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Words that rhyme with held — 3410 rhymes by quality | Rhyme Land
RhymeLand

the rhymes and the songs that used them

Words that rhyme withheld

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 EH coda L·D
30
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
smelled6spelled1belled24celled12dwelledfelled28gelledjelledknelled1meld
2 syllables
compelled1dispelledexcelledexpelledimpelledmarcelledmarvelled
3 syllables
paralleled1parallelled
4 syllables
unparalleled1
20
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
felt11belt9dealt4melt6pelt1CeltsmeltsvelteweltElbehelp32kelp1elkyelp
2 syllables
seatbelt1greenbeltheartfeltSunbeltself-help
3 syllables
Roosevelt
21
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
helped1helps3belts1melts1pelts1yelped1celtselkeselksfeltesfelts11helds4kelps1meldssmeltsweldswelts
2 syllables
greenbeltsseatbelts1
3 syllables
roosevelts
409
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
head219said146bed169well1dead149hell87tell75yet55get32red49met39read21neck28fell28bell24lead16wet20cell12check14set13bet14bread19step13spell18sell8smell6leg8debt8let1sweat14heh2led7yep1spread6beg1shell10fed5deck8wreck11egg3threat1shed6fred1heck4net4yell5pet4Tedgregjet6sec1swell5web3fled5thread9mel1tech1dread9delned1belle3meg1wed6tread3bled4pell4prepvet1pegdell3bred2fret2peck1Bel1fel1ged1knell1nell1pelle1pep1quell1redd1rep1schnell1shek1
2 syllables
forget44hotel31instead39ahead21regret25upset9sunset8motel8farewell5doorbell2michelleintelcorvette5doorstep4miguelunsaid5chanel2lapel2cassette2excel2gazelle2misled2outlet2Rockwell1seabed1seashell1unwell1michelmarceladele1Bankhead1bedspread1beget1bluebell1brubeck1cadet1carvel1chappelle1chevette1cornbread1deadhead1deathbed1dragnet1falwell1flatbed1inlet1learjet1nextel1offset1paycheck1quintet1recheck1redhead1resell1reset1spearhead1vignette1Wynette1abedabeleabetairheadassetAztecbaguette
3 syllables
cigarette20internet8personnel1juliet3carousel4overhead6silhouette4isabelparapet2clientele2jezebel1riverbed3bayonet2citadel2juliette1pirouette1alphabet1caravel1Lafayette1letterhead1overfed1parallel1quarterdeck1statuette1suffragette1thoroughbred1anisettearrowheadavocetbiomedbiotechbottleneckcalumetcarrouselclarinetcopperheadcoronetdanielledecibeldiscothequedouble-checkdragonheadepithetethernet
4 syllables
mademoiselleAix-la-ChapellematerielViramune
5 syllables
antipersonnelvideocassette
1606
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
there278them89friend133end125hair131air127then97friends106care113death82men59else57tears30left62best63yes36rest60breath60when48fair45chest48dress44where26mess43says22ends36chair38guess29west29went23share27sense18stairs28less22bear24scared17sex20next13legs17ten17test20wear15heads21prayer21spend11health19pen22square15spent12stare24meant8bend19gets8rent13cares14sent10strength6tear3edge9shelf33self14their2fence13flesh15press8eggs7kept6dare4dressed8send5spare11swear3bells13ben4guest5rare9breast18fresh5french2desk6
2 syllables
again332myself100yourself52nowhere18somewhere14pretend26himself15itself12respect16perfect6weekend8herself7themselves6address9against3affair9girlfriend2expect4aware5success6amen6protect3confess9prepared5defense6accept2upstairs1defend8revenge5except1boyfriend1arrest2suspect1unlessnightmare5accent4event4effect5correct2depends4subject2process3progress3downstairs2preparerequest2events4suggestyourselves2accesspercent2collect2impressed1footsteps3direct1express3attend3affairs3intend1attempt1
3 syllables
