Rhyme Time
The Spark
Concept
Rhyme is when two words share the same ending sound (cat/hat, dog/log). Noticing rhyme trains young ears to hear sound patterns within words — the first step in learning to read.
Activity
Say a short rhyming poem or nursery rhyme together (e.g. Hairy Maclary). Ask: Did you notice any words that sound the same at the end?
Check
Can your child clap or tap every time they hear a rhyme? Can they supply a rhyming word when you say the first one?
Match the Rhymes
Draw a line to join each word on the left to the word it rhymes with on the right.
Does it Rhyme? (Set A)
Circle YES or NO to show whether the two words rhyme.
cat — hat
dog — log
sun — bus
Does it Rhyme? (Set B)
Circle YES or NO to show whether the two words rhyme.
red — bed
fish — dish
star — ball
Match Rhymes: -at Family
Draw a line from each word to the word it rhymes with.
Match Rhymes: -og Family
Draw a line from each word to the word it rhymes with.
Which Word Rhymes with cat?
Circle the word that rhymes with cat.
cat
cat
cat
Which Word Rhymes with dog?
Circle the word that rhymes with dog.
dog
dog
dog
Match Rhymes: -un Family
Draw a line from each word to its rhyming partner.
Does it Rhyme? (Set C)
Circle YES or NO.
man — can
big — pig
cup — dog
Pick the Rhyme (Set A)
Circle the word that rhymes with the first word.
bed
pin
hop
Match Simple Rhyming Pairs
Draw a line to match each word to the word it rhymes with.
Odd One Out: Which Word Does NOT Rhyme?
Circle the word that does NOT rhyme with the others.
cat, hat, dog
sun, bun, bed
log, fog, cup
Does it Rhyme? (Set D)
Circle YES or NO.
hen — pen
mop — top
ball — cat
Match Rhymes: -en Family
Draw a line from each word to its rhyming partner.
Rhyming Reminder
Remember: words that RHYME sound the same at the END. Cat and hat rhyme because they both end in -at. Say each pair aloud and listen to the ending sound!
Write two words that rhyme with 'cat':
Write two words that rhyme with 'dog':
Pick the Rhyme (Set B)
Circle the word that rhymes with the first word.
lake
call
bee
Match Rhymes: -ig Family
Draw a line from each word to its rhyme.
Odd One Out (Set B)
Circle the word that does NOT rhyme with the others.
pin, bin, cat
mop, top, sun
hen, pen, dog
Match Rhymes: Mixed Set A
Draw a line from each word on the left to the word it rhymes with on the right.
Rhyme Spark: Rhymes Are Everywhere!
Can you think of a time you heard rhyming words? Maybe in a song, a story or a nursery rhyme? Draw or write about it.
I heard rhyming words in: ___________________________
Draw a picture of something that rhymes:
Sort the Rhyming Families (Set A)
Read each word. Write it in the correct rhyming family column.
Sort the Rhyming Families (Set B)
Read each word. Write it in the correct rhyming family column.
Pick the Rhyme (Set C)
Circle the word that rhymes with the first word.
man
sit
pot
bug
Match Rhymes: -op Family
Draw a line from each word to its rhyme.
Does it Rhyme? (Set E)
Circle YES or NO.
pot — hot
bug — rug
sit — sun
pan — man
Match Rhymes: -an Family
Draw a line from each word to the word it rhymes with.
Sort the Rhyming Families (Set C)
Read each word and sort it into the correct rhyming family.
Which Two Words Rhyme?
Look at the three words. Circle the TWO that rhyme.
cat, dog, hat
sun, pen, bun
log, bed, fog
big, pig, pot
Write a Rhyming Word
Read each word. Write a word that rhymes with it.
cat — ______
dog — ______
sun — ______
bed — ______
Tip: How to Find a Rhyme
Here is a tip for finding rhyming words: keep the ending the same and change the first sound! For -at words, try b-at, c-at, f-at, h-at, m-at, r-at, s-at. Now you try with -og words!
