CHAPTER IX.

OF SONG-WRITING.

Although song-writing is one of the most difficult styles of

versification, it is now held in but little repute, owing to the

unfortunate condition of the musical world in England. "Any rubbish will

do for music" is the maxim of the music-shopkeeper, who is practically

the arbiter of the art now-a-days, and who has the interests, he is

supposed to represent, so little at heart that he would not scruple to

publish songs, consisting of "nonsense verses"—as schoolboys call

them,—set to music, if he thought that the usual artifice of paying

singers a royalty on the sale for singing a song would prevail on the

public to buy them.

Another reason why "any rubbish will do for music" has passed into

a proverb is, that few amateur singers—and not too many

professionals—understand "phrasing." How rarely can one hear what

the words of a song are! Go to a "musical evening" and take note,

and you will see that, in nine cases out of ten, when a new song has

been sung, people take the piece of music and look over the words. A

song is like a cherry, and ought not to require us to make two bites

at it.

Nor is the injury inflicted on music due only to the amount of rubbish

which is made to do duty for songs. The writings of our poets are

ransacked for "words," and accompaniments are manufactured to poems

which were never intended, and are absolutely unfitted, for musical

treatment. Then, because it is found that poems are not to be converted

into songs so easily as people think, the cry is not merely that "any

rubbish will do for songs," but that "_only_ rubbish will do,"—a cry

that is vigorously taken up by interested persons.

The truth lies between the two extremes. A peculiar style of verse is

required, marked by such characteristics, and so difficult of

attainment, that some of our greatest poets—Byron for one—have failed as

song-writers. English literature reckons but few really good

song-writers. When you have named Moore, Lover, Burns, and Barry

Cornwall, you have almost exhausted the list.

There is in the last edition of the works of the lamented writer I

have just named—Samuel Lover—a preface in which he enters very minutely

into the subject of song-writing. The sum of what he says is, that "the

song being necessarily of brief compass, the writer must have powers of

condensation. He must possess ingenuity in the management of metre. He

must frame it of open vowels, with as few guttural or hissing sounds as

possible, and he must be content sometimes to sacrifice grandeur or

vigour to the necessity of selecting _singing_ words and not _reading_

ones." He adds that "the simplest words best suit song, but simplicity

must not descend to baldness. There must be a thought in the song,

gracefully expressed, and it must appeal either to the fancy or

feelings, or both, but rather by suggestion than direct appeal; and

philosophy and didactics must be eschewed."

He adduces Shelley, with his intense poetry and exquisite

sensitiveness to sweet sounds, as an instance of a poet who failed to

see the exact necessities of song-writing, and gives a quotation from

one of Shelley's "songs" to prove this. The line is—

"The fresh earth in new leaves drest."

and he says very pertinently, "It is a sweet line, and a pleasant

image—but I defy any one to sing it: _nearly every word shuts up the

mouth instead of opening it_." That last sentence is the key to

song-writing. I use the word song-writing in preference to "lyrical

writing," because "lyrical" has been warped from its strict meaning, and

applied to verse which was not intended for music. It is not absolutely

necessary that a song-writer should have a practical knowledge of music,

but it is all the better if he have: beyond doubt, Moore owed much of

his success to his possession of musical knowledge.

[Illustration]

DICTIONARY OF RHYMES.

_Explanation of Signs, etc._

† Words obsolete, antiquated, and rare.

* Provincialisms, or local terms.

§ Slang, vulgar, or commonplace words.

¶ Technical or unusual words.

|| Foreign words, naturalised to some extent.

_N.B._—When under one termination other spellings occur,—_e.g._, under

IRM, _term_ and _worm_,—the reader should refer to them; _i.e._,

ERM and ORM.

A.

There is an uncertainty, and therefore a choice, as to the pronunciation

of many words ending in "a." Most are of classical or foreign

derivation, and hence may come under A1, or A2; or perhaps even under a

third sound, not exactly corresponding with either, as for instance

"Julia," which is neither "Juli_ay_" nor "Juli_ah_" exactly. Here are a

few:—Angelica, Basilica, sciatica, area, Omega (?), assafœtida,

apocrypha, cyclopædia, regalia, paraphernalia, battalia, aurelia,

parabola, cupola, nebula, phenomena, ephemera, amphora, plethora, etc.

A1 (as "a," definite article[18]), rhymes AY, EY, EIGH, EH, appliqué

and similar French words; but A2 (as in "mamma"), rhymes AH, baa, ha,

ah, la, papa, mamma, huzza, psha.

AB, or ABB.

(As in "cab"), bab,§ cab, dab, Mab, gab,§ nab, blab,§ crab, drab,§ scab,

stab, shab,§ slab, St Abb. (As in "squab"), see OB.§

ABE.

Babe, astrolabe.

AC.

Rhymes ACK, zodiac, maniac, demoniac, ammoniac, almanac, symposiac,

hypochondriac, aphrodisiac, crack, lac.

ACE.

Ace, dace, pace, face, lace, mace, race, brace, chace, grace, place,

Thrace, space, trace, apace, deface, efface, disgrace, displace,

misplace, embrace, grimace, interlace, retrace, populace, carapace,

base, case, abase, debase, etc.

ACH.

(As in "attach"), rhymes ATCH, attach, detach, batch, match, etc. (As in

"brach"), rhymes AC, ACK, brach.

ACHE.

(As in "ache"), rhymes EAK, AKE, AQUE. (As in "tache"), rhymes ASH,

tache,† patache,† panache.||

ACK.

Back, brack,† hack, jack, lack, pack, quack, tack, sack, rack, black,

clack,§ crack, knack, slack, snack,§ stack, track, wrack, attack,

zodiac, demoniac, symposiac, almanac, smack, thwack,§ arrack.

ACS.

Genethliacs, rhymes AX, ACKS, plural of nouns, or third person singular

present of verbs in ACK, AC.

ACT.

Act, fact, fract,† pact, tract, attract, abstract, extract, compact,

contract, subact, co-act, detract, distract, exact, protract, enact,

infract, subtract, transact, retract, charact,§ re-act, cataract,

counteract, the preterites and participles of verbs in ACK.

AD, or ADD.

(As in "bad"), add, bad, dad,§ gad, fad,§ had, lad, mad, pad, sad, brad,

clad, glad, plaid (?), cad,§ chad,† etc. (As in "wad"), rhymes OD, ODD,

quad,¶ wad.

ADE.

Cade, fade, made, jade, lade, wade, blade, bade, glade, shade, spade,

trade, degrade, evade, dissuade, invade, persuade, blockade, brigade,

estrade, arcade, esplanade, cavalcade, cascade, cockade, crusade,

masquerade, renegade, retrograde, serenade, gambade, brocade, ambuscade,

cannonade, pallisade, rhodomontade,§ aid, maid, raid, braid, afraid,

etc. and the preterites and participles of verbs in AY, EY, and EIGH.

[The word "pomade" still retains the French "ade," and rhymes with

huzzaed, psha'd, baad.]

ADGE.

Badge, cadge,§ fadge.§

ADZE.

Adze, rhymes plural of nouns, or third person singular present of verbs,

in AD, ADD.

AEN.

Ta'en, rhymes AIN, ANE, AIGN, EIGN.

AFE.

Safe, chafe, vouchsafe, waif, nafe,† naif,|| etc.

AFF.

Gaff, chaff, draff, graff, quaff, staff, distaff, engraff, epitaph,

cenotaph, paragraph, laugh, half, calf. [Here varieties of pronunciation

interfere, some giving the short vowel "chăff," others the long

"chāff."]

AFT.

Aft, haft, raft, daft,* waft, craft, shaft, abaft, graft, draft,

ingraft, handicraft, draught, and the preterites and participles of

verbs in AFF and AUGH, etc.

AG.

Bag, cag, dag,† fag, gag, hag, jag, lag, nag, quag,* rag, sag,† tag,

wag, brag, crag, drag, flag, knag, shag, snag, stag, swag,§ scrag,§

Brobdingnag.

AGD.

Smaragd,† preterites and participles of verbs in AG.

AGE.

Age, cage, gage, mage,† page, rage, sage, wage, stage, swage, assuage,

engage, disengage, enrage, presage, appanage, concubinage, heritage,

hermitage, parentage, personage, parsonage, pasturage, patronage,

pilgrimage, villanage, equipage, and gauge.

AGM.

Diaphragm,¶ rhymes AM, AHM.

AGUE.

Plague, vague.

AHM.

Brahm,|| rhymes AM, AGM.

AH.

Ah, bah, pah, rhymes A.

AI.

Serai,|| almai,|| ai,|| papai,|| ay.

AIC

[Really, a dissyllable], haic,|| caic,|| alcaic,¶ saic.|| See AKE.

AID, see ADE and AD. AIGHT, see ATE. AIGN, see ANE.

AIL.

Bail, brail,¶ fail, grail,† hail, jail, mail, nail, pail, quail, rail,

sail, shail,† tail, wail, flail, frail, snail, trail, assail, avail,

detail, bewail, entail, prevail, aventail,† wassail,† retail,

countervail, curtail, Abigail,§ ale, bale, dale, gale, hale, male, pale,

sale, tale, vale, wale, scale, shale, stale, swale,† whale, wale,†

impale, exhale, regale, veil, nightingale, etc.

AIM, see AME.

AIN.

Cain, blain, brain, chain, fain, gain, grain, lain, main, pain, rain,

vain, wain, drain, plain, slain, Spain, stain, swain, train, twain,

sprain, strain, abstain, amain, attain, complain, contain, constrain,

detain, disdain, distrain, enchain, entertain, explain, maintain,

ordain, pertain, obtain, refrain, regain, remain, restrain, retain,

sustain, appertain, thane,† Dane, bane, cane, crane, fane, Jane, lane,

mane, plane, vane, wane, profane, hurricane, etc., deign, arraign,

campaign, feign, reign, vein, rein, skein, thegn,† etc.

AINST.

Against, rhymes abbreviated second person singular present of verbs in

AIN, ANE, AIGN, EIN, EIGN

AIQUE.

Caique,|| see AIC.

AINT.

Ain't,§ mayn't,§ faint, plaint, quaint, saint, taint, teint, acquaint,

attaint, complaint, constraint, restraint, distraint, feint.

AIR and AIRE, see ARE, EAR, EIR, AIR, ERE, EER.

AIRD.

Laird,* rhymes preterites and participles of verbs in AIR, etc.

AIRN.

Bairn,* cairn.*

AISE, see AZE.

AISLE.

Aisle, see ILE.

AIT, see ATE, EIGHT.

AITH.

Faith, wraith, rath,† baith.*

AIZE, see AZE.

AK.

Dâk,|| rhymes ALK.

AKE.

Ake, bake, cake, hake, lake, make, quake, rake, sake, take, wake, brake,

drake, flake, shake, snake, stake, strake,† spake,† awake, betake,

forsake, mistake, partake, overtake, undertake, bespake, mandrake,

break, steak, etc. See AIC.

AL.

Shall, pal,§ mall (?), sal, gal,§ fal-lal,§ cabal, canal, animal,

admiral, cannibal, capital, cardinal, comical, conjugal, corporal,

criminal, critical, festival, fineal, funeral, general, hospital,

interval, liberal, madrigal, literal, magical, mineral, mystical,

musical, natural, original, pastoral, pedestal, personal, physical,

poetical, political, principal, prodigal, prophetical, rational,

satirical, reciprocal, rhetorical, several, temporal, tragical,

tyrannical, carnival, schismatical, whimsical, arsenal, and many others.

ALD.

(As in "bald"), bald, scald, rhymes the preterites and participles of

verbs in ALL, AUL, and AWL. (As in "emerald"), rhymes preterite and

participle of "cabal," etc.

ALE, see AIL.

ALF.

Calf, half, behalf, staff, laugh, epitaph, etc.

ALK.

Balk, chalk, stalk, talk, walk, calk, dâk,|| baulk, caulk, catafalque,

hawk, auk.

