App
Starfall
$35/yr(0)
Rhyming words list
Printable list of rhyming words · 9 pages
Explore reading programs
See all reading programs →Compare listed prices and grade ranges. Save favorites on this device; directory inclusion does not imply funding approval. Confirm current prices and availability with the provider.
Two words rhyme when they sound the same from the vowel to the end: cat and hat, cake and lake, light and night. That shared chunk is called the rime, and words that share a spelled rime are called a word family.
This list gathers more than 500 rhyming words in 48 families. The short vowel families (-at, -en, -ig, -op, -ug) come first, then families with digraphs and blends (-ack, -ash, -ing, -unk) and long vowel families (-ake, -ay, -eat, -ight, -oke). Every word in a family is spelled with the same ending and is a real word a young child might read or hear.
Hearing rhymes is a listening skill that comes before reading, so start out loud: say two words and ask if they rhyme. Once your child reads, use the list for rhyming chains, silly poems or the rhyme-match worksheet.
Tips for using it
- Ask for a rhyme before showing the list: 'What rhymes with cat?' Then read the family together to check.
- Nonsense rhymes count when you're playing out loud (cat, zat). Just keep printed lists to real words.
- If rhyming is hard for your child, clap and stretch the ending: c-at, h-at.
Variations
All word lists for kidsQuestions
What are rhyming words?
Rhyming words end with the same sound, starting from the vowel: sun, run and fun all end in -un. They don't have to be spelled the same (blue and shoe rhyme), but the words on this list are, which helps with reading.
At what age do kids understand rhyming?
Many children start to recognize rhymes around age 4 and produce their own around 4 to 5, but the range is wide. Nursery rhymes and rhyming books are the easiest way to build the skill.
Is rhyming the same as phonics?
No. Rhyming is phonological awareness, which is about hearing sounds in speech. Phonics connects those sounds to letters. Rhyming helps with phonics, especially with word families.