Which term refers to a near rhyme that sounds similar but not exact?

Which term refers to a near rhyme that sounds similar but not exact?

• A. End rhyme
• B. Slant rhyme
• C. Rhyme scheme
• D. Meter

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is a type of rhyme where the sounds are similar but not exact. That kind of rhyme is called slant rhyme, or near rhyme. Poets use it when the final sounds come close without matching perfectly, often by sharing consonants with different vowels or by similar vowels with different consonants. This creates a subtler, less traditional musical effect and can heighten tension or surprise in a line. Understanding this helps distinguish it from end rhyme, which refers to rhymes at the ends of lines that match exactly; rhyme scheme, which is the pattern of rhymes throughout a poem; and meter, which is about the rhythm and pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Slant rhyme fits the description because it focuses on approximate sound correspondence rather than exact rhyme.

The main idea being tested is a type of rhyme where the sounds are similar but not exact. That kind of rhyme is called slant rhyme, or near rhyme. Poets use it when the final sounds come close without matching perfectly, often by sharing consonants with different vowels or by similar vowels with different consonants. This creates a subtler, less traditional musical effect and can heighten tension or surprise in a line.

Understanding this helps distinguish it from end rhyme, which refers to rhymes at the ends of lines that match exactly; rhyme scheme, which is the pattern of rhymes throughout a poem; and meter, which is about the rhythm and pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Slant rhyme fits the description because it focuses on approximate sound correspondence rather than exact rhyme.