ALL.

All, ball, call, gall, caul, haul, appal, enthral, bawl, brawl, crawl,

scrawl, sprawl,§ squall.

ALM, ALMS.

Calm, balm, becalm, psalm, palm, embalm, etc.; plurals and third persons

singular rhyme with ALMS, as alms, calms, becalms, etc.

ALP.

Scalp, Alp.

ALQUE.

Catafalque, see ALK.

ALSE.

False, valse.

ALT.

(As in "halt"), halt, malt, exalt, salt, vault, assault, default, and

fault. (As in "shalt"), asphalt, alt,¶ shalt.

ALVE.

(As in "calve"), calve, halve, salve. (As in "valve"), valve, alve.†

AM.

Am, dam, ham, pam,¶ ram, Sam, cram, dram, flam,§ sham, swam, kam,† clam,

epigram, anagram, damn, lamb.

AMB.

Lamb, jamb, oriflamb,† am, dam, etc.

AME.

Blame, came, dame, same, flame, fame, frame, game, lame, name, prame,||

same, tame, shame, inflame, became, defame, misname, misbecame,

overcame, aim, claim, maim, acclaim, declaim, disclaim, exclaim,

proclaim, reclaim.

AMM.

Lamm,† see AM.

AMME.

Oriflamme,|| see AM.

AMN.

Damn, see AM.

AMP.

(As in "camp"), camp, champ, cramp, damp, stamp, vamp,§ lamp, clamp,

decamp, encamp, etc. (As in "swamp"), swamp, pomp, romp.

AN.

(As in "ban"), ban, can, Dan, fan, man, Nan, pan, ran, tan, van, bran,

clan, plan, scan, span, than, unman, foreran, began, trepan, courtesan,

partisan, artisan, pelican, caravan, shandydan,* barracan¶ (As in

"wan"), wan, swan, on, upon, etc.

ANCE.

Chance, dance, glance, lance, trance, prance, intrance, romance,

advance, mischance, complaisance, circumstance, countenance,

deliverance, consonance, dissonance, extravagance, ignorance,

inheritance, maintenance, temperance, intemperance, exorbitance,

ordinance, concordance, sufferance, sustenance, utterance, arrogance,

vigilance, expanse, enhance, France. [Here the "ance" is pronounced

differently by different people, "ănce" and "ānce."]

ANCH.

Branch, staunch, launch, blanch, haunch, paunch,§ ganch.*

AND.

(As in "band"), and, band, hand, land, rand, sand, brand, bland, grand,

gland, stand, strand, command, demand, countermand, disband, expand,

withstand, understand, reprimand, contraband, and preterites and

participles of verbs in AN. (As in "wand"), wand, fond, bond, etc., and

the preterites and participles of verbs in ON.

ANE, see AIN.

ANG.

Bang, fang, gang, hang, pang, tang,§ twang, sang, slang,§ rang,

harangue, swang, stang,* lang,* chang,|| clang.

ANGE.

Change, grange, range, strange, estrange, arrange, exchange,

interchange.

ANGUE.

Harangue, rhyme ANG.

ANK.

Yank,* bank, rank, blank, shank, clank, dank, drank, slank, frank,

spank,§ stank, brank,¶ hank, lank, plank, prank, rank, thank, disrank,

mountebank, etc.

ANSE, see ANCE.

ANT.

(As in "ant"), ant, cant, chant, grant, pant, plant, rant, slant,

aslant, complaisant, displant, enchant, gallant, implant, recant,

supplant, transplant, absonant, adamant, arrogant, combatant, consonant,

cormorant, protestant, significant, visitant, covenant, dissonant,

disputant, elegant, elephant, exorbitant, conversant, extravagant,

ignorant, insignificant, inhabitant, militant, predominant, sycophant,

vigilant, petulant, etc. (As in "can't"), can't, shan't, aunt, haunt,

etc. (As in "want"), want, upon't, font.

AP.

(As in "cap"), cap, dap, gap, hap, lap, map, nap, pap, rap, sap, tap,

chap, clap, trap, fap,† flap, knap,§ slap, snap, wrap, scrap, strap,

enwrap, entrap, mishap, affrap, mayhap, etc. (As in "swap"), swap, top,

chop, etc.

APE.

Ape, cape, shape, grape, rape, scape, scrape, escape, nape, chape,†

trape,† jape,§ crape, tape, etc.

APH, see AFF.

APSE.

Apse,¶ lapse, elapse, relapse, perhaps, and the plurals of nouns and

third persons singular present tense of verbs in AP.

APT.

Apt, adapt, etc. Rhymes, the preterites and participles of verbs in AP.

AQUE.

Opaque, plaque,¶ make, ache, break.

AR.

(As in "bar"), rhymes Czar,|| bar, car, far, jar, mar, par, tar, spar,

scar, star, char, afar, debar, petar,§ unbar, catarrh, particular,

perpendicular, secular, angular, regular, popular, singular, titular,

vinegar, scimetar, calendar, avatar,|| cinnabar, caviare,|| are. (As in

"war"), rhymes for, and perhaps bore, pour, etc.

ARB.

Barb, garb, rhubarb, etc.

ARCE.

Farce, parse, sarse,† sparse. ["Scarce" has no rhyme.]

ARCH.

(As in "march"), arch, march, larch, parch, starch, countermarch, etc.

(As in "hierarch"), hierarch, heresiarch, park, ark, etc.

ARD.

(As in "bard"), bard, card, guard, hard, lard, nard, shard, yard,

basilard,† bombard, discard, regard, interlard, retard, disregard, etc.,

and the preterites and participles of verbs in AR. (As in "ward"), ward,

sward, afford, restored, etc.

ARE.

(As in "bare"), rhymes care, dare, fare, gare,† hare, mare, pare, tare,

ware, flare, glare, scare, share, snare, spare, square, stare, sware,

yare,† prepare, aware, beware, compare, declare, ensnare, air, vair,¶

fair, hair, lair, pair, chair, stair, affair, debonnair, despair,

impair, glaire, repair, etc.; bear, pear, swear, tear, wear, forbear,

forswear, etc.; there, were, where, ere, e'er, ne'er, elsewhere,

whate'er, howe'er, howsoe'er, whene'er, where'er, etc,; heir, coheir,

their. (As in "are"), rhymes AR.

ARES.

Unawares. Rhymes, theirs, and the plurals of nouns and third persons

singular of verbs in are, air, eir, ear.

ARF.

Dwarf, wharf.

ARGE.

Barge, charge, large, marge, targe,† discharge, o'er-charge, surcharge,

enlarge.

ARK.

Ark, bark, cark,† clark, dark, lark, mark, park, chark,† shark, spark,

stark, embark, remark, etc.

ARL.

Carl,† gnarl, snarl, marl, harl,¶ parle.†

ARM.

(As in "arm"), arm, barm, charm, farm, harm, alarm, disarm. (As in

"warm"), warm, swarm, storm, etc.

ARN.

(As in "barn"), barn, yarn, etc. (As in "warn"), warn, forewarn, horn,

morn, etc.

ARP.

(As in "carp"), carp, harp, sharp, counterscarp, etc. (As in "warp"),

warp, thorp,* etc.

ARRH.

Catarrh, bar, jar.

ARSE, see ARCE.

ARSH.

Harsh, marsh, etc.

ART.

(As in "art"), heart, art, cart, dart, hart, mart, part, smart, tart,

start, apart, depart, impart, dispart, counterpart. (As in "wart"),

wart, thwart, quart, swart, port, fort, court, short, retort, sport,

etc.

ARTH.

Swarth, forth, north.

ARVE.

Carve, starve.

AS.

(As in "was"), was, 'cos,§ poz.§ (As in "gas"), gas, lass, ass, alias.

(As in "has"), has, as.

ASE, see ACE.

ASH.

(As in "ash"), ash, cash, dash, clash, crash, flash, gash, gnash, hash,

lash, plash, bash,† pash,† brash,† rash, thrash, slash, trash, abash,

etc. (As in "wash"), wash, bosh,§ squash,§ quash,¶ swash.†

ASK.

Ask, task, task, cask, flask, mask, hask.†

ASM.

Chasm, spasm, miasm, enthusiasm, cataplasm, phantasm.

ASP.

Asp, clasp, rasp, gasp, grasp, hasp, wasp (?).

ASQUE.

Casque, mask, etc.

ASS.

Ass, brass, class, grass, lass, mass, pass, alas, amass, cuirass,

repass, surpass, morass, etc.

AST.

(As in "cast"), cast, last, blast, mast, past, vast, fast, aghast,

avast,¶ forecast, overcast, outcast, repast, the preterites and

participles of verbs in ASS. (As in "wast"), wast, tost, lost, etc.

ASTE.

Baste, chaste, haste, paste, taste, waste, distaste, waist, and the

preterites and participles of verbs in ACE, ASE.

AT.

(As in "at"), at, bat, cat, hat, fat, mat, pat, rat, sat, tat, vat,

brat, chat, flat, lat, sprat, that, gnat. (As in "what"), what, spot,

not, etc.

ATCH.

(As in "catch"), catch, match, hatch, latch, patch, scratch, smatch,

snatch, despatch, ratch,† slatch,¶ swatch, attach, thatch. (As in

"watch"), watch, botch,§ Scotch.

ATE.

Bate, date, fate, gate, grate, hate, mate, pate,§ plate, prate, rate,

sate, state, scate,† slate, abate, belate, collate, create, debate,

elate, dilate, estate, ingrate, innate, rebate,¶ relate, sedate,

translate, abdicate, abominate, abrogate, accelerate, accommodate,

accumulate, accurate, adequate, affectionate, advocate, adulterate,

aggravate, agitate, alienate, animate, annihilate, antedate, anticipate,

antiquate, arbitrate, arrogate, articulate, assassinate, calculate,

capitulate, captivate, celebrate, circulate, coagulate, commemorate,

commiserate, communicate, compassionate, confederate, congratulate,

congregate, consecrate, contaminate, corroborate, cultivate, candidate,

co-operate, celibate, considerate, consulate, capacitate, debilitate,

dedicate, degenerate, delegate, deliberate, denominate, depopulate,

dislocate, deprecate, discriminate, derogate, dissipate, delicate,

disconsolate, desolate, desperate, educate, effeminate, elevate,

emulate, estimate, elaborate, equivocate, eradicate, evaporate,

exaggerate, exasperate, expostulate, exterminate, extricate, facilitate,

fortunate, generate, gratulate, hesitate, illiterate, illuminate,

irritate, imitate, immoderate, impetrate, importunate, imprecate,

inanimate, innovate, instigate, intemperate, intimate, intimidate,

intoxicate, intricate, invalidate, inveterate, inviolate, legitimate,

magistrate, meditate, mitigate, moderate, necessitate, nominate,

obstinate, participate, passionate, penetrate, perpetrate, personate,

potentate, precipitate, predestinate, predominate, premeditate,

prevaricate, procrastinate, profligate, prognosticate, propagate,

recriminate, regenerate, regulate, reiterate, reprobate, reverberate,

ruminate, separate, sophisticate, stipulate, subjugate, subordinate,

suffocate, terminate, titivate,§ tolerate, vindicate, violate,

unfortunate, bait, strait, waite, await, great, tête-à-tête, eight,||

weight, straight. [Ate (from "cat") rhymes "yet."]

ATH.

(As in "bath"), bath, path, swath,* wrath. (As in "hath"), hath,

aftermath. (As in "rath"), rath, faith, etc.

ATHE.

Bathe, swathe, rathe,† scathe.

AUB.

Daub, kebaub,|| Punjaub.

AUD.

Fraud, laud, applaud, defraud, broad, abroad, and the preterites and

participles of verbs in AW, etc.

AUGH.

(As in "laugh"), laugh, quaff, etc. (As in "usquebaugh"), usquebaugh,*

law, etc.

AUGHT.

(As in "draught"), draught, quaffed, etc. (As in "caught"), caught,

ought, taut, haught,§ etc.

