do the words cream and green rhyme?

Answer 1

Most of these answers seem to assume you are asking a question about the narrowest definition of a word, and they assume they know exactly what "rhyme" means.

I somehow doubt that's what you're after. I will assume you aren't asking for a dictionary definition, but want to know if you can USE these two words in a particular poetic setting (esp the ends of lines) where you need to the sounds of the words to match closely.

In that case, the answer is YES -- the sounds are almost certainly close enough to work and should be considered as rhyming.

Note that dictionary definitions of "rhyme" typically one of the following to describe how the sounds of the rhyming words should compare:

'match', 'agree', 'correspond'

Look, for instance, at the various definitions listed on this page:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rhyme


None of these words require that the sounds be IDENTICAL (though identical sounds certainly yield very good rhymes!). Actually, it helps to see "rhyme" as a FUNCTIONAL thing. It's not about looking for sound-matches for their own sake, but to be able to USE, esp. in a poetic setting.

The basic point of rhyme is that the sounds match CLOSELY ENOUGH for the particular setting. Some settings will require "perfect" rhymes, in which the corresponding sounds are IDENTICAL. Most will be fine with NEARLY perfect rhymes, in which almost all the sounds are identical, and those that are not are quite close. Finally, in some settings a "near rhyme" or "slant rhyme" that is more distant will work just fine. (Note, by the way, that the matching of sounds for good rhymes almost always extends from the vowel of the ACCENTED syllable to the end of the word. So, in general, make sure the accented syllable is the same. In this case, that means the final syllable, which is the easiest of all to match.)

In other words, rhyme is about sounds being close -- exactly how close they must be depends on where you are using them.


So, for your specific question -- "cream" and "green" are very nearly perfect rhymes. The sounds that need to be matches are the vowel and the final consonant sound. The vowel is identical; the consonant sounds /m/ and /n/ are not identical but are EXTREMELY close... in fact, so close that it's not always easy to hear the difference. This will almost certainly work.

By the way, you should NOT think of this as an inferior rhyme! Sometimes folks DO stretch things and try to force words to work which really don't, but if you start reading through GOOD poetry, song lyrics, etc. you will find MANY examples of good, effective rhymes that are not identical, and that are often much more distant than the pair you mention.


In case you were looking for words that will work as rhymes for "cream" here is a list to try:

* beam, deem, dream, esteem, extreme, gleam, meme, ream, redeem, regime, seam, scheme, scream, seem, steam, stream, supreme, team, theme

* bean, between, caffeine, clean, cuisine, dean, gene, glean, green, keen, latrine, lean, machine, marine, mean, obscene, pean, preen, queen, routine, scene, seen, screen, tangerine, teen, trampoline, tureen, ween

You may also find that you can use words ending with the sounds /eed/ (mostly spelled "-ead" and "-eed") or /eev/ (as in "eve", "grieve"). The sounds /d/ and /v/ are a bit more distant from /m/ but share important features -- both use the voice and are formed at or very near the same place in the mouth-- so they may work. By the same token /eeb/ could work, but beyond "dweeb" it's hard to find a word that ends this way!

Answer 2

Rhyme Green

Answer 3

scream bean lean mean beam

Answer 4

Yes. According to the definitions of rhyme on an internet search, they do qualify as a rhyme.
These two words are not a rhyming pair with end sounds that are similar. In order for them to rhyme in that way, they have to have the same sound at the end (m:m or n:n). Still, it is possible to say that they rhyme, because of the similar sounding consonants 'm' and 'n' as well as the middle sound (vowel: e). Do a search for "definition of rhyme" and you will find lots of useful information, especially with regard to what a true or strict rhyme is as compared to just a general rhyme.

Answer 5

No. They are near rhymes but not exactly rhyming words. Go to www.rhymezone.com to check for rhymes to words. Also this website can be used to find synonyms, antonyms, definitions and more. Its very useful

Answer 6

NO -- but a poet, or a songwriter, may take the liberty to use them as quasi-rhymes, in the place of true rhymes.

Answer 7

It's a slant rhyme. That means it technically doesn't rhyme, but it sounds enough like it does that you can use it. It's good to use slant rhymes, it keeps a poem from sounding monotonous.

Answer 8

Go to your nearest CAVE! [Mammoth Caverns, Carlsbad Caverns, or Radio Shack reverberation department]

Now! Say cream....eam, eam, eam, eam, eam
Next try green....een, een, een, een
Then repeat while recording.
Play back recorder and transcribe echoes
Now look them up in a dictionary [green and cream]: Do they sound alike?
Now type the echoes: Do they spell alike?
Now type the dictionary enunciations: Are they exactly alike?
If not: write NO and submit your answer to this question

Answer 9

They rhyme good enough for song lyrics.

Polly

Answer 10

If you're trying for assonance (the repetition of vowel sounds), then you have a hit; otherwise, they technically do not rhyme.