Home › Glossary › Letter T

token 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 minimal or perfunctory rhyme used more for structural convention than expressive effect

Detailed Definition
Token rhyme is a minimal or perfunctory rhyme used more for structural convention than sonic emphasis, often appearing in light verse or didactic poetry; while lacking the musical richness of integral rhyme, it provides skeletal cohesion, signaling stanzaic boundaries or reinforcing mnemonic function without dominating the poem’s texture.
Example
Example in poetry:
Nursery rhymes like “Jack and Jill went up the hill”; Advertising jingles: “Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline”; Simple couplets: “Roses are red, violets are blue”; Dr. Seuss’s “I do not like green eggs and ham”
Additional Notes
Token rhymes are minimal or perfunctory, used for structure over effect; common in light verse or song; avoid in serious poetry unless ironic; prioritize meaningful sound over forced rhyme
Also Known As
Perfunctory rhyme minimal rhyme structural rhyme decorative end-rhyme Jeton rhyme
Skip to main content