Write as many -og words as you can: ___________________________
Match Rhymes: -it Family
Draw a line from each word to its rhyme.
Pick the Rhyme (Set D)
Circle the word that rhymes with the first word.
net
rug
lip
win
Sort the Rhyming Families (Set D)
Read each word and sort it into the correct rhyming family.
Odd One Out (Set C)
Circle the word that does NOT rhyme with the others.
sit, hit, cup
net, wet, dog
lip, tip, bed
rug, mug, cat
Match Rhymes: -ot Family
Draw a line from each word to the word it rhymes with.
Write More Rhyming Words
Write as many rhyming words as you can for each word family.
-at family (cat, hat, ...): ___________________________
-en family (hen, pen, ...): ___________________________
-op family (mop, hop, ...): ___________________________
Does it Rhyme? (Set F)
Circle YES or NO.
cake — lake
nose — rose
light — night
door — cat
Match Rhyming Pairs: Longer Words
Draw a line to match each word on the left to the word it rhymes with on the right.
Pick the Rhyme: Longer Words (Set A)
Circle the word that rhymes with the first word.
cake
sing
moon
tall
Rhyme Spark: Rhymes in Your Name!
Can you find words that rhyme with your name? What about the names of people in your family? Write or draw your ideas.
My name is: ___________. Words that rhyme with my name:
A family member's name: ___________. Rhyming words:
Sort the Rhyming Families (Set E)
Sort each word into the correct rhyming family.
Odd One Out (Set D)
Circle the word that does NOT rhyme with the others.
cake, lake, dog
ring, sing, bed
moon, spoon, hat
Match Rhymes: -ail Family
Draw a line from each word to its rhyme.
Pick the Rhyme (Set E)
Circle the word that rhymes with the first word.
tail
boat
rain
tree
Tip: Rhyming Chains
Try making a rhyming chain! Start with a word and keep adding rhyming words until you run out. Example: cat, hat, bat, mat, sat, rat, fat, flat!
Start with 'dog'. Write your rhyming chain:
Start with 'pen'. Write your rhyming chain:
Does it Rhyme? (Set G)
Circle YES or NO.
boat — goat
rain — train
tree — free
ball — bell
tail — mail
Sort the Rhyming Families (Set F)
Sort each word into the correct rhyming family.
Draw the Rhyming Pair
Draw a picture of each word. Then draw a picture of a word that rhymes with it.
Draw: star. Then draw something that rhymes with star.
Draw: bee. Then draw something that rhymes with bee.
Match Rhymes: Mixed Families (Set A)
Draw a line from each word to its rhyming partner.
Which Two Words Rhyme? (Set B)
Circle the TWO words that rhyme.
cake, dog, lake
rain, sun, train
boat, goat, bed
tree, hen, free
Write a Rhyming Word (Set B)
Read each word. Write a word that rhymes with it.
hen — ______
mop — ______
big — ______
cake — ______
moon — ______
Sort Rhyming Families (Set G)
Sort each word into the correct rhyming family.
Pick the Rhyme (Set F)
Circle the word that rhymes with the first word.
wall
fun
bell
fish
Match Rhymes: -ell Family
Draw a line from each word to its rhyme.
Rhyming Chain Challenge (Set A)
Write as many rhyming words as you can for each starting word. Try to write at least four!
Start with 'cat': ___________________________
Start with 'sun': ___________________________
Start with 'mop': ___________________________
How Many Words Rhyme?
Look at the group of words. Circle how many words rhyme with each other.
cat, hat, mat, dog
sun, bun, run, fun
pen, hen, car, ten
Match Rhymes: Mixed Families (Set B)
Draw a line from each word to its rhyming partner.
Draw a Rhyming Pair (Set B)
Draw a picture of each word and a picture of a word that rhymes with it.
