How To: Rhyme

From nursery rhymes, to rap songs, to love poems, rhyming is an important part of the English language. If you're feeling a little shaky on your rhyming abilities, glance over some of these simple rules and you'll be off and rhyming again.

Rhyme is created by repeating the terminal vowel sound in a word. You can easily make rhymes in English by following these suggestions.

You Will Need

* Poems
* Popular songs
* Rhyming schemes
* A rhyming dictionary (optional)

Step 1: Listen for examples

Listen for examples of rhyme in poems and popular songs.

Rhymes beginning with different consonants – or a vowel and a consonant – are preferred. Two words with the same sound but different spellings and meanings such as "pail" and "pale" are considered weak rhymes.

Step 2: Find complete words that rhyme

Find words whose sound duplicates the sound in a second word, for example, "make" and "cake."

Consult a rhyming dictionary if you get stuck. Rhyming dictionaries are available both as published books and as free web-based applications.

Step 3: Find words and last syllables that rhyme

Find words that have the same sounds as the last syllables of other words, for example, "make" and "awake."

Step 4: Find words with two last syllables that rhyme

Find words whose last syllables have the same sound as the last syllable of a second word, for example, "forsake" and "awake."

Collections of nursery rhymes began to appear in the 18th century when teaching morality to children became a major social concern.