AUK.

Auk, squauk,§ chalk, hawk, etc.

AULM.

Haulm, shawm.

AULK.

Caulk, see ALK.

AULT, see ALT

AUN.

Aun,† shaun,* lawn, prawn, dawn, etc.

AUNCH, see ANCH.

AUND.

Maund,* preterites and participles of verbs in AWN.

AUNCE.

Askaunce, romance, glance, etc.

AUNT.

Aunt, daunt, gaunt, haunt, jaunt, taunt, vaunt, avaunt, shan't, can't,

slant, aslant.

AUR.

Bucentaur,|| before, explore, soar.

AUSE.

Cause, pause, clause, applause, because, the plurals of nouns and third

persons singular of verbs in AW.

AUST.

Holocaust, frost, cost.

AUZE.

Gauze, cause, laws, etc.

AVE.

Cave, brave, gave, grave, crave, lave, nave, knave, pave, rave, save,

shave, slave, stave, wave, behave, deprave, engrave, outbrave, forgave,

misgave, architrave. ["Have" is without a rhyme.]

AW.

Craw, daw, law, chaw,§ claw, draw, flaw, gnaw, jaw, maw, paw, raw, saw,

scraw,† shaw, straw, thaw, withdraw, foresaw, usquebaugh.*

AWD, see AUD. AWK, see ALK.

AWL.

Bawl, brawl, drawl, crawl, scrawl, sprawl, squaul,§ ball, call, fall,

gall, small, hall, pall, tall, wall, stall, install, forestall, thrall,

inthrall.

AWM.

Shawm, see AULM.

AWN.

Dawn, brawn, fawn, pawn, spawn, drawn, yawn, awn, withdrawn.

AX.

Ax, tax, lax, pax,¶ wax, relax, flax, the plurals of nouns and third

persons singular of verbs in ACK.

AY.

Bray, clay, day, dray, tray, flay, fray, gay, hay, jay, lay, may, nay,

pay, play, ray, say, way, pray, spray, slay, stay, stray, sway, tway,†

fay,† affray, allay, array, astray, away, belay,¶ bewray, betray, decay,

defray, delay, disarray, display, dismay, essay, forelay, gainsay,

inlay, relay, repay, roundelay, Twankay,|| virelay, neigh, weigh,

inveigh, etc.; prey, they, convey, obey, purvey, survey, disobey, grey,

aye, denay.†

AZE.

Craze, draze, blaze, gaze, glaze, raze, maze, amaze, graze, raise,

praise, dispraise, phrase, paraphrase, etc., and the nouns plural and

third persons singular of the present tense of verbs in AY, EIGH, and

EY.

E.

E, see EE.

CRE. CHRE, TRE.

Sepulchre, massacre, theatre, stir, err, fur, myrrh, etc.

EA.

(As in "sea"), sea, see, free, etc. (As in "yea"), yea, way, obey,

neigh, etc.

EACE, see EASE.

EACH.

Beach, breach, bleach, each, peach, preach, teach, impeach, beech,

leech, speech, beseech.

EAD.

(As in "bread"), bread, shed, wed, dead, etc. (As in "read"), read,

secede, feed, etc.

EAF.

(As in "sheaf"), rhymes IEF. (As in "deaf"), rhymes EF.

EAGUE.

League, Teague, etc., intrigue, fatigue, renege,§ etc.

EAK.

(As in "beak"), beak, speak, bleak, creak, freak, leak, peak, sneak,§

squeak, streak, weak, tweak,§ wreak, bespeak, cheek, leek, eke,† creek,

meek, reek, seek, sleek, pique,|| week, shriek. (As in "break"), break,

take, sake, etc.

EAL.

Deal, heal, reveal, meal, peal, seal, steal, teal, veal, weal, squeal,§

leal,* zeal, repeal, conceal, congeal, repeal, anneal, appeal, wheal,*

eel, heel, feel, keel, kneel, peel, reel, steal, wheel. [Real is a

dissyllable, and therefore does not count here.]

EALD.

Weald,* see IELD.

EALM.

Realm, elm, whelm.

EALTH.

Health, wealth, stealth, commonwealth, etc.

EAM.

Bream, cream, gleam, seam, scream, stream, team, beam, dream, enseam,†

scheme, theme, blaspheme, extreme, supreme, deem, teem, beseem, misdeem,

esteem, disesteem, redeem, seem, beteem,† etc.

EAMT.

Dreamt, exempt, attempt, empt,† etc.

EAN.

Bean, clean, dean, glean, lean, mean, wean, yean, demean, unclean,

convene, demesne, intervene, mien, hyen,† machine, keen, screen, seen,

skean,† green, spleen, between, careen, teen,† foreseen, serene,

obscene, terrene, queen, spleen, etc.

EANS.

Means, rhymes plural of nouns, and third persons singular present of

verbs, in EAN, EEN, ENE.

EANSE.

Cleanse, plural of nouns, and third person singular present of verbs, in

EN.

EANT, see ENT. EAP, see EEP. EAR see EER and AIR.

EARCH.

Search, perch, research, church, smirch,† etc.

EARD.

(As in "heard"), heard, herd, sherd,† etc., the preterites and

participles of verbs in ER, UR, etc. (As in "beard"), beard, feared,

revered, weird, preterites and participles of verbs in EAR, ERE, etc.

EARL.

Earl, pearl, girl, curl,† churl, whirl, purl,§ furl, etc.

EARN, see ERN. EARSE, see ERSE. EART, see ART.

EARTH.

Earth, dearth, birth, mirth, worth, Perth, berth, etc.

EASE (sounded EACE. For hard "s," see EEZE).

Cease, lease, release, grease, decease, decrease, increase, release,

surcease, peace, piece, niece, fleece, geese, frontispiece, apiece, etc.

EAST.

East, feast, least, beast, priest, the preterites and participles of

verbs in EASE (sounded EACE).

EAT.

(As in "bleat"), bleat, eat, feat, heat, meat, neat, seat, treat, wheat,

beat, cheat, defeat, estreat, escheat, entreat, retreat, obsolete,

replete, concrete, complete, feet, fleet, greet, meet, sheet, sleet,

street, sweet, discreet. (As in "great"), great, hate, bate, wait,

tête.||

EATH.

(As in "breath"), breath, death, saith, Elizabeth, etc., and antiquated

third person singular present, accented on the antipenult, _e.g._,

"encountereth." (As in "heath"), heath, sheath, teeth, wreath, beneath.

EATHE.

Breathe, sheathe, wreathe, inwreathe, bequeathe, seethe, etc.

EAU.

Beau,|| bureau,|| though, go, show, doe, etc.

EAVE.

Cleave, heave, interweave, leave, weave, bereave, inweave, receive,

conceive, deceive, perceive, eve, grieve, sleeve, thieve, aggrieve,

achieve, believe, disbelieve, relieve, reprieve, retrieve.

EB, and EBB.

Web, neb,* ebb, bleb,† etc.

ECK, and EC.

Beck, peck, neck, check, fleck, deck, speck, wreck, hypothec,|| spec,§

geck.§

EKS.

I'fecks,§ third person singular of verbs and plural of nouns in ECK.

ECT.

Sect, affect, correct, incorrect, collect, deject, detect, direct,

disrespect, disaffect, dissect, effect, elect, eject, erect, expect,

indirect, infect, inspect, neglect, object, project, protect, recollect,

reflect, reject, respect, select, subject, suspect, architect,

circumspect, direct, intellect, the preterites and participles of verbs

in ECK, etc.

ED.

Bed, bled, fed, fled, bred, Ted, red, shred, shed, sped, wed, abed,

inbred, misled, said, bread, dread, dead, head, lead, read, spread,

thread, tread, behead, o'erspread, and the preterites and participles of

verbs, which, when the "éd" (pronounced) is added, have the accent on

the antepenultimate [_e.g._, vanishéd; but see Chap. VIII.]

EDE.

Glede, rede,† brede,† discede, see EED, EAD.

EDGE.

Edge, wedge, fledge, hedge, ledge, pledge, sedge, allege, kedge,¶

privilege, sacrilege, sortilege, etc.

EE.

Bee, free, glee, knee, see, three, thee, tree, agree, decree, degree,

disagree, flee, foresee, o'ersee, pedigree, he, me, we, she, be,

jubilee, lee, ne,† sea, plea, flea, tea, key, cap-à-pie,|| gree,† dree,†

calipee.

EECE, see EASE. EECH, see EACH.

EED.

Creed, deed, indeed, bleed, breed, feed, heed, meed, need, reed, speed,

seed, steed, weed, proceed, succeed, exceed, knead, read, intercede,

precede, recede, concede, impede, supersede, bead, lead, mead, plead,

etc.

EEF, see IEF. EEK, see EAK. EEL, see EAL.

EEM, see EAM. EEN, see EAN.

EEP.

Creep, deep, sleep, keep, peep, sheep, steep, sweep, weep, asleep,

cheap, heap, neap,¶ etc.

EER.

(As in "beer"), beer, deer, fleer,† geer, jeer, peer, mere, leer, sheer,

steer, sneer, cheer, veer, pickeer, domineer, cannoneer, compeer,

engineer, mutineer, pioneer, privateer, charioteer, chanticleer, career,

mountaineer, fere,† here, sphere, adhere, cohere, interfere, persevere,

revere, austere, severe, sincere, hemisphere, &c.; ear, clear, dear,

fear, here, near, sear, smear, spear, tear, rear, year, appear, besmear,

bandolier,† disappear, endear, auctioneer. (As in "e'er"), ne'er, ARE,

AIR, etc.

EESE, see EEZE. EET, see EAT. EETH, see

EATH. EETHE, see EATHE. EEVE, see EAVE.

EEVES.

Eeaves, rhymes plural of nouns, and third person singular present of

verbs in EEVE, IEVE, etc.

EEZE.

Breeze, freeze, wheeze, sneeze, squeeze, and the plurals of nouns and

third persons singular present tense of verbs in EE, cheese, leese,†

these, ease, appease, disease, displease, tease, seize, etc., and the

plurals of nouns in EA, EE, etc.

EF.

Clef,¶ nef,† semibref,¶ kef,|| deaf, etc.

EFT.

Cleft, left, theft, weft, bereft, etc.

EG, and EGG.

Egg, leg, beg, peg, Meg, keg.

EGE.

Renege,§ see EAGUE.

EGM.

Phlegm, apothegm, parapegm, diadem, etc.

EGN.

Thegn,|| vain, mane, etc.

EH.

Eh? rhymes A, AY, EY, EIGH.

EIGH, see AY. EIGHT, see ATE and ITE. EIGN,

see AIN. EIL, see EEL and AIL. EIN, see

AIN. EINT, see AINT. EIR, see ARE.

EIRD.

Weird, see EARD.

EIT, see EAT. EIVE, see EAVE. EIZE,

see EEZE. EKE, see EAK.

EL, and ELL.

Ell, dwell, fell, hell, knell, quell, sell, bell, cell, mell,† dispel,

foretell, excel, compel, befell, yell, well, tell, swell, spell, smell,

shell, parallel, sentinel, infidel, citadel, refel, repel, rebel, impel,

expel, asphodel, petronel,† calomel, muscatel.

ELD.

Held, geld, withheld, upheld, beheld, eld,§ etc., the preterites and

participles of verbs in EL, ELL.

ELF.

Elf, delf, pelf,§ self, shelf, himself, etc.

ELK.

Elk, kelk,† whelk, etc.

ELM.

Elm, helm, realm, whelm, overwhelm, etc.

ELP.

Help, whelp, kelp,* yelp, etc.

ELT.

Belt, gelt,|| melt, felt, welt,¶ smelt, pelt, dwelt, dealt.

ELVE.

Delve, helve, shelve, twelve, etc.

ELVES.

Elves, themselves, etc., the plurals of nouns and third persons singular

of verbs in ELVE.

EM.

Gem, hem, stem, them, diadem, stratagem, anadem, kemb,† phlegm, condemn,

contemn, etc.

