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Words that rhyme with afford — 1960 rhymes by quality | Rhyme Land
RhymeLand

the rhymes and the songs that used them

Words that rhyme withafford

masculine
Masculine this word

Ends on a stressed syllable — a one-syllable rhyme, or a multisyllable word whose primary stress lands last. The rhyme hits the final beat, the way most rhymes in songs do.

Examples

love · dove · today · believe · forgot

Feminine

Ends with an unstressed syllable trailing the stressed one — always at least two syllables. The rhyme lands a beat earlier and trails off softly.

Examples

river · mother · follow · breaking · mountain

Masculine and feminine endings rarely sing together (the rhyme lands on a different beat), so they're kept apart here.

 vowel AO coda R·D
101
What it is
  1. The syllables' vowel sounds are identical.
  2. The sounds after the vowels (if any) are identical.
  3. The syllables begin differently.
How it feels
  1. Perfect
  2. Family
  3. Additive / Subtractive
  4. Assonance
  5. Consonance
resolvedunresolved
Example

cat / hat — same AE vowel, same T ending

Source
Berklee College of Music's songwriting method (Pat Pattison)
1 syllable
lord28bored18board10sword11ward3cord1chord5roared2hoard1scored1fjord1horde1nord1ord1coredfloored145goredgourdnorednorredoaredporedpoured5schnorredshoredsnoredsoared2storedswardwarred
2 syllables
record3reward3aboard2towardaward2ignored6restored1landlord1adored2broadsword1skateboard2accord1billboard1chessboard1dartboard1dashboard1headboard1keyboard1warlord1abhorredbackboardbaseboardblackboard
3 syllables
overboard3aboveboardcheckerboardclavichordfiberboardfibreboardfingerboardharpsichordnotochordoverlordpaperboardplasterboardprerecordsmorgasbordunderscored
59
What it is
  1. The syllables' vowel sounds are identical.
  2. The sounds after the vowels come from the same phonetic family (e.g. T↔D, P↔B, M↔N).
  3. The syllables begin differently.
How it feels
  1. Perfect
  2. Family
  3. Additive / Subtractive
  4. Assonance
  5. Consonance
resolvedunresolved
Example

cat / pad — AE vowel; T and D are both stops

Family chart
PlosivesFricativesNasals
VoicedbdgvTHzzhjmnng
Unvoicedptkfthsshch

Each column is a family pair — same place + manner, only the voicing differs.

Source
Berklee College of Music's songwriting method (Pat Pattison)
1 syllable
short6court6sort1sport6port3fort2Porte1quart1snort1swartthwarttorttortewartmorgue2orbYork5pork2forkcorkcorpstorkThorpetorquewarp
2 syllables
report3support4airport5passport1escorttransportresortcarport1distort1import1abortassortathwartBridgeportcavortcomportconsortcontortdeportexhort
3 syllables
davenport1AgincourtteleportLuxembourgreabsorb
121
What it is
  1. The syllables' vowel sounds are identical.
  2. The sounds after the vowels are identical, with one extra consonant on one side.
  3. The syllables begin differently.
How it feels
  1. Perfect
  2. Family
  3. Additive / Subtractive
  4. Assonance
  5. Consonance
resolvedunresolved
Example

love / loved — extra D on one side

Source
Berklee College of Music's songwriting method (Pat Pattison)
1 syllable
sports1corpse2sorts1lords3swords2shorts1chords2boards3cords1courts1fords1forks1hordes1cordescorkedcorksfjords1forkedforts2gourds
2 syllables
records5towards2reports1floorboards2absorbed1awards1billboards1dartboards1landlords1rewards1abortsabsorbs1accords1affords7airports5
3 syllables
checkerboardsclavichordsdavenports1fiberboardsfibreboardsfingerboardsharpsichordsnotochordsoverlordspaperboardsplasterboards
116
What it is
  1. The syllables' vowel sounds are identical.
  2. The sounds after the vowels are identical, but one side stops one consonant earlier.
  3. The syllables begin differently.
How it feels
  1. Perfect
  2. Family
  3. Additive / Subtractive
  4. Assonance
  5. Consonance
resolvedunresolved
Example

