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Words that rhyme with first — 1453 rhymes by quality | Rhyme Land
RhymeLand

the rhymes and the songs that used them

Words that rhyme withfirst

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 ER coda S·T
23
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
worst6burst1cursed1thirst3durst2Hearstnursedpursedversed1
2 syllables
rehearsed1reversed1cloudburst1dispersed1accursedcoercedconverseddisbursed
3 syllables
interspersedreimbursedunrehearsed
36
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
searched2berthedbirched1birthed15churched9earthed55girthedlurchedperched3surfed3
2 syllables
researched4uneartheddeservedpreserved2reserved1observed1submerged1conserved
3 syllables
reemergedundeserved
8
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
bursts1burnsed11Ernstfirsts39thirsts12worsts16
2 syllables
cloudbursts1outbursts
337
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
her38earth2word1work3heard41hurt2bird26worse1worth28were4shirt1sir1dirt23church9curse17birth2serve4third3search1purse8nurse4jerk6nerve5perhers5verse2skirt5clerk3fur3kurtkirk1Burtcurb4curve5flirt4hearse5stir3burkeherdurge2blur3bertsurf3perch3lurk2mirth1nerd2smirk2swerve1Turk2vert2birch1blurred1chirp1cur1ers1fer1ferg1fleur1herb1merge1murk1myrrh1perc1Perth1purge1purr1scourge1slurred1spurs1squirt1stirred1surge1ter1verb1verge1vers1bergberkberthbirrbirredbirrsblurbblurs3blurtburburgBurk
2 syllables
deserve7research1preferMonsieur1alert2reverse6absurd8homework2network1transferoccurred4disturb1dessert1transferredobserve1occur3password1reserve3bluebird4t-shirtperverse3preserve1berserk2inverse3clockwork2disperse1obverse1preferred1sweatshirt1unheard2referartwork1crossword1emerge1footwork1iceberg1songbird1sunbird1watchword1woodwork1adverseamperesassertavertbeadworkbrushworkbywordcaseworkcatbirdcatchers1catchwordchauffeurchauffeuredchauffeurschildbirthcoerceconcurconcurredconcursconferconferredconfersconserveconvergecowherddeferdeferreddefers
3 syllables
universe8paperwork1mockingbird3hummingbird1amateurs2butterworth1extrovert1leavenworth1needlework1overheard1reemerge1Ataturkconnoisseurconnoisseurscynosuresdescriptorsdisconcertfirebirdfireworkhandiworkintersperseintrovertladybirdlatticeworkmetalworkminiskirtopenworkoverworkplasterworkreassertreimbursesaboteursaboteurssilencersthunderbirdundershirtundeterredwhisperers
4 syllables
entrepreneur1arbitrageursentrepreneurs1restaurateurrestaurateurs
375
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
world127girl90words54turn1girls23burn30learn26hurts2birds15learned9works8burned1turned1turns5worked3burns11terms1earn1firmearned4term1worlds5pearl7earl2nerves1burnt2pearls13curls9shirts3worms3worm1serves1spermlearntswirl4swirls5whirl3curl4ferns3germs2hurled3germ1herbs1hurl1stern2thirds2yearns1churn1curbed1curves1earle1fern1skirts1spurn1spurts1twirl1twirled1urn1yearn1bergsberkesberksbermbermsBernBernebernsberthsbirlebirledbirlesbirths15blurbsblurtsburgesburgsburked
2 syllables
return15returned4concerned3concern4deserves1confirm1confirmed1returns2concerns1disturbed2unfurled7unfurl3adjourned2networks1bluebirds1cowgirl1crosswords1earthworm1outskirts1showgirl1unearned1unfurls1unturned1absurds8adjournadjournsaffirmaffirmedaffirmsalerts2artworks1assertsavertsbeadworksberserks2bookwormbookwormsbrushworksbywordscaseworkscatbirdscatchwordschildbirthsclockworks2confirms1conservescowgirls1cowherdscutwormcutwormsdesserts1discerndiscerneddiscernsdisturbs1divertsdownturndownturns
3 syllables