EME, see EAM.

EMN.

Condemn, contemn, gem, hem, them. See EM, etc.

EMPT.

Tempt, exempt, attempt, contempt, dreamt.

EN.

Den, hen, fen, ken, men, pen, ten, then, when, wren, denizen. [Hyen§

rhymes EEN.]

ENCE.

Fence, hence, pence, thence, whence, defence, expense, offence,

pretence, commence, abstinence, circumference, conference, confidence,

consequence, continence, benevolence, concupiscence, difference,

diffidence, diligence, eloquence, eminence, evidence, excellence,

impenitence, impertinence, impotence, impudence, improvidence,

incontinence, indifference, indigence, indolence, inference,

intelligence, innocence, magnificence, munificence, negligence,

omnipotence, penitence, preference, providence, recompense, reference,

residence, reverence, vehemence, violence, sense, dense, cense,

condense, immense, intense, propense, dispense, suspense, prepense,

incense, frankincense.

ENCH.

Bench, drench, retrench, quench, clench, stench, tench, trench, wench,

wrench, intrench, blench.†

END.

Bend, mend, blend, end, fend,† lend, rend, send, spend, tend, vend,

amend, attend, ascend, commend, contend, defend, depend, descend,

distend, expend, extend, forefend, impend, mis-spend, obtend, offend,

portend, pretend, protend, suspend, transcend, unbend, apprehend,

comprehend, condescend, discommend, recommend, reprehend, dividend,

reverend, friend, befriend, and the preterites and participles of verbs

in EN, etc.

ENDS.

Amends, the plurals of nouns and third persons singular present tense of

verbs in END.

ENE, see EAN.

ENGE.

Avenge, revenge, no rhyme.

ENGTH.

Length, strength, etc.

ENS.

Lens, plural of nouns, and third person singular present of verbs, in

EN.

ENT

Bent, lent, rent, pent, scent, sent, shent,† spent, tent, vent, went,

blent, cement, brent,† hent,† absent, meant, ascent, assent, attent,

augment, cement, content, consent, descent, dissent, event, extent,

foment, frequent, indent, intent, invent, lament, mis-spent, o'erspent,

present, prevent, relent, repent, resent, ostent, ferment, outwent,

underwent, discontent, unbent, circumvent, represent, abstinent,

accident, accomplishment, admonishment, acknowledgment, aliment,

arbitrement, argument, banishment, battlement, blandishment,

astonishment, armipotent, bellipotent, benevolent, chastisement,

competent, complement, compliment, confident, continent, corpulent,

detriment, different, diligent, disparagement, document, element,

eloquent, eminent, equivalent, establishment, evident, excellent,

excrement, exigent, experiment, firmament, fraudulent, government,

embellishment, imminent, impenitent, impertinent, implement, impotent,

imprisonment, improvident, impudent, incident, incompetent, incontinent,

indifferent, indigent, innocent, insolent, instrument, irreverent,

languishment, ligament, lineament, magnificent, management, medicament,

malecontent, monument, negligent, nourishment, nutriment, occident,

omnipotent, opulent, ornament, parliament, penitent, permanent,

pertinent, president, precedent, prevalent, provident, punishment,

ravishment, regiment, resident, redolent, rudiment, sacrament, sediment,

sentiment, settlement, subsequent, supplement, intelligent, tenement,

temperament, testament, tournament, turbulent, vehement, violent,

virulent, reverent.

ENTS.

Accoutrements, the plurals of nouns and third persons singular present

tense of verbs in ENT.

EP.

Step, nep, skep,* rep, demirep,§ etc.

EPE.

Clepe,† keep, reap, etc.

EPT.

Accept, adept, except, intercept, crept, sept,* slept, wept, kept, etc.

ER, and ERR.

Her, sir, fir, burr, cur, err, aver, defer, infer, deter, inter, refer,

transfer, confer, prefer, whirr, administer, waggoner, islander,

arbiter, character, villager, cottager, dowager, forager, pillager,

voyager, massacre, gardener, slanderer, flatterer, idolater, provender,

theatre, amphitheatre, foreigner, lavender, messenger, passenger,

sorcerer, interpreter, officer, mariner, harbinger, minister, register,

canister, chorister, sophister, presbyter, lawgiver, philosopher,

artrologer, loiterer, prisoner, grasshopper, astronomer, sepulchre,

thunderer, traveller, murderer, usurer.

ERCH, see EARCH. ERCE, see ERSE. IERCE,

see ERSE. ERD, see EARD. ERE, see EER.

ERF.

Serf, turf, surf, scurf, etc.

ERGE.

Verge, absterge,† emerge, immerge, dirge, urge, purge, surge.

ERGUE.

Exergue,† burgh.

ERM.

Term, firm, worm, etc.

ERN.

Fern, stern, discern, hern,† concern, learn, earn, yearn, quern,* dern,†

burn, turn, etc.

ERNE.

Eterne,† see ERN.

ERP.

Discerp,† see IRP.

ERSE.

Verse, absterse, adverse, averse, converse, disperse, immerse, perverse,

reverse, asperse, intersperse, universe, amerce, coerce, hearse, purse,

curse, etc.

ERT.

Wert, advert, assert, avert, concert, convert, controvert, desert,

divert, exert, expert, insert, invert, pervert, subvert, shirt, dirt,

hurt, spurt,§ etc.

ERTH.

Berth, birth, mirth, earth, worth, etc.

ERVE.

Serve, nerve, swerve, preserve, deserve, conserve, observe, reserve,

disserve, subserve, curve, etc.

ES, ESS, or ESSE.

Yes, bless, dress, cess,* chess, guess, less, mess, press, stress,

acquiesce, access, address, assess, compress, confess, caress, depress,

digress, dispossess, distress, excess, express, impress, oppress,

possess, profess, recess, repress, redress, success, transgress,

adultress, bashfulness, bitterness, cheerfulness, comfortless,

comeliness, dizziness, diocess, drowsiness, eagerness, easiness,

ambassadress, emptiness, evenness, fatherless, filthiness, foolishness,

forgetfulness, forwardness, frowardness, fruitfulness, fulsomeness,

giddiness, greediness, gentleness, governess, happiness, haughtiness,

heaviness, idleness, heinousness, hoariness, hollowness, holiness,

lasciviousness, lawfulness, laziness, littleness, liveliness, loftiness,

lioness, lowliness, manliness, masterless, mightiness, motherless,

motionless, nakedness, neediness, noisomeness, numberless, patroness,

peevishness, perfidiousness, pitiless, poetess, prophetess, ransomless,

readiness, righteousness, shepherdess, sorceress, sordidness,

spiritless, sprightliness, stubbornness, sturdiness, surliness,

steadiness, tenderness, thoughtfulness, ugliness, uneasiness,

unhappiness, votaress, usefulness, wakefulness, wantonness, weaponless,

wariness, willingness, wilfulness, weariness, wickedness, wilderness,

wretchedness, drunkenness, childishness, duresse,|| cesse.†

ESE, see EEZE.

ESH.

Flesh, fresh, refresh, thresh, afresh, nesh,† mesh.

ESK, and ESQUE.

Desk, grotesque, burlesque, arabesque, picturesque, moresque, etc.

EST.

Best, chest, crest, guest, jest, nest, pest, quest, rest, test, vest,

lest, west, arrest, attest, bequest, contest, detest, digest, divest,

invest, palimpsest,¶ alcahest,|| infest, molest, obtest, protest,

request, suggest, unrest, interest, manifest, breast, abreast, etc., and

the preterites and participles of verbs in ESS.

ET.

Bet, get, jet, fret, let, met, net, set, wet, whet, yet, debt, abet,

beget, beset, forget, regret, alphabet, amulet, anchoret, cabinet,

epithet, parapet, rivulet, violet, coronet, parroquet, basinet,

wagonette,|| cadet, epaulette, piquette, sweat, threat, etc.

ETCH.

Fetch, stretch, wretch, sketch, etc.

ETE.

Effete, see EAT.

ETH.

Elizabeth, see EATH.

ETTE.

Rosette, silhouette,|| wagonette,|| cassolette,|| bet, etc.

EVE, see EAVE.

EUCE.

Deuce, see USE.

EUD.

Feud, rude, mood, stewed, etc.

EUM.

Rheum, see OOM, UME.

EUR.

Amateur,|| connoisseur,|| bon-viveur.||

EW.

Blew, chew, dew, brew, drew, flew, few, grew, new, knew, hew, Jew, mew,†

view, threw, yew, crew, slew, anew, askew, bedew, eschew, renew, review,

withdrew, screw, interview, emmew,† clue, due, cue, glue, hue, rue, sue,

true, accrue, ensue, endue, imbue, imbrue, pursue, subdue, adieu,

purlieu,|| perdue,|| residue, avenue, revenue, retinue, through, pooh,

you. [News takes plural of nouns, and third person singular present of

verbs, of this class.]

EWD.

Flewd,§ lewd, screwed, see UDE.

EWN.

Hewn, see UNE.

EX.

Sex, vex, annex, convex, complex, perplex, circumflex, and the plurals

of nouns and third persons singular of verbs in EC, ECK.

EXT.

Next, pretext, and the preterites and participles of verbs in EX.

EY.

(As in "prey"), rhymes AY, A. (As in "key"), rhymes EE, EA.

EYNE.

Eyne,§ rhymes INE.

I.

I.

Alibi,|| alkali,|| try, eye, high, bye, vie, etc.

IB.

Bib, crib, squib, drib,§ glib,§ nib, rib.

IBE.

Bribe, tribe, kibe,† scribe, ascribe, describe, superscribe, prescribe,

proscribe, subscribe, transcribe, inscribe, imbibe, diatribe.

IC.

Catholic, splenetic, heretic, arithmetic, brick, etc.

ICE.

Ice, dice, mice, nice, price, rice, spice, slice, thrice, trice, splice,

advice, entice, vice, device, concise, precise, paradise, sacrifice,

etc.

ICHE and ICH, see ITCH.

ICK.

Brick, sick, chick, kick, lick, nick, pick, quick, stick, thick, trick,

arithmetic, choleric, catholic, heretic, rhetoric, splenetic, lunatic,

politic.

ICT.

Strict, addict, afflict, convict, inflict, contradict, Pict, etc. The

preterites and participles of verbs in ICK, etc.

ID.

Bid, chid, hid, kid, lid, slid, rid, bestrid, pyramid, forbid, quid,§

squid, katydid,|| etc.

IDE.

Bide, chide, hide, gride,† glide, pride, ride, slide, side, nide,†

stride, tide, wide, bride, abide, guide, aside, astride, beside,

bestride, betide, confide, decide, deride, divide, preside, provide,

subside, misguide, subdivide, etc., the preterites and participles of

verbs in IE, IGH, and Y.

IDES.

Ides, besides, the plurals of nouns and third persons singular of verbs

in IDE, etc.

IDGE.

Bridge, ridge, midge, fidge,§ abridge, etc.

IDST.

Midst, amidst, didst, etc., the second persons singular of the present

tense of verbs in ID.

IE, or Y.

By, buy, cry, die, dry, eye, fly, fry, fie, hie, lie, pie, ply, pry,

rye, shy, sly, spy, sky, sty, tie, try, vie, why, ally, apply, awry,

bely, comply, decry, defy, descry, deny, imply, espy, outvie, outfly,

rely, reply, supply, untie, amplify, beautify, certify, crucify, deify,

dignify, edify, falsify, fortify, gratify, glorify, indemnify, justify,

magnify, modify, mollify, mortify, pacify, petrify, purify, putrify,

qualify, ratify, rectify, sanctify, satisfy, scarify, signify, specify,

stupefy, terrify, testify, verify, vilify, vitrify, vivify, prophesy,

high, nigh, sigh, thigh. [Such words as "lunacy," "polygamy," "tyrrany,"

cannot well be used, as it is difficult to get the "y" sound without

over-accentuating it.]

IECE, see EASE.

