Two words rhyme when they end with the same sound. Cat and hat. Pig and big.
Step 1: Let's Learn
Read it, or press Listen and follow the words.
Spotting a rhyme is the easy part
Someone gives you two words and you say yes or no. You only have to listen.
Making one is harder
Now nobody gives you the second word. You have to find it yourself, and that is a different job.
How to make one
Keep the ending. Change the front. Cat ends /at/. Put /h/ in front and you get hat.
Run through the sounds
Try /m/. Mat. Try /s/. Sat. Try /p/. Pat. The /at/ never moved.
Made-up words rhyme too
Try /z/. Zat. That is not a real word, but it does rhyme, because it ends the same.
And that counts
If you can make a nonsense rhyme, your ears are working properly. That is the skill being asked for.
Step 2: Try It Yourself
Hold the ending. Change the first sound.
/k/as in cup/at/as in catcatthe whole word
/k/ is hard for a computer to say on its own — it comes out as “kuh”. Listen for it at the start of cup instead.
| First sound | /k/, written c |
|---|---|
| Ending | /at/, written at |
| Blended | cat |
| Is it a word? | A word you know |
| Words you know ending in at | mat, cat, hat, pat, sat |
Say it slowly: /k/ … /at/ … cat. Then say it fast. That is blending — the sounds do not change, you just stop leaving a gap between them. Keep the at ending and change the first sound, and you get mat, cat, hat, pat, sat. One ending, lots of words.
Step 3: Watch an Example
One step at a time.
Making a Rhyme for Cat
Someone says cat and asks for a rhyme.
- Step 1
Say the ending on its own. /at/
Landing on Nonsense
Sam tries /z/ in front of /og/.
- Step 1
He says zog.
A Word That Will Not Rhyme
Ana is asked for a rhyme for orange.
- Step 1
She says the ending and tries lots of starts.
Step 4: Your Turn
Practice makes it stick.
A Rhyme for Pig
Problem 1 of 2
Which word rhymes with pig?
A Made-Up Word
Problem 2 of 2
You say "zat". Does it rhyme with cat?
Make a Rhyme
1 of 4
What do rhyming words share?
2 of 4
To make a rhyme, what do you change?
3 of 4
Which rhymes with mop?
4 of 4
Does a made-up word count as a rhyme?
Step 5: Quick Check
Show what you know.
Question 1 of 1
You are stuck for a rhyme. What should you do first?
What You Learned
- Rhyming words end with the same sound.
- Making a rhyme is harder than spotting one.
- Keep the ending and change the front.
- Made-up words rhyme too, and that counts.