fireworks1underworld4hummingbirds3mockingbirds1taciturn1unconcerned1disconcertsendospermendospermsextroverts1firebirdshandiworksintrovertsladybirdslatticeworksmetalworksminiskirtsneedleworks1netherworldnetherworldsopenworksoverturnoverturnedoverturnsoverworkedoverworkspaperworks1plasterworksreaffirmreaffirmedreaffirmsreassertsreconfirmreconfirmedreconfirmsthunderbirdsunconcernunconcernsunconfirmedundershirtsunderworlds4
674
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
last88lost74fast81past79left62best63rest60chest48ghost35trust34dust35most27west29just9cost24waste26taste23test20must15list16passed17east15coast15least8gift13christ9soft15beast11shift16priest11missed7lift10dressed8guest5breast18cast9bust12fist14post5blessed11kissed9toast6crossed7touched3wrist17watched2pissed2forcedbasedreached1pushed2blast4feast13nest7host4placed4twist4messed43washed2laughed4lust9crushed4vest11vast1frost11mist9rust13crashed2stuffed2theft1wished14facedswitched9guessed3chasedroast1smashed1quest3pressed6draft1waist3tossed7
2 syllables
exist15almost4arrest2released5request2suggestimpressed1resist5insist2depressed5divorced2attached3obsessed2deceased7protest2produced1discussed2replaced2dismissed1aircraft1broadcastpossessed2confessed9assistincreased1reduced2erased2adjust1exhaust3Midwest2undressed2approached1investaloft2bereft1distrust2facelift2mismatched1oppressed2outstretched2unmatched1unrest2adrift1amassed1behest1Belfast1blacklist1caressed1checklist1compressed1defrost1digest1disgraced1distaste1divest1expressed1forecast1foremost1handcuffed1headrest1mistrust1repressed1
3 syllables
introducedsacrificed1Pentecost2holocaust1wanderlust2manifest1overcast1overdosed1poltergeist1unattached1unimpressed1acquiescedaftertastealkahestanarchistantitrustautographed2bolshevistBucharestBudapestbulletproofed1chloroplastcoalescedcoexistcolorfastconvalesceddiagnoseddispossessedfireproofedflabbergasthandicrafthectographedhovercraftinnermostinterlacedJihadistlithographedlymphoblastnativistnorthernmostoculistoutermost
4 syllables
anthologistantiaircraftchoreographedenthusiasticonoclastmimeographednumismatistoverproducedpodiatristproctologistrecidivistreintroduced
5 syllables
spiritualist
7 syllables
epidemiologist
2
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)
2 syllables
headfirst
3 syllables
twenty-first

“first” at line end — from real songs

They might well be remembered also as my firstAnd possibly even as my worst
— Cass McCombs, “Name Written In Water” · rhymes first / worst
Jeff: You can just start playing the bass firstKid: What? How does this work?
— Neutral Milk Hotel, “Digestion Machine” · rhymes first / work
Yeah, it was raining from the firstAnd I was dying there of thirst
— Bob Dylan, “Just Like a Woman” · rhymes first / thirst

How to read the 1453 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 23
Same stressed vowel, same sounds after it, different beginning. Full resolution — the strongest closure a rhyme can give a line.
Family rhyme 36
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 8
Same vowel, but one word carries an extra consonant after the shared ending. The added sound softens the landing slightly.
Subtractive 337
Same vowel, but one word stops a consonant early. A slightly clipped, softer resolution than perfect rhyme.
Assonance 375
Only the stressed vowel matches; the consonants after it are unrelated. Loose and open — useful when a section should stay unresolved.
Consonance 674
The vowels differ but the ending consonants match. The faintest echo of all — texture rather than closure.
Identity 2
The whole stressed syllable repeats, beginning included. That's repetition, not rhyme — the line echoes instead of resolving.