IED.

Pied, side, sighed, rhymes with preterites and participles of verbs in Y

or IE.

IEF.

Grief, chief, fief,† thief, brief, belief, relief, reef, beef, leaf,

sheaf, etc.

IEGE.

Liege, siege, assiege, besiege.

IELD.

Field, yield, shield, wield, afield, weald,* and the preterites and

participles of verbs in EAL.

IEN, see EEN.

IEND.

(As in "fiend"), rhymes preterites and participles of verbs in EAN, EEN.

(As in "friend"), rhymes END.

IER.

Pier, bier, tier, rhymes EER.

IERCE.

Fierce, pierce, tierce.

IEST.

Priest, rhymes EAST. ("Diest," second person singular present, at times

pronounced as a monosyllable, rhymes "spiced," etc.)

IEVE.

(As in "sieve"), rhymes "give," see IVE. (As in "grieve"), rhymes EVE,

EAVE.

IEU, IEW.

Lieu,|| review, rhyme EW, UE, etc.

IEZE.

Frieze, rhymes EEZE, etc.

IF, IFF.

If, skiff, stiff, whiff, cliff, sniff,§ tiff,§ hieroglyph.

IFE.

Rife, fife, knife, wife, strife, life.

IFT.

Gift, drift, shift, lift, rift, sift, thrift, adrift, etc., and the

preterites and participles of verbs in IFF.

IG.

Big, dig, gig, fig, pig, rig,§ sprig, twig, swig,§ grig,* Whig, wig,

jig, prig.

IGE.

Oblige, no rhyme.

IGH, see IE. IGHT, see ITE.

IGM.

Paradigm, rhymes IME.

IGN, see INE. IGUE, see EAGUE.

IKE.

Dike, like, pike, spike, strike, alike, dislike, shrike, glike.†

IL, ILL.

Bill, chill, fill, drill, gill, hill, ill, kill, mill, pill, quill,

rill, shrill, fill, skill, spill, still, swill,§ thrill, till, trill,

will, distil, fulfil, instil, codicil, daffodil.

ILCH.

Filch, milch.

ILD.

(As in "child"), rhymes mild, wild, etc., the preterites and participles

of verbs of one syllable in ILE, or of more syllables, provided the

accent be on the last. (As in "gild"), rhymes build, rebuild, etc., and

the preterites and participles of verbs in ILL.

ILE.

Bile, chyle,¶ file, guile, isle, mile, pile, smile, stile, style, tile,

vile, while, awhile, compile, revile, defile, exile, erewhile,

reconcile, beguile, aisle. [There is also the "eel" sound, as in

imported words like bastile,|| pastile,|| rhyming with EEL, EAL.]

ILGE.

Bilge, no rhyme.

ILK.

Milk, silk, bilk,§ whilk,* etc.

ILN.

Kiln, no rhyme.

ILT.

Gilt, jilt, built, quilt, guilt, hilt, spilt, stilt, tilt, milt.

ILTH.

Filth, tilth, spilth, etc.

IM.

Brim, dim, grim, him, rim, skim, slim, trim, whim, prim, limb, hymn,

limn.

IMB.

(As in "limb"), rhymes IM. (As in "climb"), rhymes IME.

IME.

Chime, time, grime,§ climb, clime, crime, prime, mime, rhyme, slime,

thyme, lime, sublime.

IMES.

Betimes, sometimes, etc. Rhymes the plurals of nouns and third persons

singular present tense of verbs in IME.

IMN, see IM.

IMP.

Imp, limp, pimp,§ gimp, jimp.

IMPSE.

Glimpse. Rhymes, the plurals of nouns and third persons singular present

tense of verbs in IMP.

IN, INN.

Bin, chin, din, fin, gin, grin, in, inn, kin, pin, shin, sin, spin,

skin, linn,* thin, twin, tin, win, within, javelin, begin, whin,

baldachin,† cannikin.

INC.

Zinc, rhymes INK.

INCE.

Mince, prince, since, quince, rinse, wince, convince, evince.

INCH.

Clinch, finch, winch, pinch, inch.

INCT.

Instinct, distinct, extinct, precinct, succinct, tinct,† &c., and the

preterites and participles of certain verbs in INK, as linked, pinked,

&c.

IND.

(As in "bind"), find, mind, blind, kind, grind, rind, wind, behind,

unkind, remind, etc., and the preterites and participles of verbs in

INE, IGN, etc. (As in "rescind"), preterites and participles of verbs in

IN.

INE.

Dine, brine, mine, chine, fine, line, nine, pine, shine, shrine, kine,

thine, trine, twine, vine, wine, whine, combine, confine, decline,

define, incline, enshrine, entwine, opine, recline, refine, repine,

superfine, interline, countermine, undermine, supine, concubine,

porcupine, divine, sign, assign, consign, design, eyne,† condign,

indign.† [There is also the short "ine," as in "discipline," rhyming

IN.]

ING.

Bring, sing, cling, fling, king, ring, sling, spring, sting, string,

ging,† swing, wing, wring, thing, etc., and the participles of the

present tense in ING, with the accent on the antepenultimate, as

"recovering."

INGE.

Cringe, fringe, hinge, singe, springe, swinge,§ tinge, twinge, infringe.

INK.

Ink, think, wink, drink, blink, brink, chink, clink, link, pink, shrink,

sink, slink, stink, bethink, forethink, skink,† swink.†

INQUE.

Cinque, appropinque, see INK.

INSE.

Rinse, see INCE.

INT.

Dint, mint, hint, flint, lint, print, squint, asquint, imprint, sprint,¶

quint.¶

INTH.

Plinth,¶ hyacinth, labyrinth.||

INX.

Minx,§ sphinx,|| jinks,§ plural of nouns, and third person singular

present of verb in INK.

IP.

Chip, lip, hip, clip, dip, drip, lip, nip, sip, rip, scrip, ship, skip,

slip, snip, strip, tip, trip, whip, equip, eldership, fellowship,

workmanship, rivalship, and all words in SHIP with the accent on the

antepenultimate.

IPE.

Gripe, pipe, ripe, snipe, type, stripe, wipe, archetype, prototype.

IPSE.

Eclipse. Rhymes, the plurals of nouns and third persons singular present

tense in IP.

IQUE.

Oblique, clique,|| critique,|| bézique,|| antique, pique,|| see EAK.

IR, see UR. IRCH, see URCH. IRD, see URD.

IRE.

Fire, dire, hire, ire, lyre, mire, quire, sire, spire, squire, wire,

tire, attire, acquire, admire, aspire, conspire, desire, inquire,

entire, expire, inspire, require, retire, transpire, pyre, gipsire,†

gire.†

IRGE, see ERGE.

IRK.

Dirk, firk,§ kirk, stirk,* quirk,§ shirk, work, burke, murk.

IRL.

Girl, whirl,* twirl, curl, furl, churl, thirl,* etc.

IRM.

Firm, affirm, confirm, infirm, worm, term, chirm,† etc.

IRP.

Chirp, see URP.

IRR.

Whirr, skirr,§ see UR.

IRST, See URST. IRT, see URT.

IRTH.

Birth, mirth, earth, dearth, worth.

IS, pronounced like IZ.

Is, his, whiz.

ISS.

Bliss, miss, hiss, kiss, this, abyss, amiss, submiss, dismiss, remiss,

wis,† Dis, spiss.†

ISC.

Disc, whisk, risk, see ISK.

ISE, see ICE and IZE.

ISH.

Dish, fish, wish, cuish,† pish,§ squish.§

ISK.

Brisk, frisk, disc, risk, whisk, basilisk, tamarisk.

ISM.

Chrism, solecism, anachronism, abysm, schism, syllogism, witticism,

criticism, organism, heroism, prism, egotism, cataclysm.

ISP.

Crisp, wisp, lisp.

IST.

Fist, list, mist, twist, wrist, assist, consist, desist, exist, insist,

persist, resist, subsist, alchemist, amethyst, anatomist, antagonist,

annalist, evangelist, eucharist, exorcist, herbalist, humorist, oculist,

organist, satirist, etc., and the preterites and participles of verbs in

ISS, etc.

IT.

Bit, Cit,§ hit, fit, grit, flit, knit, pit, quit, sit, split, twit, wit,

chit,§ whit, writ, admit, acquit, commit, emit, omit, outwit, permit,

remit, submit, transmit, refit, benefit, perquisite.

ITCH.

Ditch, pitch, rich, which, flitch, itch, stitch, switch, twitch, witch,

bewitch, niche, enrich, fitch.

ITE, and IGHT.

Bite, cite, kite, blite, mite, quite, rite, smite, spite, trite, white,

write, contrite, disunite, despite, indite, excite, incite, invite,

polite, requite, recite, unite, reunite, aconite, appetite, parasite,

proselyte, expedite, blight, benight, bright, fight, flight, fright,

height, light, knight, night, might, wight, plight, right, tight,

slight, sight, spright, wight, affright, alight, aright, foresight,

delight, despite, unsight, upright, benight, bedight,† oversight,

height, accite,§ pight.§

ITH.

Pith, smith, frith,* sith.† ("With" has strictly no rhyme.)

ITHE.

Hithe, blithe, tithe, scythe, writhe, lithe.

ITS.

Quits, rhymes plural of nouns, and third person singular, present of

verbs in IT.

IVE.

(As in "five"), rhymes dive, alive, gyve, hive, drive, rive, shrive,

strive, thrive, arrive, connive, contrive, deprive, derive, revive,

survive. (As in "give"), rhymes live, sieve, fugitive, positive,

sensitive, etc.

IX.

Fix, six, mix, nix,§ affix, infix, prefix, transfix, intermix, crucifix,

etc., and the plurals of nouns and third persons singular of verbs in

ICK.

IXT.

Betwixt. Rhymes, the preterites and participles of verbs in IX.

ISE, and IZE.

Prize, wise, rise, size, guise, disguise, advise, authorise, canonise,

agonise,§ chastise, civilise, comprise, criticise, despise, devise,

enterprise, excise, exercise, idolise, immortalise, premise, revise,

signalise, solemnise, surprise, surmise, suffice, sacrifice, sympathise,

tyrannise, and the plurals of nouns and third persons singular present

tense of verbs in IE or Y.

O

Mo',† calico, bo,§ portico, go, ago, undergo, ho, though, woe, adagio,¶

seraglio,|| owe, beau, crow, lo, no, fro',† so.

OACH.

Broach, coach, poach, abroach, approach, encroach, reproach, loach.

OAD, see ODE.

OAF.

Oaf,† loaf.

OAK.

Cloak, oak, croak, soak, joke, see OKE.

OAL, see OLE. OAM, see OME. OAN, see ONE.

OAP, see OPE. OAR, see ORE. OARD, see

ORD. OAST, see OST. OAT, see OTE.

OATH.

Oath, loath, both, see OTH.

OAVES.

Loaves, groves, roves, cloves, etc.

OAX.

Hoax, coax, rhymes plural of nouns, and third person singular present of

verbs in OKE.

OB.

Cob, fob,§ bob, lob, hob, nob, mob, knob, sob, rob, throb, cabob,||

swab,¶ squab.§

OBE.

Globe, lobe, probe, robe, conglobe.

OCE, see OSE.

OCH.

Loch,* epoch, see OCK.

OCHE.

Caroche,|| gauche.||

OCK.

Block, lock, cock, clock, crock, dock, frock, flock, knock, mock, rock,

shock, stock, sock, brock, hough.

OCT.

Concoct, rhymes the preterites and participles of verbs in OCK.

OD.

Cod, clod, God, rod, sod, trod, nod, plod, odd, shod, quod,§ pod, wad,

quad,§ odd, hod, tod.*

ODE.

Bode, ode, code, mode, rode, abode, corrode, explode, forebode, commode,

incommode, episode, à-la-mode,|| road, toad, goad, load, etc., and the

preterites and participles of verbs in OW, OWE.

ODGE.

Dodge,§ lodge, Hodge, podge,§ bodge.†

OE.

