Perfect rhyme

A perfect rhyme, also called a true rhyme, is a rhyme where the stressed vowel and every sound after it match, as in "bright" and "night".

Blake rhymes "bright" with "night".

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;

William Blake, "The Tyger", 1794

What it is

To be a perfect rhyme, the sounds must match from the last stressed vowel to the end of the word, and the sound before it must differ. "Bright" and "night" match from the vowel on and start with different consonants. "Night" and "night" do not count, since it is the same word.

Why it matters to a writer or editor

Perfect rhyme sounds neat and finished. That can be the right effect or too tidy for the subject. A poet who wants a looser sound turns to slant rhyme.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between perfect rhyme and slant rhyme?

A perfect rhyme matches fully, like "bright" and "night". A slant rhyme matches only in part, like "bright" and "bait".