Draw: hat. Then draw something that rhymes with hat.
Draw: moon. Then draw something that rhymes with moon.
Does it Rhyme? (Set H)
Circle YES or NO.
king — ring
bed — red
cake — milk
wall — ball
fish — dish
Rhyme All Day
Try these fun rhyming activities at home — no paper needed!
- 1Play I Spy a Rhyme: I spy something that rhymes with door (floor, more, etc.)
- 2Read a nursery rhyme together. Pause before the rhyming word and let your child fill it in.
- 3Make up a silly rhyming sentence using your child's name.
- 4Walk around the house and find two objects whose names rhyme.
Finish the Rhyme (Set A)
Read the sentence. Write a word at the end that rhymes with the underlined word.
The cat sat on a ______ (rhymes with cat)
The dog sat on a ______ (rhymes with dog)
The bug was on the ______ (rhymes with bug)
I can see a big ______ (rhymes with big)
Finish the Rhyme: Choose the Word
Circle the word that best finishes the rhyme.
The hen sat in the... (rhymes with hen)
I see a red... (rhymes with red)
The king can... (rhymes with king)
Look at the moon with a... (rhymes with moon)
Sort Rhyming Families (Set H)
Sort each word into the correct rhyming family.
Write a Rhyming Word (Set C)
Read each word. Write a word that rhymes with it.
ring — ______
boat — ______
rain — ______
bell — ______
tall — ______
Match Rhymes: -ish Family
Draw a line from each word to its rhyme.
Pick the Rhyme (Set G)
Circle the word that rhymes with the first word.
dish
red
sing
coat
Finish the Rhyme (Set B)
Write a word that rhymes to finish each line.
I can see a bee in a ______ (rhymes with bee)
The frog sat on a ______ (rhymes with frog)
My hat is on the ______ (rhymes with hat)
The snail left a ______ (rhymes with snail)
Mixed Rhyming Sort
Sort each word into the correct rhyming family.
Odd One Out (Set E)
Circle the word that does NOT rhyme with the others.
cake, lake, sun
tall, ball, dog
fish, dish, bed
ring, sing, cat
Match Rhymes: Mixed Families (Set C)
Draw a line from each word to its rhyming partner.
Rhyming Chain Challenge (Set B)
Write as many rhyming words as you can. Try to beat your record from last time!
Start with 'bell': ___________________________
Start with 'cake': ___________________________
Does it Rhyme? (Set I)
Circle YES or NO.
snail — tail
frog — log
tree — train
coat — boat
snake — cake
Write a Rhyming Sentence
Write a short sentence that uses two rhyming words. Example: The cat wore a hat.
My rhyming sentence 1:
My rhyming sentence 2:
Pick the Rhyme (Set H)
Circle the word that rhymes with the first word.
snake
frog
snail
train
Tip: Rhyming Is Like a Pattern!
Rhyming words are like a pattern — the ending stays the same and only the beginning changes. Think of it like building blocks! Try building some word families by changing just the first sound.
Change the first sound of 'rain': ___________________________
Change the first sound of 'ball': ___________________________
Sort Rhyming Families (Set I)
Sort each word into the correct rhyming family.
Draw a Rhyming Pair (Set C)
Draw two things whose names rhyme. Write the words under your drawings.
Rhyming pair 1: Draw and label both pictures.
Rhyming pair 2: Draw and label both pictures.
Match Rhymes: Mixed Families (Set D)
Draw a line from each word to its rhyming partner.
Which Three Words Rhyme?
Look at the words. Circle the THREE that all rhyme with each other.
cat, hat, dog, mat
sun, bun, pen, fun
ring, king, hat, sing
Rhyme Spark: Rhymes in Songs and Stories
Think about a song or nursery rhyme you know. Can you write down two pairs of rhyming words from it?