(As in "shoe"), rhymes OO. (As in "toe"), rhymes foe, doe, roe, sloe,

mistletoe, OWE and OW.

OFF.

Doff, off, scoff, cough, etc.

OFT.

Oft, croft, soft, aloft, etc., and the preterites and participles of

verbs in OFF, etc.

OG.

Hog, bog, cog,† dog, clog, fog, frog, log, jog,§ agog,§ Gog, prog,§

quog,* shog,§ tog,§ pollywog,* dialogue, epilogue, synagogue, catalogue,

pedagogue.

OGE.

Gamboge, rouge.

OGUE.

(As in "rogue"), rhymes vogue, prorogue, collogue,* disembogue. (As in

"catalogue"), rhymes OG.

OH.

Oh, rhymes OW and OWE.

OICE.

Choice, voice, rejoice.

OID.

Void, avoid, devoid, asteroid, alkaloid, etc., and the preterites and

participles of verbs in OY.

OIF.

Coif,¶ no rhyme.

OIGN.

Coign,|| rhymes OIN.

OIL.

Oil, boil, coil, moil, soil, spoil, toil, despoil, embroil recoil,

turmoil, disembroil.

OIN.

Coin, join, subjoin, groin, loin, adjoin, conjoin, disjoin, enjoin,

foin,† proin,† purloin, rejoin.

OINT.

Oint, joint, point, disjoint, anoint, appoint, aroint,† disappoint,

counterpoint.¶

OIR.

(As in "choir"), rhymes IRE, but the foreign sound, as in "devoir,"

"reservoir," is nearer AR, but must not be so rhymed. "Coir" is a

dissyllable.

OISE.

Poise, noise, counterpoise, equipoise, etc., and the plurals of nouns

and third persons singular present tense of verbs in OY. ["Turquoise"

would rhyme with plurals of AH, etc.]

OIST.

Hoist, moist, foist,§ the preterites and participles of verbs in OICE.

OIT.

Doit,§ exploit, adroit, quoit, etc.

OKE.

Broke, choke, smoke, spoke, stroke, yoke, bespoke, invoke, provoke,

revoke, cloak, oak, soak.

OL.

Alcohol, loll,§ doll, extol, capitol, Moll, Poll, etc.

OLD.

Old, bold, cold, gold, hold, mold, scold, sold, told, behold, enfold,

unfold, uphold, withhold, foretold, manifold, marigold, preterites and

participles of verbs in OLL, OWL, OLE, and OAL.

OLE.

Bole, dole, jole, hole, mole, pole, sole, stole, whole, shoal, cajole,

girandole,|| condole, parole,|| patrole,|| pistole,|| console,||

aureole,|| vole,* coal, foal, goal, bowl, roll, scroll, toll, troll,

droll, poll, control, enrol, soul, etc.

OLL.

(As in "loll"), rhymes OL. (As in "droll"), rhymes OLE.

OLN.

Stol'n, swoln.

OLP.

Holp,† golpe.¶

OLT.

Bolt, colt, jolt, holt, dolt,§ revolt, thunderbolt, moult.

OLVE.

Solve, absolve, resolve, convolve, involve, devolve, dissolve, revolve.

OM.

OM is by general consent degraded to UM; Tom, from, Christendom,

aplomb.|| But for "whom," see OOM.

OMB.

(As in "tomb"), see OOM. (As in "comb"), see OME, clomb. (As in "bomb"),

see UM. "Rhomb" has no rhyme. (As in "aplomb"||), see OM.

OME.

Dome, home, mome, foam, roam, loam.

OMP.

Pomp, swamp, romp.

OMPT.

Prompt, preterite and participle of romp.

ON.

(As in "don"), rhymes on, con, upon, anon, bonne;|| (as in "won"),

rhymes ton, fun, done, etc. [By some, "gone," "hone," and other like

words are so pronounced as to rhyme with "on."]

ONCE.

(As in "sconce"), rhymes response, etc. (As in "once"), rhymes dunce,

etc.

ONCH.

Conch, jonque.¶

OND.

Pond, bond, fond, beyond, abscond, correspond, despond, diamond,

vagabond, etc., and the preterites and participles of verbs in ON.

ONDE.

Blonde,|| rhymes OND.

ONE.

Prone, bone, drone, throne, alone, stone, tone, lone, zone, atone,

enthrone, dethrone, postpone, grown, flown, disown, thrown, sown, own,

loan, shown, overthrown, groan, blown, moan, known, cone, loan, etc.

[With regard to "gone" and "shone," some pronounce them so that they

rhyme with "one" others so that the first rhymes with "lawn," and the

second with "prone."]

ONG.

(As in "long"), rhymes prong, song, thong, strong, throng, wrong, along,

belong, prolong. (As in "among"), rhymes hung, tongue, etc.

ONGE.

Sponge, see UNGE.

ONGUE, see UNG.

ONK.

(As in "monk"), rhymes "drunk." (As in "conk"§), rhymes jonque.¶

ONQUE.

Jonque,¶ see ONK.

ONSE.

Response, sconce, ensconce.

ONT.

(As in "font"), rhymes want. (As n "front"), rhymes punt, etc. [The

abbreviated negatives, won't, don't, rhyme together.]

OO.

Coo, woo, shoe, two, too, who, do, ado, undo, through, you, true, blue,

flew, stew, etc. See O, UE, EW, etc.

OOCH, see OACH.

OOD.

(As in "brood"), rhymes mood, food, rood, feud, illude, etc., the

preterites and participles of verbs in OO, and EW, UE, etc. (As in

"wood"), rhymes good, hood, stood, withstood, understood, could, would,

brotherhood, livelihood, likelihood, neighbourhood, widowhood. (As in

"blood"), rhymes flood, cud, mud, etc.

OOF.

Hoof, proof, roof, woof, aloof, disproof, reproof, behoof.

OOH.

Pooh,§ rhymes EW, etc.

OOK.

Book, brook, cook, crook, hook, look, rook, shook, took, mistook,

undertook, forsook, stook,* betook.

OOL.

Cool, fool, pool, school, stool, tool, befool, spool,† buhl,|| pule,

rule.

OOM.

Gloom, groom, loom, room, spoom,† bloom, doom, tomb, entomb, whom, womb,

plume, spume, etc.

OON, see UNE.

Boon, soon, moon, noon, spoon, swoon, buffoon, lampoon, poltroon, tune,

prune, coon,§ June, hewn, dune,* shalloon, dragoon.

OOP.

Loop, poop, scoop, stoop, troop, droop, whoop, coop, hoop, soup, group,

dupe.

OOR.

(As in "boor"), rhymes poor, moor, tour,|| amour, paramour,|| contour,

pure, sure, your, etc. (As in "door"), rhymes floor, bore, pour, etc.

OOSE.

Goose, loose, juice, truce, deuce, noose, use, profuse, seduce, etc.

OOT.

(As in "root"), rhymes boot, coot, hoot, loot,|| shoot, toot,§ suit,

fruit, lute, impute, etc. (As in "foot"), rhymes put. [It is difficult

to say whether "soot" should rhyme "root" or "but," the pronunciation so

varies.]

OOTH.

(As in "booth"), rhymes smooth, soothe, etc. (As in "tooth"), rhymes

youth, uncouth, truth.

OOVE.

Groove, see OVE.

OOZE.

Ooze, noose, whose, choose, lose, use, abuse, the plurals of nouns and

third persons singular present tense of verbs in EW, UE.

OP.

Chop, hop, drop, crop, fop,§ top, pop, prop, flop,§ shop, slop sop,

stop, swop,§ underprop.

OPE.

Hope, cope, mope, grope, pope, rope, scope, slope, trope, aslope, elope,

interlope, telescope, heliotrope, horoscope, antelope, etc., and ope,

contracted in poetry for open.

OPH.

Soph,¶ see OFF.

OPT.

Adopt, rhymes with the preterites and participles of verbs in OP, etc.

OQUE.

Equivoque, see OAK.

OR.

Or, for, creditor, counsellor, competitor, emperor, ancestor,

ambassador, progenitor, conspirator, conqueror, governor, abhor,

metaphor, bachelor, senator, etc., and every word in OR having the

accent on the last, or last syllable but two, pour, bore, tore, boar,

hoar, war, corps,|| tor.*

ORB.

Orb, sorb,¶ corb.†

ORCE, see ORSE.

ORCH.

Scorch, torch, porch, etc.

ORD.

(As in "cord"), rhymes lord, record, accord, abhorr'd, hoard, board,

aboard, ford, afford, sword, and the preterites and participles of verbs

in OAR, ORE. (As in "word"), rhymes bird, stirred, absurd, erred, curd,

etc.

ORDE.

Horde, see ORD.

ORE.

Bore, core, gore, lore, more, ore, pore, score, shore, snore, sore,

store, swore, tore, wore, adore, afore, ashore, deplore, explore,

implore, restore, forebore, foreswore, heretofore, hellebore, sycamore,

albicore, boar, oar, roar, soar, four, door, floor, o'er, orator,

senator, abhor.

ORGE.

George, gorge, disgorge, regorge, forge.

ORK.

Ork,† cork, fork, stork, pork.

ORLD.

World, rhymes with the preterites and participles of verbs in URL and

IRL.

ORM.

(As in "form"), rhymes storm, conform, deform, inform, perform, reform,

misinform, uniform, multiform, transform. (As in "worm"), rhymes "term,"

ERM.

ORN.

Born, corn, morn, horn, scorn, thorn, adorn, suborn, unicorn, sorn,¶

capricorn, shorn, torn, worn, lorn, forlorn, lovelorn, sworn, foresworn,

overborne, foreborne, mourn.

ORP.

Thorp,* rhymes ARP.

ORPS.

Corps,|| rhymes ORE.

ORPSE.

Corpse, rhymes plurals of nouns, and preterites and participles of verbs

in ARP.

ORSE.

Horse, endorse, unhorse, force, remorse, coarse, course, torse,† morse,†

corse, etc.

ORST, see URST.

ORT.

Short, sort, exhort, consort, distort, extort, resort retort, snort,

mort,|| wart, fort, port, court, report.

ORTS.

Orts,† plural of nouns, and third person singular present of verbs in

ORT.

ORTH.

(As in "north"), rhymes fourth. (As in "worth"), rhymes birth, earth,

&c.

OSE.

(As in "jocose"), rhymes close, dose, morose, gross, engross, verbose.

(As in "pose"), rhymes close, dose, hose, chose, glose, froze, nose,

prose, those, rose, compose, depose, disclose, dispose, discompose,

expose, impose, enclose, interpose, oppose, propose, recompose, repose,

suppose, transpose, arose, presuppose, foreclose, etc., and the plurals

of nouns and apostrophised preterites and participles of verbs in OW,

OE, O, etc. (As in "lose"), rhymes use, etc. See OOZE, USE.

OSH.

Bosh,§ wash, &c.

OSM.

Microcosm,|| no rhyme.

OSQUE, OSK.

Mosque,|| kiosk.||

OSS.

Boss, cross, dross, moss, loss, across, albatross, doss,§ emboss.

OST.

(As in "cost"), rhymes frost, lost, accost, etc., and the preterites and

participles of words in OSS. (As in "ghost"), rhymes post, most, coast,

and second person singular present of verbs in OW, as ow'st. (As in

"dost"), rhymes UST.

OT.

Clot, cot, blot, got, hot, jot, lot, knot, not, plot, pot, scot, shot,

polyglot, sot,§ spot, apricot, trot, rot, grot, begot, forgot, allot,

complot, yacht, quat,§ melilot, counterplot.

OTCH.

Botch,§ notch, crotch,† blotch, Scotch, watch.

OTE.

Note, vote, lote,† mote, quote, rote, wrote, smote, denote, tote,*

promote, remote, devote, anecdote, antidote, boat, coat, bloat, doat,

float, gloat, goat, oat, overfloat, afloat, throat, moat.

OTH.

