rime riche: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal/Literary/Academic
Quick answer
What does “rime riche” mean?
A poetic or stylistic device where words rhyme not only in their final stressed vowel and following sounds, but are also homophones (identical in pronunciation) or near-homophones, often with different spellings and meanings.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A poetic or stylistic device where words rhyme not only in their final stressed vowel and following sounds, but are also homophones (identical in pronunciation) or near-homophones, often with different spellings and meanings.
A type of rich rhyme, most strictly defined in French and English prosody as a rhyme involving homonyms (same sound, same spelling) or homophones (same sound, different spelling). It creates a play on words and is often used for humorous, ironic, or emphatic effect. Sometimes considered excessive or overly clever.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The term is equally rare and technical in both varieties.
Connotations
Scholarly, precise, sometimes associated with complex poetic analysis or light verse/wordplay.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general discourse. Used almost exclusively in university-level literature, poetry, or linguistics contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “rime riche” in a Sentence
The poet [verb: employed, used, avoided] a rime riche.The [adjective: clever, obvious, forced] rime riche on '[word 1]' and '[word 2]'.A rime riche [verb: occurs, appears] in line X.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “rime riche” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The poet chose to rime riche 'right' with 'write', creating a pun.
- He was criticised for riming riche too frequently, making his verse seem gimmicky.
American English
- The songwriter rimes riche 'see' and 'sea' in the chorus.
- Modern poets often avoid riming riche as it can feel archaic.
adverb
British English
- The lines were rimed richely, with 'pair' and 'pear'.
- He writes almost too richely for modern tastes.
American English
- The words rhymed richly—'bore' and 'boar' were perfect homophones.
- The verse is richely rimed throughout.
adjective
British English
- The rime riche effect was both clever and distracting.
- He analysed the poem's rime riche pairings.
American English
- A rime riche couplet concluded the sonnet.
- Her style is known for its rime riche humour.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in literary criticism, poetry workshops, and linguistic studies of phonology and verse forms.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
A precise term in prosody and poetics for a specific type of sound correspondence.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “rime riche”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “rime riche”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “rime riche”
- Pronouncing 'rime' as 'rhyme' /raɪm/ (it is /riːm/).
- Confusing it with any perfect rhyme (rime riche is a subset).
- Using it to describe mere assonance or consonance.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are closely related. A rime riche is a structural feature in verse where homophones rhyme. This often creates a pun, but the pun is the semantic effect, while the rime riche is the formal poetic device.
Yes, it is quite common in songwriting for wordplay and emphasis, e.g., 'right' and 'write', 'see' and 'sea'. It is a staple in genres like hip-hop and musical theatre.
Opinions vary. In traditional French poetry, it was often sought after. In English, it is sometimes viewed as overly clever, facile, or distracting, but it can be used masterfully for specific humorous, ironic, or poignant effects.
Rime riche requires perfect homophony (identical sound), including the consonant before the vowel (the onset). Assonance is only a vowel sound match (e.g., 'lake' and 'fake' share the /eɪ/ vowel but have different consonants, so it's not a rime riche).
A poetic or stylistic device where words rhyme not only in their final stressed vowel and following sounds, but are also homophones (identical in pronunciation) or near-homophones, often with different spellings and meanings.
Rime riche is usually formal/literary/academic in register.
Rime riche: in British English it is pronounced /ˌriːm ˈriːʃ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌrim ˈriʃ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No common idioms.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'RICH RIME' – the rhyme is so rich, the words sound exactly the same.
Conceptual Metaphor
RHYME IS WEALTH (a 'rich' rhyme is more valuable/elaborate than a 'poor' one).
Practice
Quiz
What is the defining characteristic of a rime riche?