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Approximate rhyme, also known as close rhyme, is when two words sound similar but do not rhyme exactly. It is used in poetry and songwriting when a perfect rhyme is not appropriate or does not exist. It usually occurs in the final stressed syllable and is generally monosyllabic. It allows writers to use specific words that may not fit perfectly into the rhyme scheme or convey the desired emotion. It can be used in any rhyme scheme, but some formal poetry requires perfect rhymes.
Approximate rhyme, sometimes called close rhyme, occurs between two words that are similar in sound, but don’t rhyme exactly. Contrast with perfect or true rhyme, where words, in fact, rhyme. The device is used in poetry, rhymed verse, and songwriting when an actual rhyme is inappropriate to the meaning of the piece or when no actual rhyme exists.
As with true rhyme, approximate rhyme usually occurs in a final stressed syllable. It is generally monosyllabic, meaning that the close rhyme only applies to a single syllable. Near multisyllabic rhyme, which is approximate rhyme in which more than one syllable of two words nearly rhyme, is quite rare.
An example of true rhyme would be the words “true” and “blue.” Examples of close rhymes would be “breadth” and “depth”. While these two words don’t actually rhyme, the similar sound comes close to rhyming.
One of the main reasons for using rough rhyme is when there simply isn’t a word that rhymes perfectly with the word in question. When this happens, quasi-rhyme allows the writer to stick to their original word choice by slightly extending the rules. Examples of English words that don’t have perfect rhymes available include angst, bulb, filmed, oblige, and wolves. Many number markers also lack perfect rhyme in the English language. These include the fifth, sixth, eighth and twelfth.
Another purpose of approximate rhyme is to allow the use of a specific word, even if it doesn’t fit perfectly into the rhyme scheme. This most often occurs when the writer wants to convey a certain image or emotion and needs a specific word or type of word to do so. In some cases, real rhyme may be available, but it may not fit the mood or flow of the poem, or it may not have a meaning that fits the story or message.
Generally, close or approximate rhyme can be used in place of perfect rhyme in any rhyme scheme. It can be used throughout a piece or it can be mixed with lines that rhyme perfectly. Some forms of formal poetry disallow the use of close rhymes, instead requiring all rhymes to be perfect. This does not mean that a writer cannot use rhyme in these formats, it simply means that he, in doing so, creates a piece that does not conform to the standards of the form.
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