What most of us would call a rhyme – i.e., two identical sounds found at the end of two lines of verse – is technically an end-rhyme. Within this category there are several types of rhyme. The easiest to spot is a true rhyme, in which all but the initial consonant is identical in spelling and sound, as in hair/fair. Sight rhymes or eye rhymes look like true rhymes, but although spelt alike, the words are pronounced differently: Dear/bear. A further distinction can be made between masculine rhymes, which occur on the last, stressed syllable,e.g.: "I was angry with my FRIEND/ I told my wrath, my wrath did END" and feminine rhymes, which end with an unstressed syllable. The syllable before the unstressed one must also rhyme, as in lying/dying. Occasionally rhymes are made with three or more syllables; this creates such a strong effect that it can sound rather like a jingle, so it's usually used for comic effect: Machinery/scenery.
