Home › Glossary › Letter T

Tail 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 pattern in which shorter lines rhyme at the end of each stanza, trailing after longer lines

Detailed Definition
Tail rhyme is a verse form where a recurring rhyme (the “tail”) appears at the end of a short line that follows one or more longer lines, typically in patterns like AAABCCCB; originating in medieval romance, it creates a musical refrain-like effect that links stanzas and emphasizes key thematic or emotional notes, as in Chaucer’s “Tale of Sir Thopas” or later adaptations by Robert Southey.
Example
Example in poetry:
Tail rhyme uses a repeated rhyme at line ends after differing lines: AABCCB scheme in medieval romances; “The snow is white, / The night is long, / And I am cold. / The fire is bright, / The song is strong, / And I am bold.” (B rhymes “cold/bold” are tails); Chaucer’s “Tale of Sir Thopas” uses tail rhyme for comic effect; Modern example: “She walked the shore, / The waves did roar, / Alone. / She sought the door, / Her heart was sore, / Unknown.”
Additional Notes
Tail rhyme|A specific rhyme scheme where a longer line is followed by a shorter line that rhymes with the short lines in other stanzas; common in forms like the tail-rhyme stanza (or rima caudata).
Also Known As
Rime couée Tail couplet End rhyme After-rhyme Couée rhyme short-line rhyme
Skip to main content