The song or rhyme is called: ___________________________
Rhyming pair 1: ____________ and ____________
Rhyming pair 2: ____________ and ____________
Write a Two-Line Rhyme
Write two lines where the last word in each line rhymes. Example: I saw a cat / sitting on a mat.
Line 1: ___________________________
Line 2: ___________________________
Does it Rhyme? Multi-Syllable Words
Circle YES or NO. These words are longer — listen to the ending carefully!
funny — bunny
happy — snappy
tiger — bigger
jelly — belly
kitten — mitten
Match Multi-Syllable Rhymes
Draw a line from each word to the word it rhymes with.
Write a Rhyming Word: Longer Words
Read each word. Write a word that rhymes with it. These words are longer!
funny — ______
jelly — ______
sunny — ______
kitten — ______
Sort Multi-Syllable Rhyming Families
Sort each word into the correct rhyming family.
Pick the Rhyme: Longer Words (Set B)
Circle the word that rhymes with the first word.
happy
flower
wiggle
batter
Finish the Rhyme: Fun Sentences
Write a word that rhymes to finish each sentence.
The funny little ______ (rhymes with funny)
I have a wiggly ______ (rhymes with wiggly)
My kitten lost its ______ (rhymes with kitten)
The jelly in my ______ (rhymes with jelly)
Odd One Out: Longer Words
Circle the word that does NOT rhyme with the others.
funny, bunny, jelly
kitten, mitten, happy
sunny, honey, tower
Make Up a Silly Rhyme
Make up a silly sentence that uses two rhyming words. The sillier, the better!
My silly rhyme 1:
My silly rhyme 2:
Tip: Listen to the End of the Word
When you are not sure if two words rhyme, try this: say just the ENDING of each word. If the endings sound the same, they rhyme! Cat ends in -at. Hat ends in -at. Same ending, so they rhyme!
What ending sound does 'moon' have? ______. Write a word with the same ending:
What ending sound does 'cake' have? ______. Write a word with the same ending:
Big Rhyme Match: 8 Pairs
Draw a line from each word on the left to its rhyming partner on the right.
Write a Four-Line Rhyme
Write a little poem that is four lines long. The last word in line 1 should rhyme with the last word in line 2, and line 3 should rhyme with line 4.
Line 1:
Line 2 (rhymes with line 1):
Line 3:
Line 4 (rhymes with line 3):
Does it Rhyme? Mixed Challenge
Circle YES or NO. These include short and long words!
snake — cake
bunny — funny
tiger — river
goat — boat
kitten — mitten
flower — tower
Rhyme It: Name Three
For each word, write THREE words that rhyme with it.
cat: ______, ______, ______
moon: ______, ______, ______
bell: ______, ______, ______
cake: ______, ______, ______
funny: ______, ______, ______
Grand Rhyme Sort
Sort all these words into the correct rhyming families. Think carefully — there are four families!
Rhyming Story Starter
Write the start of a story using as many rhyming words as you can. Example: Once upon a time, a cat wore a hat and sat on a mat.
My rhyming story:
Create Your Own Rhyming Family
Pick a word ending (like -ump or -ick). Write as many words as you can with that ending.
My word ending is: -______
Words with this ending: ___________________________
Grand Rhyme Quiz
Circle the word that rhymes with the first word. These are tricky!
bright
mouse
chair
cream
light
Rhyme Champion Challenge
You are now a Rhyme Champion! Try these advanced rhyming activities.
- 1Make up a rhyming song about something you did today.
- 2Find five pairs of rhyming objects in your house and line them up together.
- 3Play Rhyme Tennis: take turns saying rhyming words. First person who cannot think of one loses the point!
- 4Read a favourite picture book and count all the rhyming pairs you can hear.
Rhyme Spark: Why Do We Love Rhymes?
Think about this big question: Why do you think people love rhyming words? Why do songs, poems and stories use them? Write or draw your ideas.
I think people love rhymes because:
Draw your favourite rhyming pair from this whole worksheet: