Quantcast
Words that rhyme with believes — 1995 rhymes by quality | Rhyme Land
RhymeLand

the rhymes and the songs that used them

Words that rhyme withbelieves

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 IY coda V·Z
31
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
thieves1sleeves6eaves2eves1grieves1cleaves1greavesheavesneves
2 syllables
receives1retrieves1achieves2aggrievesbereavesconceives1
3 syllables
interweaves1misconceivesmisperceivespreconceives
4 syllables
recitatives
24
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
breathes1seethes1sheathesteethesbriefs1griefs1leafs1beefs9chiefs5fiefsreefs
2 syllables
beliefs6debriefsmassifsmotifsreliefs14bequeaths1
3 syllables
disbeliefs2leitmotifs
4 syllables
aperitifs
7
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)
2 syllables
eighteenthsfifteenthsfourteenthsnineteenthssixteenthsthirteenths
3 syllables
seventeenths
544
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
me2be396see376free262sea159tree92leave71trees79knees87please60three36breathe46teeth35peace30beach33breeze45key27keys24we16she13he13tea19thee23reach22piece13these7knee26thief14lee11ease18chief5teach6each3cheese7freeze11sees7speech5beef9eve4steve1grief9bee9pee3sleeve19gee1ye4brief3squeeze4bees14fee6wee7niece4keith1jeezdee1hee2cease6geezleaf2seas7plea6flee5preach8screech1sneeze5breach1seize1leash5peach4tease3fleas3geese4grieve3weave4ski1reesespree2tee3yee3Greece1
2 syllables
believe67disease26agree16release17police7relief14degrees6receive7chinese1degree6marie1beneath6belief7increase2louise2achieve2naive4denisemauricelouie1mcgee1luis1rupeesdebris4trapeze3marquee3conceive1deceive2emcee2emcees1Gretzky2mouthpiece1striptease2agrees1apiece1appease1aviv1bequeath1Chablis1decrease1decree1displease1esprits1felice1impeach1jolie1magee1mcghee1perceive1rajneesh1relieve1reprieve1selfies1timepiece1trainees1trustees1unease1whiteys1Ageeaggrieve
3 syllables
japanese2underneath5guarantee3disagree11Tennessee17companies10Hercules1overseas7masterpiece1disbelief2bourgeoisie2liberties1wannabes1ABCs1absentee1bumblebees1centerpiece1cherokees1congolese1Damocles1devotee1expertise1interweave1oversea1parolees1portuguese1siamese1absentees1addresseeaddresseesadopteeadopteesadoreesaltarpieceamputeeamputeesanarchies1Annameseantifreezeapogees
4 syllables
apologies2abilities1identities2mythologies1vietnamese1actuariesadversitiesanalysesantigonesantinomiesaperitifapostrophescalliopesconcavitiesdiastoleseponymies
5 syllables
actualities1
6 syllables
comparabilitiescompatibilities1epistemologies
7 syllables
1239
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
street175dream150dreams122sleep123feel91feet118need1real69mean72seen68green52sweet49streets48clean55deep52beat51meet48scene42speak46keep40heat46eat36week33seems40means34queen27screen40deal27seat29wheel26scream25team17field13feels18steel24meat17weak22seem16speed20east15needs11cheap17steal11cream12least8fields14weeks5beast11wheels20priest11feed11screams7keeps4treat5stream16jeans22bleed19sheets15seemed3seed17heels15sheep10meal6heal11dean6pete3speaks3seek6pleased3beats10leads3freak3cheek17cheat7reached1weed9theme2league3bleepfeast13
2 syllables
between34asleep35machine29complete10repeat11agreed5indeed3believed5defeat8received3released5machines6appeal9routine6unique1reveal2concrete8proceed1succeed1extreme2retreat6fifteen2revealed4marine1deceased7technique1christineideal1supreme1compete2relievedheartbeat3deceived7receipt1irenebackseat3daydream6nineteen5unseen5windshield2upbeatincreased1elite3marines1concealed5jolene3achieved1canteen3conceal3daydreams1esteem3cornfield3deceit2discreet3eighteen3moonbeam2obscene1perceived3repeats3serene2
3 syllables
magazine8magazines11seventeen14halloween2guaranteed4bittersweet8gasoline6limousine6battlefield4kerosene5trampoline4evergreen2incomplete4limousines3smithereens5submarine2figurines1guillotine3josephine1obsolete2seraphim3Abilene1intervene1oldsmobile2quarantine1tambourine1Vaseline2centipede1Constantine1doublespeak1ernestine1evergreens1figurine1gabardine1halloweens1magdalene1mezzanine1nicotine1snowmobiles1submarines1
4 syllables
amphetamines2automobile2automobiles2aquamarine1acetyleneacetylenesadenosineadenosinesamphetamineaquamarines1automobiledelephantineglucosamineglucosaminesinternecinelabyrinthinemujahadeen
5 syllables
antisubmarinehexachlorophenehexachlorophenes
150
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
clothes64lives20waves22loves4gives2moves5wives6slaves6gloves1nerves1drives1knives7graves11wolves1proves10mouths1serves1doves5caves4fives4droves2shelves3dives2thrives1youths2paths1calves1curves1dwarves1naves1oaths1shaves1bathes2braves24carveschivesclovescoves1craves4daves3delveselvesgrooves13groves4halveshaves27
2 syllables
themselves6yourselves2deserves1arrives2airwaves2survives3forgives2archives1beehives1evolves1foxgloves1involves1werewolves1aboves71absolvesalcovesapproves2behaves5behoovesbivalvesconclavesconnivesconservescontrivesdepravesdeprivesderivesdevolvesdisprovesdissolves3enclavesengravesenslavesimproves2landgravesmaglevs
3 syllables
ourselves13aftershaves1architravesautoclaves1countermovesdisapproves1microwaves1misbehaves1overdrives1yugoslavs
4 syllables
sociopaths1
5 syllables
determinatives
4
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
leaves35
2 syllables
relieves1
3 syllables
disbelievesinterleaves

“believes” at line end — from real songs

And the gods that he believesNever fail to disappoint me
— Laura Marling, “My Manic and I” · rhymes believes / me
But all I want, all I ever needIs someone out there who believes
— Angel Olsen, “Hi-Five” · rhymes believes / need
Now he's just an old man that nobody believesSays he's a gunfighter, the last of this breed
— Guy Clark, “The Last Gunfighter Ballad” · rhymes believes / breed

How to read the 1995 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 31
Same stressed vowel, same sounds after it, different beginning. Full resolution — the strongest closure a rhyme can give a line.
Family rhyme 24
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 7
Same vowel, but one word carries an extra consonant after the shared ending. The added sound softens the landing slightly.
Subtractive 544
Same vowel, but one word stops a consonant early. A slightly clipped, softer resolution than perfect rhyme.
Assonance 1239
Only the stressed vowel matches; the consonants after it are unrelated. Loose and open — useful when a section should stay unresolved.
Consonance 150
The vowels differ but the ending consonants match. The faintest echo of all — texture rather than closure.
Identity 4
The whole stressed syllable repeats, beginning included. That's repetition, not rhyme — the line echoes instead of resolving.