What does rhythmic mean?
Word: Rhythmic
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Rhythmic means having a strong pattern of sounds or movements that repeats again and again.
Synonyms: steady
How do you spell rhythmic?
Syllables: rhyth - mic
Tricky part: The word opens with a silent h that children leave out, because nothing in the sound asks for it.
Watch out for: rythmic, rhythmick
Memory tip: Picture the h as a drummer who keeps the beat without a sound, standing just behind the r.
Rhythmic in a sentence
Example 1: The rhythmic beat of the dhol carried across the fields.
Example 2: We fell asleep to the rhythmic clatter of the train.
Example 3: Rowers in the snake boat race pull their oars in rhythmic strokes.
Fun Fact
In Indian classical music a rhythmic cycle is called a tala, and one of the most popular, teental, runs for sixteen beats.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
rh_th_ic
a) i, m
b) y, m
c) y, n
d) e, m
Show answer
b) y, m. The first gap needs the letter found in the noun that goes with this word, and the second needs the sound you hear before ic.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
The trhimyhc sound of waves on the shore soon calmed the excited children.
a) robotic
b) rustic
c) rhetorical
d) rhythmic
Show answer
d) rhythmic. The steady beat of waves is the clue, and only one option has two h's.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word rhythmic as used in the sentence:
From the corridor we could hear the rhythmic tapping of the old typewriter.
a) noisy
b) distant
c) joyful
d) regular
Show answer
d) regular. Tapping can be noisy or far away without keeping any pattern; only this word says the sound repeats evenly.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. melody 2. symfony 3. percussion 4. rhythmic
a) a tune, a pleasing line of musical notes
b) a long piece of music for a full orchestra
c) instruments played by being struck or shaken
d) having a beat that comes back time after time
Show answer
b) a long piece of music for a full orchestra. Symphony takes ph, as telephone does, so the listed form is wrong.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these sounds is rhythmic?
a) the tick of a wall clock
b) a shout across the street
c) a single ring of a doorbell
d) one clap of thunder
Show answer
a) the tick of a wall clock
2. A poet who wants rhythmic lines will pay most attention to ____.
a) the choice of characters
b) the order of the chapters
c) the length of the title
d) the pattern of stressed sounds
Show answer
d) the pattern of stressed sounds
