ryhme

Rhyme is a linguistic and literary device in which the final stressed sounds of words match, usually at the ends of lines in poetry or songs. The spelling "ryhme" is a common misspelling and not standard in modern usage. In linguistic terms, rhyme relies on phonological similarity rather than identical spelling, so rhymes can occur even when the words look different.

Common types include end rhyme (the last words of lines share sounds), internal rhyme (rhymes within a single line), and cross-line rhyme. Rhyme can be perfect (an exact vowel and following consonant match, as in cat–hat) or near/slant rhyme (approximate matching). Eye rhyme occurs when spellings suggest a rhyme but pronunciation differs, as sometimes happens with visually similar words. Feminine rhymes involve two or more syllables, while masculine rhymes involve a single stressed syllable. Rhyming schemes group lines by pattern, such as AABB or ABAB, guiding structure in verse and song.

Rhyme adds musicality, aids memory, and helps shape emphasis, pacing, and cohesion in poetry and lyrics. It interacts with meter and rhythm and can influence how a passage is read aloud. Because rhyme depends on sound rather than spelling, dialect and accent can affect which words rhyme with each other, making rhyming practices vary across languages and communities.

Origin: the term derives from Old French rime (Latin rima), with the modern sense of patterning in verse developing in medieval Europe. Rhyme remains a central feature of many poetic traditions and is widely used in contemporary songwriting.