What Is Slant Rhyme? | Definition & Examples
Slant rhyme, also known as near rhyme or half rhyme, refers to a type of rhyme where words have similar but not identical sounds, like “bait” and “paid.” This creates an imperfect or partial rhyming effect. You’ll often find slant rhyme in poetry, song lyrics, and rap because it gives writers greater freedom to express their ideas and emotions without sticking to the predictability of perfect rhyme.
fate—save
sky—tide
lamp—limp
If you’re experimenting with slant rhymes but struggling to find the right phrasing, a tool like QuillBot’s AI Lyric Generator can help you!
What is slant rhyme in poetry?
Slant rhyme is a poetic device used in lyrics and poetry in which words sound similar but don’t match perfectly. This means that they share different vowels and similar consonants (“worm” and “swarm“) or the other way round (“fate” and “save“).
The definition of slant rhyme has changed over time, and that’s why you’ll see different things if you look up the term online:
- The older, more traditional definition of slant rhyme includes words that end with the same consonant sounds—like “queen” and “afternoon” or “parable” and “shell”—but don’t share any vowel or consonant sounds before that.
- The newer, broader definition of slant rhyme looks at the whole last syllable, not just the final consonant. It includes words that have either similar consonant sounds or vowel sounds, making slant rhyme more flexible.
According to the broader definition, there are two main types of slant rhyme:
- Slant rhyme involving assonance: The words share the same vowel sound at the end but have different consonants. For example, “sky” and “tide” both share the same long “i” sound.
- Slant rhyme involving consonance: The words share the same ending consonant sounds but have different vowels. For example, “lamp” and “limp” end similarly but sound a bit different.
Slant rhyme happens when consonance or assonance occurs specifically at the ends of words, while assonance and consonance can appear anywhere inside words.
Slant rhyme vs. perfect rhyme
Perfect rhymes happen when words sound exactly the same from the stressed vowel all the way to the end. Think of pairs like “moon” and “June” or “bright” and “night”; these create complete sound matches that satisfy our expectations for traditional rhyming.
In contrast, slant rhymes only partially meet our rhyming expectations. They share some similar sounds but aren’t an exact match. This creates a subtle tension or surprise that can make the poem or song feel fresher and less predictable. For example, “tree” and “free” are perfect rhymes, while “tree” and “try” are slant rhymes: they sound similar but not identical.
This difference gives slant rhyme several advantages over perfect rhyme:
- More flexibility. One key benefit is that it allows writers to choose from a wider pool of words. For example, instead of limiting yourself to words like “dove” and “above” to rhyme perfectly with love, you could use “live,” “leave,” or “laugh”— words that don’t rhyme exactly but still connect sound-wise.
- Less forced. Perfect rhymes can make a poem sound sing-songy or too neat. Slant rhyme breaks that pattern and adds a bit of texture.
- Solves tough rhyming problems. Some words, like “orange,” have no perfect rhymes. Slant rhymes, like “door-hinge,” help work around these challenges.
Slant rhyme examples in literature
While perfect rhyme was the standard in English poetry for centuries, slant rhyme became more common in the 19th century. Poets like Emily Dickinson and W.B. Yeats helped establish slant rhyme as a legitimate and sophisticated poetic technique, even though examples existed much earlier in English literature
In the following excerpt, “grass” and “pass” are perfect rhymes, but in the next stanzas, Dickinson shifts to a slant rhyme (“abroad” and “thought” and “crumb” and “home”).
From a convenient Grass –
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
To let a Beetle pass –
He glanced with rapid eyes,
That hurried all abroad –
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought,
He stirred his Velvet Head. –
Like one in danger, Cautious,
I offered him a Crumb,
And he unrolled his feathers,
And rowed him softer Home –
B. Yeats played a key role in popularizing slant rhyme in modern English poetry. In “Sailing to Byzantium,” he uses slant rhyme to create a soft, gentle sound. The words “trees,” “seas,” and “dies” share similar vowel sounds but don’t rhyme perfectly. This matches the poem’s contemplative and somewhat uneasy tone.
In one another’s arms, birds in the trees,
—Those dying generations—at their song,
The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,
Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long
Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
Caught in that sensual music all neglect
Monuments of unageing intellect.
