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True rhyme

Rhyme
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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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 perfect rhyme where the stressed vowel and all subsequent sounds in two or more words match exactly (e.g., "light" and "bright").

Detailed Definition
True rhyme (or perfect rhyme) occurs when the final stressed vowel and all subsequent sounds of two or more words are identical (e.g., “light”/“bright”), creating a clear, resonant sonic match that provides structural closure and musical satisfaction in verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
True rhyme: Shakespeare’s sonnets: "love" / "dove"; Emily Dickinson: "me" / "immortality"; Frost’s "Stopping by Woods": "snow" / "know"; Contemporary: Terrance Hayes’ "American Sonnets" use true rhymes for sonic punch
Additional Notes
Rhyme with matching sounds in stressed syllables. Also called perfect, full, or exact rhyme. Contrasts with slant, near, or eye rhyme. Foundation for most formal rhyme schemes.
Also Known As
Perfect rhyme full rhyme exact rhyme pure rhyme equal rhyme meaningful rhyme
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