(As in "broth"), rhymes cloth, froth, troth, wrath. (As in "both"),

rhymes loth, sloth, oath, growth. ["Moth" has no rhyme, though at times

pronounced to rhyme "cloth."]

OTHE.

Clothe, loathe (with "s" added rhymes "oaths;" though "clothes," the

noun, in comic verse may rhyme with "snows," being colloquially spoken

"clo's").

OU.

(As in "thou"), see OW. (As in "you"), see OO.

OUBT.

Doubt, see OUT.

OUC.

Caoutchouc, rhymes book.||

OUCH.

Couch, pouch, vouch, slouch,§ avouch, crouch.

OUCHE.

Cartouche,|| buche.¶

OUD.

Shroud, cloud, loud, proud, aloud, crowd, o'er-shroud, etc., and the

preterites and participles of verbs in OW.

OUGH has various pronunciations; see OFF, OW,

OWE, OCK, O, EW, and UFF.

OUGE.

(As in "rouge"), rhymes gamboge.

OUGHT.

Bought, thought, ought, brought, forethought, fought, nought, sought,

wrought, besought, bethought, methought, aught, naught, caught, taught,

&c.

OUL.

(As in "foul"), see OWL. (As in "soul"), see OLE.

OULD.

Mould, fold, old, cold, etc., and the preterites and participles of

verbs in OWL, OLL, and OLE.

OULT.

Moult. See OLT.

OUN.

Noun, see OWN.

OUNCE.

Bounce,§ flounce, renounce, pounce, ounce, denounce, pronounce.

OUND.

(As in "bound"), rhymes found, mound, ground, hound, pound, round,

sound, wound (verb), abound, aground, around, confound, compound,

expound, profound, rebound, resound, propound, surround, etc., and the

preterites and participles of verbs in OWN. (As in "wound"—the noun),

rhymes preterites and participles of verbs in OON, UNE. etc.

OUNG.

Young, see UNG.

OUNT.

Count, mount, fount, amount, dismount, remount, surmount, account,

discount, miscount, account.

OUP.

Stoup,† group, see OOP.

OUPH, or OUPHE.

Ouphe or ouph,† see OOF.

OUQUE.

Chibouque,|| see UKE.

OUR.

(As in "hour"), rhymes lour, sour, our, scour, deflow'r, devour, bow'r,

tow'r, etc. (As in "pour"), rhymes bore, more, roar, pour, war, etc. (As

in "tour"), rhymes your, amour,|| contour, pure, etc.

OURGE.

Scourge, rhymes URGE.

OURN.

(As in "adjourn"), rhymes URN. (As in "mourn"), rhymes ORN.

OURNE.

Bourne,† rhymes ORN.

OURS.

(As in "ours"), rhymes the plurals of nouns and third persons singular

present tense of verbs in OUR and OW'R. (As in "yours"), rhymes the

plurals of nouns and third persons singular present tense of verbs in

URE, OOR, etc.

OURSE.

Course, see ORSE.

OURT.

Court, see ORT.

OURTH.

Fourth, see ORTH.

OUS.

Nous,§ house, mouse, chouse,§ douse,§ etc.

OUSE.

(As in "house"—noun), rhymes nous.§ (As in "spouse"), rhymes browze, and

plural of nouns and third persons singular present of verbs in OW.

OUST.

Joust,† rhymes UST.

OUT.

Bout, stout, out, clout, pout, gout, grout, rout, scout, shout, tout,§

snout,§ spout, stout, sprout, trout, about, devout, without, throughout,

doubt, redoubt, misdoubt, drought, &c.

OUTH.

(As in "mouth"—noun), rhymes south, drouth, etc. (As in "youth"), rhymes

truth. (As in "mouth"—verb), no rhyme.

OVE.

(As in "wove"), rhymes inwove, interwove, hove, alcove, clove, grove,

behove, rove, stove, strove, throve, drove. (As in "dove"), rhymes love,

shove, glove, above. (As in "move"), rhymes approve, disprove,

disapprove, improve, groove, prove, reprove, etc.

OW.

(As in "now"), rhymes bow, how, mow, cow, brow, sow, vow, prow, avow,

allow, trow, disallow, endow, bough, plough, slough (mire), thou, etc.

(As in "blow"), rhymes stow, crow, bow, flow, glow, grow, know, low,

mow, row, show, sow, strow, slow, snow, throw, below, bestow, foreknow,

outgrow, overgrow, overflow, overthrow, reflow, foreshow, go, no, toe,

foe, owe, wo, oh, so, lo, though, hoe, ho, ago, forego, undergo, dough,

roe, sloe, and sew.

OWD.

Crowd, see OUD.

OWE.

Owe, see OW.

OWL.

(As in "cowl"), rhymes growl, owl, fowl, howl, prowl, scowl, fowl, &c.

(As in "bowl"), rhymes soul, hole, goal, dole.

OWN.

(As in "brown"), rhymes town, clown, crown, down, drown, frown, gown,

adown, renown, embrown, noun. (As in "thrown"), rhymes shown, blown,

tone, bone, moan, own, etc.

OWSE.

Bowse,¶ rouse, see OUSE.

OWTH.

Growth, oath, both.

OWZE

Blowze, browse, rouse, spouse, carouse, touse,§ espouse, the verbs to

house, mouse, etc., and the plurals of nouns and third persons singular

present tense of verbs in OW.

OX.

Ox, box, fox, equinox, orthodox, heterodox, the plurals of nouns and

third persons singular present tense of verbs in OCK.

OY.

Boy, buoy,¶ coy, employ, cloy, joy, toy, alloy, annoy, convoy, decoy,

destroy, enjoy, employ.

OYNT.

Aroynt,† see OINT.

OYLE.

Scroyle,† see OIL.

OYNE.

Royne,† see OIN.

OZ.

(As in "poz"), rhymes was. (As in "coz"), rhymes buzz.

OZE.

Gloze, see OSE.

U.

Ormolu,|| few, adieu,|| lieu, || through, do, true, too.

UB.

Cub, club, dub, chub, drub,§ grub, hub,§ rub, snub,§ shrub, tub.

UBE.

Cube, tube.

UCE.

Truce, sluice, spruce, deuce, conduce, deduce, induce, introduce, puce,

produce, seduce, traduce, juice, reduce, use, abuse, profuse, abstruse,

disuse, excuse, misuse, obtuse, recluse.

UCH.

Much, touch, such, see UTCH.

UCK.

Buck, luck, pluck, suck, struck, tuck, truck, duck.

UCT.

Conduct, deduct, instruct, obstruct, aqueduct. The preterites and

participles of verbs in UCK.

UD.

Bud, scud, stud, mud, cud, blood, flood. ["Suds" rhymes plurals of nouns

and third person present singular of verbs in UD.]

UDE.

Rude, crude, prude, allude, conclude, delude, elude, exclude, exude,

snood,† include, intrude, obtrude, seclude, altitude, fortitude,

gratitude, interlude, latitude, longitude, magnitude, multitude,

solicitude, solitude, vicissitude, aptitude, habitude, ingratitude,

inaptitude, lassitude, plenitude, promptitude, servitude, similitude,

lewd, feud, brood, etc., and the preterities and participles of verbs in

EW, UE, etc.

UDGE.

Judge, drudge, grudge, trudge, adjudge, prejudge, fudge,§ smudge, nudge,

budge,§ sludge.*

UE.

True, hue, see EW, OO, etc.

UFF.

Buff, cuff, chuff,§ bluff, huff, gruff, luff,¶ puff, snuff, stuff, ruff,

rebuff, counterbuff, rough, tough, enough, slough (cast skin), chough,

etc.

UFT.

Tuft, rhymes the preterites and participles of verbs in UFF.

UG.

Lug,§ bug, dug, drug, hug, jug, rug, slug, smug,§ snug, mug, shrug, pug.

UGH.

Pugh (old form of "pooh"), see OO.

UGUE.

Fugue,¶ no rhyme.

UHL.

Buhl,|| see ULE, OOL.

UICE.

Sluice, see USE.

UIDE.

Guide, see IDE.

UILD.

Guild, see ILD.

UILT.

Guilt, see ILT.

UINT.

Squint, see INT.

UISE.

(As in "guise"), see ISE. (As in "bruise"), see USE.

UISH.

Cuish,† see ISH.

UIT.

Fruit, bruit,† suit, see OOT, UTE.

UKE.

Duke, puke,† rebuke, fluke,§ chibouque,|| etc.

UL, and ULL.

(As in "cull"), rhymes dull, gull, hull, lull, mull, null, trull,†

skull, annul, disannul. (As in "full"), rhymes wool, bull, pull,

bountiful, fanciful, sorrowful, dutiful, merciful, wonderful,

worshipful, and every word ending in ful, having the accent on the

ante-penultimate.

ULCH.

Mulch,¶ gulch.†

ULE.

Mule, pule,† Yule, rule, overrule, ridicule, misrule, fool, tool,

buhl.|| [Gules, heraldic term, rhymes plural of nouns, and third person

singular present of verbs in ULE, etc.]

ULF.

Gulf, no rhyme.

ULGE.

Bulge, indulge, divulge, etc.

ULK.

Bulk, hulk, skulk, sulk.

ULM.

Culm,¶ no rhyme.

ULP.

Gulp, sculp, pulp, ensculp.§

ULSE.

Pulse, repulse, impulse, expulse, convulse, insulse.†

ULT.

Result, adult, exult, consult, indult, occult, insult, difficult,

catapult,|| etc.

UM.

Crum,† chum,§ drum, glum,§ gum, hum, mum,§ scum, plum, sum, swum,

thrum,¶ thumb, dumb, succumb come, become, overcome, burdensome,

cumbersome, frolicsome, humoursome, quarrelsome, troublesome, encomium,

opium, etc.

UMB.

Dumb, thumb, crumb. See UM.

UME.

Fume, plume, assume, consume, perfume, resume, presume, deplume, room,

doom, tomb, rheum.

UMP.

Bump, pump, jump, lump, plump, rump, stump, trump, thump, clump.

UN.

Dun, gun, nun, pun, run, sun, shun, tun, stun, spun, begun, son, won,

ton, done, one, none, undone.

UNCE.

Dunce, once, etc.

UNCH.

Bunch, punch, hunch, lunch, munch, scrunch,§ crunch.§

UNCT.

Defunct, disjunct, rhymes preterites and participles of verbs in UNK.

UND.

Fund, refund, preterites of verbs in UN, etc.

UNE.

June, tune, untune, jejune, prune, croon, hewn, swoon, moon, soon, etc.

UNG.

Bung, clung, dung, flung, hung, rung, strung, sung, sprung, slung,

stung, swung, wrung, unsung, young, tongue, among.

UNGE.

Plunge, sponge, expunge, etc.

UNK.

Drunk, bunk,§ hunk,§ sunk, shrunk, stunk, punk,† trunk, slunk, funk,§

chunk,* monk. [Hunks,§ rhymes plural of nouns and third person singular

present of verbs in UNK.

UNT.

Brunt, blunt, hunt, runt, grunt, front, etc., and (?) wont (to be

accustomed).

UOR.

Fluor,¶ rhymes four, bore, roar.

UP.

Cup, sup, pup, dup,† up.

UPT.

Abrupt, corrupt, interrupt, the participles and preterites of verbs in

UP, etc.

UR.

Blur, cur, bur, fur, slur, spur, concur, demur, incur, her, whirr, err,

sir, stir, fir, sepulchre, etc.

URB.

Curb, disturb, verb, herb, etc.

URCH.

Church, lurch, birch, perch, search, smirch.§

URD.

Curd, absurd, bird, gird,§ word, and the preterites and participles of

verbs in UR and IR.

URE.

Cure, pure, dure, lure, sure, abjure, allure, assure, demure, conjure,

endure, manure, inure, insure, immature, immure, mature, obscure,

procure, secure, adjure, calenture, coverture, epicure, investiture,

forfeiture, furniture, miniature, nourriture, overture, portraiture,

primogeniture, temperature, poor, moor, etc.

