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You may say "node rhymes with toad", or "the words load and toad rhyme", but what about the relation of rhyming?

The relation between "node" and "load" is purely ____ - they just sound similar.

"Rhymic" fails all spell checks. I went with "rhythmic", but I don't think it's quite right...

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  • I know it's a bit "loose", because normally the reference is to words starting with the same consonant sound, but I'd be perfectly happy to use alliterative / alliteration here.
    – FumbleFingers
    Mar 3, 2014 at 21:52

7 Answers 7

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I think you're looking for phonetic:

Of or relating to the sounds of speech.

As in:

The relation between "node" and "load" is purely phonetic - they just sound similar.

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There is a noun assonance meaning that they sound similar, have similar vowel sounds. This exends to more than just rhyming though - starting with the same sound instead of ending with it could count as assonance.

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You're trying to use rhyme as an adjective. There is no such variation and I can't really think of (or find) any synonymous that can be used as such. So, just reconstruct your phrase:

The relation between "node" and "load" is purely on the ear - they just sound similar.

The way I see it, English is simplistic and very logical. There isn't a word for each situation. Instead, we combine words or construct phrases in other manners. And that's just fine.

P.S.: Andre's suggestion is much better!

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  • Rhythm isn't a synonym for tempo - musically, at least, tempo refers to the speed, and rhythm describes the pattern of the beat.
    – psmears
    Mar 27, 2011 at 10:07
  • @psmears true. But it's often confused by and called tempo and used for the same meaning / purpose a lot.
    – cregox
    Mar 27, 2011 at 16:57
  • No need to add to that confusion by misusing it yourself ...
    – Matthew Read
    Mar 12, 2012 at 22:21
  • @MatthewRead I see where you coming from. Please see if my next edit clears out the confusion! ;)
    – cregox
    Mar 14, 2012 at 17:26
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    You've still got it backwards. Tempo is the speed, that's not a mistake. Honestly you're the only person I've seen confuse them this way. If you really think you need to define "rhythm" here, do so correctly and leave out any mention of "tempo" since it's not relevant.
    – Matthew Read
    Mar 14, 2012 at 17:32
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I'd go with aural: Pertaining to the sense of hearing, or the way something sounds.

The relationship between node and load is purely aural; they rhyme, but they share no etymology.

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  • But aural isn't a noun, as demanded by the question.
    – Jimi Oke
    Mar 28, 2011 at 0:19
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    I must disagree; "aural" fits in the OP's provided blank spot perfectly well.
    – Hellion
    Mar 28, 2011 at 0:22
  • Oops! Sorry, I totally missed the sentence and the blank! Certainly, your answer is right on! +1
    – Jimi Oke
    Mar 28, 2011 at 0:23
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You can use the word 'rhyme' itself.

The relation between "node" and "load" is purely rhyme - they just sound similar.

or

The relation between "node" and "load" is purely one of rhyme - they just sound similar.

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  • +1 for "of rhyme"--the second sentence sounds better to me than the first!
    – herisson
    Mar 6, 2016 at 1:53
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Not sure if it fits here, but another word is Homophone:

A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose (flower) and rose (past tense of "rise"), or differently, such as carat, caret, and carrot, or to, two, and too

There are also Homonyms:

a homonym is, in the strict sense, one of a group of words that share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings [...]
Fluke can mean:
A fish, and a flatworm.
The end parts of an anchor.
The fins on a whale's tail.
A stroke of luck.

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    "Homophone" -> "same sound". As in, words aren't homophones unless they sound identical, or at least close enough to be indistinguishable.
    – cHao
    Mar 27, 2011 at 8:57
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I think we need to invent a word: Homeonym (homoionym?).

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  • Could you explain the components of the word?
    – Matt E. Эллен
    Mar 4, 2014 at 11:01

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