Modern examples of slant rhyme in music and poetry
“Orange” is notoriously difficult to rhyme because it has no perfect English rhymes. Eminem demonstrates how slant rhyme makes the “impossible” possible. Instead of forcing single-syllable words, he uses phrases like “Ford engine” and “door hinge” to create the rhyming effect across multiple syllables. Most of these slant rhymes work through shared consonant sounds (the “-nge” pattern) rather than vowel sounds.
in this gourd, there’s a Ford engine,
door hinge, syringe, an orange,
an extension cord, and a ninja sword
Tracy K. Smith, US Poet Laureate from 2017 to 2019, uses perfect and slant rhymes in her poetry to great effect to evoke complex emotions. In “The United States Welcomes You,” she shows how slant rhyme adds depth by mixing harmony with dissonance. The perfect rhyme “afraid/invade” suggests inevitability, while slant rhymes like “confess/test” bring in uncertainty. This reflects the poem’s themes of fear and unanswered questions.
Our night, hands raised, eyes wide, mute
As ghosts? Is there something you wish to confess?
Is this some enigmatic type of test? What if we
Fail? How and to whom do we address our appeal?
How to identify slant rhyme
Slant rhyme can be easy to miss, but with a few simple tips, you’ll spot it in no time.
- Look at the rhyme scheme first. If a poem follows a pattern like ABAB or AABB, check whether the words that should rhyme actually match perfectly. When they don’t quite match but sound similar, you’ve likely found slant rhyme.
- Listen for partial matches. Read the poem aloud and pay attention to words that almost rhyme but feel slightly “off.” Your ear will catch the similarity even when the match isn’t perfect.
- Focus on line endings first. Most slant rhymes appear there, but they can also show up inside lines as internal rhyme.
- Trust your instincts. If two words seem like they’re trying to rhyme but don’t quite make it, they’re likely slant rhymes. The “almost but not quite” feeling is exactly the effect slant rhyme creates.
- Same ending consonants, different vowels: “milk/walk,” “bent/ant,” “lamp/limp”
- Same vowel sounds, different endings: “lake/fate,” “home/bone,” “light/size”
- Similar but not identical sounds: “love/move,” “worm/swarm,” “moon/bone”
Poetry is about experimentation. Let your creativity flow and use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to keep the focus on your poetry, not the errors.
Frequently asked questions about slant rhyme
- What is an example of slant rhyme?
-
Slant rhyme, also known as half rhyme, occurs when two words share similar but not identical sounds. For example:
- “Hill” and “full.” These words share the same final consonant sound but differ in their vowels.
- “Fate” and “cave”: These share a similar “a” sound but have different final consonant sounds.
Want to experiment with slant rhymes in your writing? Try QuillBot’s Paraphraser to refine your word choices
- What is a slant rhyme in Shakespeare?
-
One example of slant rhyme can be found in William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 90. In lines 9 and 11, the words “last” and “taste” share a similar ending sound, forming a subtle pairing. One possible reason for this is that it allows Shakespeare to keep the rhyme scheme of his sonnet.
If you’re ever unsure, you can ask the QuillBot AI Chat about slant rhymes you think you’ve found.
- What is perfect rhyme?
-
Perfect rhyme occurs when two words have the same sound from the stressed vowel to the end of the word. For example:
- “Floor” and “door”: The entire sound pattern matches perfectly.
- “Latitude” and “gratitude”: These words create an exact sound repetition.
Perfect rhyme is more traditional and is often used to create a melodic or predictable effect. This contrasts with slant rhyme, which provides more flexibility and variation.
QuillBot’s Grammar Checker catches errors and smooths out your rhymes so that your poetry shines!
- What is half rhyme?
-
Half rhyme, also known as slant rhyme, refers to a type of rhyme that creates a near match between words. It can be achieved through:
- Similar ending consonants, such as in “milk” and “walk.”
- Shared vowel sounds, like in “home” and “bone.”
This style of rhyme adds a softer and less predictable sound to poetry.
Ready to try your hand at poetry? Use QuillBot’s AI chat to brainstorm and refine your half rhymes.
