PREFACE
This work is not written with any idea of teaching poets their business, but it is hoped that it may be the means of saving time to those who have already learnt it. Without making any pretension to absolute completeness, it is claimed that this is at the same time more complete, more compact, and more up-to-date than any other rhyming dictionary on the market.
A great saving of space has been effected by the almost entire omission of false rhymes which encumber so many works of a similar nature. In the few cases where these are given they are italicised. While all great poets have rightly preferred at times to sacrifice accuracy of sound rather than do injustice to some noble thought, it is submitted that every poet must be his own judge of the licence he can afford to take in this direction, and it is not for the compiler of a rhyming dictionary to suggest departures from correct rhyming, still less to justify such departures on the strength of quotations from Burns or other authorities who have used them.
The words given are divided into two main classes.
Under the heading "Single, or One-Syllable Rhymes," are given those words which rhyme on the last syllable only. These words are accented either on the last syllable or on the antepenultimate; but a few words with weakly accented penultimates (e.g. "complex" to rhyme with "annex") are given in italics as almost permissible single rhymes.
Under the heading "Double, or Two-Syllable Rhymes," are given those words which rhyme on the last two syllables, with the accent on the penultimate. Combinations of two words to rhyme with these are for the most part omitted. They are easy to invent for oneself, but are not always considered legitimate.
Triple or Three-Syllable Rhymes as such are not given, though a few of these have been included under the Double Rhymes (e.g. galleon, stallion) as being on the borderland.
To find any required rhyme, turn up the heading which begins with the first vowel in the last syllable (or in the case of double rhymes, of the penultimate syllable) of the word to which a rhyme is sought. These headings are arranged in alphabetical order.
