic and its final
syllable is stressed (whether a primary or secondary stress) - e.g., retreat : overheat, fool : Liverpool

Rhymes are feminine if the two words are multisyllabic, their penultimate syllables are stressed (whether a primary or secondary
stress) and their final syllables are unstressed, in which case, their stressed syllables must rhyme and their unstressed syllables may
rhyme, or be identities - e.g., only : lonely, idea : Maria, liver : forgive her

Do not rhyme masculine with feminine - e.g., shove : lover