Home › Glossary › Letter I

initial rhyme

Rhyme
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A rhyme occurring at the start of poetic lines rather than at their ends, creating unexpected sonic connections and rhythmic emphasis.

Detailed Definition
Initial rhyme occurs when the first words or syllables of lines rhyme with each other, creating a front-loaded sonic pattern that contrasts with end rhyme; though rare in English, it appears in some experimental or alliterative traditions and can produce a striking, incantatory emphasis at the line’s outset.
Example
Example in poetry:
Initial rhyme repeats sounds at the start of lines or phrases: “Slippery snake slides silently south” (alliterative); Old English poetry: “Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum” (“Lo! We of the Spear-Danes…”); Contemporary example: “Bitter bread, broken bones, blackened sky”; In hip-hop: “Money makes my mind move mighty fast”; Such rhyme creates musical cohesion and emphasis; It predates end-rhyme in English tradition.
Additional Notes
initial rhyme: A poetic device where the first words or syllables of lines, stanzas, or verse paragraphs rhyme with one another; distinct from alliteration (which focuses on initial consonants).
Also Known As
head rhyme initial alliteration beginning rhyme fore-rhyme Capitular rhyme heading rhyme Alliteration
Skip to main content