everywhere35anywhere22ourselves13president5cigarettes13underwear3represent2recommend1millionaire7billionaire4represents2Bethlehem1millionaires2architect1comprehend1disrespect2overwhelmed1unprepared3debonair1Delaware2dialect2disconnect1disrepair2recollect2unawares2ambien1billionaires1businessmen1condescend1coronets1incorrect1legionnaire1legionnaires1manifest1nonetheless1ourself1parallels1presidents1silverware1solitaire1
4 syllables
nevertheless1mademoiselles1aftereffectaftereffectscomediennecomediennesconcessionaireconcessionairesdiltiazemdiltiazemsdisorientdisorientsinterconnectinterconnectsmaterielsmisrepresentmisrepresentsoverextendoverextendsoverprotect
5 syllables
1324
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
world127side201good108road127cold121need93god69bad76ride96made86old79gold76child64had62died74word46blood51hide63could46kid50told49loud49heard41pride53hold40crowd41sad40mad39wild35tried34should27bird26would21proud25wood28wide39cried37food24paid26dad17field13bride23lied22dude11speed20glad15killed10trade20load19played15called10mood11blade22sold13stayed13code11shade35stood11cloud17feed11hood13tide22grade8showed6fade27laid9mud13build6tied9bleed19failed5third3seed17maid8guide10slide14pulled2ridadd3filled1
2 syllables
inside131outside53afraid40decide19allowed9parade19agreed5aside7indeed3destroyed2avoid2explode12beside6provide1absurd8betrayed2denied10childhood1comrade1proceed1succeed1occurred4enjoyed5revealed4abroad2transferreddivide11borrowed1includeforbid1controlledupsidebehold5so-calledcollide8unfurled7password1household1appliedarcade6unfold5abide6bluebird4reside6threshold2untied5windshield2persuadeconcealed5landslide4mermaid3untold2railroad1annoyed1bedside3beguiled4hillside1intrude4replied4roadside2
3 syllables
understood12satisfied16neighborhood11suicide11attitude5hollywood5episode3terrified4homicide1paranoid2guaranteed4gratitude1underworld4qualified1occupied1lemonade5riverside4battlefield4crucified4centerfold4mountainside2solitude2classifiedmockingbird3countryside2genocide2hummingbird1overload2petrified3promenade2asteroid2interlude2justified2magnified2misconstrued2neighbourhood1overflowed1overjoyed2renegade1unemployed1
4 syllables
misunderstood9identified1dissatisfied2exemplified1formaldehyde1infanticide1solidified1unsatisfied1acidifiedautomobiledbeatifiedbrachiopodcephalopoddaminozidedecertifieddeclassifieddemystifieddetoxifieddisqualified
5 syllables
corticosteroid
6 syllables
3
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
upheld1hand-heldhandheld

“held” at line end — from real songs

I let myself be heldI surrender
— Bill Callahan, “Held” · rhymes held / surrender
But you never heldI did some things I swore I'd never
— Kae Tempest, “Ketamine for Breakfast” · rhymes held / never
Unsure of what the balance heldI touched my belly overwhelmed
— Lauryn Hill, “To Zion” · rhymes held / overwhelmed

How to read the 3410 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 30
Same stressed vowel, same sounds after it, different beginning. Full resolution — the strongest closure a rhyme can give a line.
Family rhyme 20
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 21
Same vowel, but one word carries an extra consonant after the shared ending. The added sound softens the landing slightly.
Subtractive 409
Same vowel, but one word stops a consonant early. A slightly clipped, softer resolution than perfect rhyme.
Assonance 1606
Only the stressed vowel matches; the consonants after it are unrelated. Loose and open — useful when a section should stay unresolved.
Consonance 1324
The vowels differ but the ending consonants match. The faintest echo of all — texture rather than closure.
Identity 3
The whole stressed syllable repeats, beginning included. That's repetition, not rhyme — the line echoes instead of resolving.