URF.

Turf, scurf, serf, surf, etc.

URGE.

Purge, urge, surge, scourge, thaumaturge, gurge,† verge, diverge, etc.

URK.

Lurk, Turk, work, irk,† jerk, perk, quirk, mirk.

URL.

Churl, curl, furl, hurl, purl,§ uncurl, unfurl, earl, girl, twirl,

pearl, etc.

URM.

Turm,|| see ERM.

URN.

Burn, churn, spurn, turn, urn, return, overturn, tern, discern, earn,

sojourn, adjourn, rejourn.

URP.

Usurp, chirp, extirp, discerp, etc.

URR.

Purr, see UR.

URSE.

Nurse, curse, purse, accurse, disburse, imburse, reimburse, worse,

verse, hearse, disperse, etc.

URST.

Burst, curst, durst, accurst, thirst, worst, first, versed, etc.

URT.

Blurt,§ hurt, spurt,§ dirt, shirt, flirt, squirt, wort,¶ vert,¶ etc.

US, or USS.

Pus,¶ us, thus, buss,§ truss, discuss, incubus, overplus, arquebus,†

cuss,§ amorous, boisterous, clamorous, credulous, dangerous, ungenerous,

generous, emulous, abulous, frivolous, hazardous, idolatrous, infamous,

miraculous, mischievous, mountainous, mutinous, necessitous, numerous,

ominous, perilous, poisonous, populous, prosperous, ridiculous, riotous,

ruinous, scandalous, scrupulous, sedulous, traitorous, treacherous,

tyrannous, venomous, vigorous, villanous, adventurous, adulterous,

ambiguous, blasphemous, dolorous, fortuitous, gluttonous, gratuitous,

incredulous, lecherous, libidinous, magnanimous, obstreperous,

odoriferous, ponderous, ravenous, rigorous, slanderous, solicitous,

timorous, valorous, unanimous, calamitous.

USE

(As in the noun "use") rhymes disuse, abuse, deuce, truce, sluice,

juice, loose, goose, noose, moose. (As in "muse") rhymes the verb use,

abuse, loose, choose, shoes, amuse, diffuse, excuse, infuse, misuse,

peruse, refuse, suffuse, transfuse, accuse, bruise, and the plurals of

nouns and third persons singular of verbs in EW and UE, etc.

USH

(As in "blush") rhymes brush, crush, gush, flush, rush, lush,† tush,

frush,† hush. (As in "bush") rhymes push, etc.

USK.

Busk,†; tusk, dusk, husk, musk.

USP.

Cusp,† no rhyme.

UST.

Bust, crust, dust, just, must, lust, rust, thrust, trust, adjust,

disgust, distrust, intrust, mistrust, robust, unjust, the preterites and

participles of verbs in US, USS, etc.

UT, or UTT.

But, butt, cut, hut, gut, glut, jut, nut, shut, strut, englut, rut,

scut,†; slut, smut, abut, and soot.(?)

UTCH.

Hutch, crutch, Dutch, much, such, touch, etc.

UTE.

Brute, lute, flute, mute, acute, compute, confute, dispute, dilute,

depute, impute, minute, pollute, refute, salute, absolute, attribute,

contribute, constitute, destitute, dissolute, execute, institute,

persecute, prosecute, resolute, substitute, fruit, bruit,† suit,

recruit, boot, etc., soot(?).

UTH.

Azimuth,¶ rhymes doth.

UX.

Dux,|| crux,|| lux,|| flux, reflux. The plurals of nouns and third

persons singular of verbs in UCK.

Y.

Fly, affy,† aby,† see IE, IGH, etc.

YB.

Syb, see IB.

YM.

Sym,† see IM.

YMN.

Hymn, see IM.

YMPH.

Nymph, lymph, etc.

YN.

Baudekyn,† see IN.

YNE.

Anodyne, see INE.

YNX.

Lynx, rhymes plurals of nouns and third persons present singular of

verbs in INK.

YP.

Gyp,§ hyp,§ see IP.

YPE.

Type, see IPE.

YPH.

Hieroglyph,|| see IFF.

YPSE.

Apocalypse,|| see IPSE.

YRE.

Lyre, pyre, byre,* see IRE.

YRRH.

Myrrh, her, err, sir, cur, etc.

YSM.

Abysm, cataclysm, schism, etc.

YST.

Amethyst, analyst, cyst, see IST.

YVE.

Gyve, see IVE.

YX.

Sardonyx, pyx, fix, rhymes plural of nouns and third persons singular

present of verbs in ICK.

YZE.

Analyze, see ISE.

APPENDIX[19]

ENGLISH VERSIFICATION.

I n normal English Verse, the most determinate characteristic is

uniformity of syllabic structure. RHYME, indeed, is a common but not an

essential adjunct, some of our noblest poems being composed in unrhymed

or Blank Verse. MEASURE, RHYTHM, ACCENT, and PAUSE, are all features of

much moment in English Versification, but they cannot be reduced to

absolutely uniform rules. The variations to which they are subject are

many and important. Of the positive and correct signification of the

terms Rhyme, Measure, Rhythm, Accent, and Pause, it is needful to give

some explanation.

RHYME consists in a likeness or uniformity of sound in the closing,

syllable, or syllables, of successive or contiguous lines of verse. We

find used, in English poetry, three several sorts of Rhymes, namely,

Single, Double, and Treble. Of the first, or one-syllabled rhyme, the

following is an example:—

"O, mortals, blind in fate, who never know

To bear high fortune, or endure the low!"

The closing word, however, is not necessarily a monosyllable. There may

be two syllables, as here:—

"What though his mighty soul his grief contains,

He meditates revenge who least complains."

Or three:—

"Seeking amid those untaught foresters,

If I could find one form resembling hers."

Or four:—

"We might be otherwise—we might be all

We dream of, happy, high, majestical."

Or there might be any number in this kind of verse under ten, if the

long and short (accented and unaccented) syllables were rightly placed,

and if the penultimate syllable, in particular, was short or unaccented.

It is only to be observed further, that it is the sound in which

uniformity is required, and not the spelling. Thus the following words

make good rhymes:—made, plaid, and stayed; course, force, and hoarse;

ride, lied, dyed; be, glee, lea; lo, blow, foe; beer, clear, here, and

so forth. The most perfect single rhymes in our language, however, are

those in which the rhyming vowels of two lines, and their closing letter

or letters (if there be any), are exactly the same. "So" and "no," "day"

and "say," "content" and "unbent," "oculist" and "humorist,"

"ambassadress" and "unhappiness"—all of these are perfect rhymes, seeing

that the consonant preceding the rhyming vowel varies in each pair of

words, all being alike after it. This is the criterion of an absolutely

perfect rhyme.[20] However, such, rhymes as "away" and "sway," "strain"

and "drain," "tress" and "dress," are not unfrequently used in good

poetry. But those rhymes are held decidedly bad which merely repeat the

same sounds, whether the words spell alike or not. Thus "amid" and

"pyramid," "light" and "satellite," "maid" and "made," are defective

rhymes. In short, it may be laid down as a rule, that, where the

immediate consonants are not varied before the vowels in two rhyming

lines, the letters before these consonants must be markedly different,

as in "strain" and "drain," to make the rhymes at all good. "Away" and

"sway," or "loud" and "cloud," though tolerated, are imperfect in a

strict sense. No rhymes are more uncertain, it may be observed, than

those of words ending in _y_, as "privacy," "remedy," and the like. In

monosyllables and dissyllables so ending, as "try" and "rely," the

termination always rhymes to _ie_, as in "vie" or "hie;" and it seems

right that _y_ should always so be rhymed.[21] Nevertheless, it as often

rhymes to an _e_, as in "be" and "she." The plural of nouns in _y_,

again, having their termination in "ies," rhyme very uncertainly. They

are sometimes placed to correspond with "lies," and sometimes with

"lees." There is no fixed rule on this subject.

On many other points, also, the student of English poetry must gather

information for himself from reading and observation. Of Double Rhymes

it is not necessary to say much here. They are formed by adding a short

or unaccented syllable to the measure of ordinary verses of any kind,

and composing the rhyme out of it and the preceding syllable, now the

penultimate one. Thus—

"Then all for women, painting, rhyming, _drinking_,

Besides ten thousand freaks that died in _thinking_."

In grave poetry, which uses the double rhyme occasionally, but on the

whole sparingly, the last or short syllable should be entirely alike in

double rhymes, and to the penultimate or accented one the same rules

should apply as in the case of perfect single rhymes. That is to say,

the consonants preceding the accented vowels should be varied, though

licenses are taken in this respect. "Trading" and "degrading," for

example, would be held a passable rhyme. The unison of sound,[22] and

not the spelling, largely guides the formation of double rhymes, even in

serious verse. "Liquor" and "thicker," "ever" and "river," "motion" and

"ocean," "debtor" and "better," are instances in proof; and many, many

worse cases pass muster occasionally. Faulty double rhymes are rendered

faulty much in the same way as single ones. Thus, "minion" and

"dominion," "million" and "vermilion," are bad rhymes. In burlesque and

satiric poetry, a great deal of freedom is used in the composition of

double rhymes.[23] Butler often frames them most amusingly in his

"Hudibras." For example—

"When pulpit, drum ecclesi_astic_,

Was beat with fists, instead of _a stick_."

"Though stored with deletery _med'cines_,

Which whosoever took is _dead since_."

Occasionally in the highest serious verse we find the double rhyme

composed of two several words, as in the following specimen from

Wordsworth:[24]—

"Through many a long blue field of ether,

Leaving ten thousand stars beneath her."

In light or burlesque pieces, however, as Butler shows, the double rhyme

is compounded in any way which gives the sound required. The Treble

Rhyme is only found in such pieces. Butler says:—

"There was an ancient sage philosopher,

Who had read Alexander Ross over."

But, as the treble rhyme occurs but three or four times even in

"Hudibras," it need not be dilated on here.

The word MEASURE, when employed in reference to poetry, indicates the

length of line and general syllabic structure of peculiar kinds and

forms of verse. Thus, a piece written in lines of eight syllables is

said to be in the octo-syllabic measure, and one of ten-syllabled lines

in the deca-syllabic measure. The term RHYTHM, again, denotes the

arrangement of the syllables in relation to one another, as far as

accentuation is concerned, and the particular cadence resulting from

that arrangement. All the common measures of verse have a prevailing and

normal rhythm—that is, long and short, or accented and unaccented,

syllables follow each other in a certain order of succession. Thus, the

normal octo-syllabic measure consists of short and long alternately, as

does also the deca-syllabic. But variations, as will be shown, occur in

these respects. What rhythm, again, is to measures of verse in the

aggregate, ACCENT nearly is to each line specifically and individually.

In one and all has the accent its peculiar seat; and the more that seat

is varied, generally speaking, the more beautiful is the verse. The

PAUSE is another feature of some importance in English poetry. In every

line a point occurs, at which a stop or rest is naturally made, and this

independently of commas or periods. It will be found impossible to read

poetry without making this pause, even involuntarily. The seat of it

varies with the accent, seeing that it always follows immediately after

the accent From the want of a right distribution of accent and pause

verse becomes necessarily and unpleasingly monotonous.

On the whole, English poetry, as remarked, has not one well-marked and

unvariable characteristic of structure, saving that syllabic uniformity

which distinguishes it in all its accurate forms and phases. However,

this feature of our verse has been far from stamping it with anything

like sameness. Though our bards have habitually measured their verses by

the syllabic scale—with the exception of our old ballad writers, and a

few moderns, who have written professedly after their exemplars—yet no

language in the world contains stores of poetry more varied than the

English in respect of construction. Lines of all lengths, containing

from three syllables to twenty, have been tried by our poets, and, in

general, pleasingly and successfully. Fletcher has even attempted

tri-syllabic verses, though, as may be supposed, only in a slight choral

form.

"Move your feet

To our sound,

Whiles we greet

All this ground."