cried / cry — one side missing the final D

Source
Berklee College of Music's songwriting method (Pat Pattison)
1 syllable
more207door1for117floor1war77shore49store33four18your2score23or5norcore8pour5sore9wore2drawer5bore11roar16swore1corps1tore1ore5chore3gore2soar2snore1sor1yore1boarBoerBohrforehoarloreoarOrrporporeschnorrsporeThortortorr
2 syllables
before155ignore6thereforeexplore2ashore6adore3encore1restoredrugstore1seashore2centaur2Dior1backdoor1decor1folklore1galore1hardcore1igor1implore1rapport1uproar1abhorAborbookstoreclaymoredeploreeyesoreGaborindoorinshoreLahorelakeshorementoroffshoreonshoreoutdooroutscorephosphorpostwarprewarSenorsophomoreTimorwherefore
3 syllables
anymore105Baltimore1evermore2sycamore1troubadour2commodore1Labrador1Singapore1albacoreBangaloreBarrymorecarnivoredinosaurEcuadorfurthermoreguarantorherbivoreheretoforeLivermorematadorMevacornevermoreSalvadorstevedoreTambocortwenty-fourunderscore
307
What it is
  1. The syllables' vowel sounds are the same.
  2. The consonants after the vowel are not phonetically related.
  3. The syllables begin differently.
How it feels
  1. Perfect
  2. Family
  3. Additive / Subtractive
  4. Assonance
  5. Consonance
resolvedunresolved
Example

love / dot — both AH, but V and T have nothing in common

Assonance rhymes always have consonants after the vowels, but the consonants cannot be phonetically related.

Source
Berklee College of Music's songwriting method (Pat Pattison)
1 syllable
born36storm32warm21doors1course13horse10form15force8horn11north2George2corn10source5forth3wars8torn8forcedfourth2warn1warned2worn4porn3forms1floors7horns3stores2formed15porch5roars2sworn1scores1morn5torch1fours3scorn5shores2mourn3thorn2thorns4drawers2norm2swarm3warmth1coarse1pores2pours1scorned2storms2borne1chores1dorm1dorms1dwarf1dwarves1fourths1gorge1hoarse1oars1scorched1shorn1spores1swarms1thorne1warms1warnes1warns1wharf1boarsboersbores11borns36borschborschtborschtsbournbournebournesbournsBoursecores8cormcormscorned10corns10Corsecoursed
2 syllables
divorce1perform3divorced2informinformed1performed1platform1reborn7outdoors3remorse3transform1transformed1unborn2popcornairborne1bergdorf1bullhorn1conform1drugstores1endorse1forlorn1lukewarm1rainstorm1reform1stillborn1waveform1windstorm1abhorsadores3adornadornedadornsAzoresbackdoors1barnstormbarnstormedbarnstormsbighornbighornsblowtorchbookstoresbrainstormbrainstormedbrainstormsbuckthornbuckthornsbullhorns1centaurs2claymoresclotheshorseconcourseconformed1conforms1decors1deformdeformeddeformsdeploresdisgorgedisgorgeddownpours1encores1endorsedenforceenforcedexplores2eyesores
3 syllables
uniform3uniforms3unicorn3thunderstorm2commodores1dinosaurs1misinformed1stevedores1sycamores1troubadours1albacorescarnivoreschloroformchloroformedchloroformsDusseldorffirestormfirestormsguarantorsherbivoresintercourselabradors1matadorsmisinformmisinformsopen-sourceoutperformoutperformedoutperformspolymorphpolymorphsreinforcereinforcedthunderstorms2unadornedunderscoresunenforcedunicorns3uniformed3uninformedwaterborne
4 syllables
cuneiform1cuneiforms1underperformunderperformedunderperforms
1257
What it is
  1. The syllables' vowel sounds are different.
  2. The sounds after the vowels are identical.
  3. The syllables begin differently.
How it feels
  1. Perfect
  2. Family
  3. Additive / Subtractive
  4. Assonance
  5. Consonance
resolvedunresolved
Example

love / live — both end in V; AH versus IH

Source
Berklee College of Music's songwriting method (Pat Pattison)
1 syllable
head219side201said146good108bed169dead149road127need93god69bad76hard81ride96made86had62died74word46blood51hide63could46kid50loud49red49heard41pride53crowd41sad40mad39tried34should27read21bird26would21proud25wood28wide39cried37food24scared17paid26dad17yard23lead16bride23lied22dude11speed20bread19weird13glad15trade20load19played15mood11blade22guard10stayed13code11shade35card8stood11cloud17feed11hood13tide22grade8showed6fade27laid9mud13tied9led7bleed19third3spread6seed17maid8guide10slide14ridadd3
2 syllables
inside131outside53afraid40instead39ahead21decide19allowed9parade19agreed5aside7prepared5indeed3destroyed2avoid2explode12beside6provide1absurd8betrayed2denied10childhood1comrade1appeared3proceed1succeed1occurred4compared1enjoyed5abroad2transferreddivide11borrowed1assured5includeforbid1upsidecollide8password1backyard2Bernardgraveyard4appliedregard1arcade6declaredabide6bluebird4reside6unsaid5untied5persuadelandslide4mermaid3postcard4railroad1annoyed1bedside3hillside1intrude4replied4
3 syllables
understood12satisfied16neighborhood11suicide11disappeared9attitude5hollywood5episode3terrified4homicide1paranoid2boulevard9guaranteed4gratitude1overhead6qualified1occupied1lemonade5riverside4crucified4mountainside2solitude2classifiedbodyguard2mockingbird3countryside2genocide2hummingbird1overload2petrified3promenade2riverbed3unprepared3asteroid2disregard2interlude2justified2magnified2misconstrued2neighbourhood1
4 syllables
misunderstood9identified1dissatisfied2exemplified1formaldehyde1infanticide1solidified1unsatisfied1acidifiedbeatifiedbrachiopodcephalopoddaminozidedecertifieddeclassifieddemystifieddetoxifieddisqualifieddiversified
5 syllables
corticosteroid
6 syllables
6
What it is
  1. The syllables' vowel sounds are identical.
  2. The sounds after the vowels (if any) are identical.
  3. The syllables begin the same — repetition, not a rhyme.
How it feels

Off the rhyme scale — identity is repetition, not resolution. Shown so you can spot it, not reach for it.

Example

fuse / confuse — both stressed syllables are 'fuse'

Source
Berklee College of Music's songwriting method (Pat Pattison)
1 syllable
ford3
2 syllables
forded3fording3
3 syllables
afforded7affording7
4 syllables
affordable1

“afford” at line end — from real songs

Y'check out Guitar George, he knows all the chordsYes n' an old guitar is all he can afford
— Dire Straits, “Sultans of Swing” · rhymes afford / chords
Expensive things I can't affordAnd then they close the doors
— Kae Tempest, “Brown Eyed Man” · rhymes afford / doors
Are flats we can't affordHave all been restored
— Kae Tempest, “Perfect Coffee” · rhymes afford / restored

How to read the 1960 results

Tiers follow Pat Pattison's stability scale — pick the resolution your line needs, not just the closest sound. Bold words are common in lyrics; a struck-through word with a cliché flag is an overworked pair; a vermilion dot counts how often the pair appears at line end in our corpus of real songs.

Perfect rhyme 101
Same stressed vowel, same sounds after it, different beginning. Full resolution — the strongest closure a rhyme can give a line.
Family rhyme 59
The consonants after the vowel are swapped for phonetic siblings — T↔D, M↔N, S↔Z. Nearly as stable as perfect rhyme, with far more word choices.
Additive 121
Same vowel, but one word carries an extra consonant after the shared ending. The added sound softens the landing slightly.
Subtractive 115
Same vowel, but one word stops a consonant early. A slightly clipped, softer resolution than perfect rhyme.
Assonance 307
Only the stressed vowel matches; the consonants after it are unrelated. Loose and open — useful when a section should stay unresolved.
Consonance 1257
The vowels differ but the ending consonants match. The faintest echo of all — texture rather than closure.
Identity 6
The whole stressed syllable repeats, beginning included. That's repetition, not rhyme — the line echoes instead of resolving.