Have you ever wondered why some words seem impossible to rhyme? Three notorious examples that have frustrated poets for centuries are orange, purple, and silver.
These linguistic rebels stand alone in the English language, defying our natural desire for rhythm and rhyme.
Orange is perhaps the most famous of these unrhymable words. While creative wordsmiths have attempted near-rhymes like "door-hinge," "porridge," or "syringe," no perfect rhyme exists. The word's unusual etymology, traveling through multiple languages from Dravidian origins through Sanskrit, Persian, and Old French before reaching English, left it linguistically isolated.
Purple faces a similar challenge. Technically, there is one perfect rhyme: "curple," which refers to the hindquarters of a horse. However, this obscure term hardly provides the poetic flexibility most writers seek. The color purple has inspired countless verses, yet poets must resort to near-rhymes like "circle" or get creative with multi-syllabic constructions.
Silver joins this exclusive club of rhyme-resistant words. While "chilver" (a young female sheep) technically rhymes, it's so rarely used that most consider silver effectively unrhymable. This metallic word forces poets to choose gold instead, with its wealth of rhyming partners like "bold," "told," and "sold."
These linguistic anomalies reflect the complex history of English, where words from diverse origins create isolated pockets in our vocabulary. Rather than limiting creativity, these constraints often spark innovation.
The rapper Eminem, who I do not endorse in any way shape or form, nonetheless famously demonstrated how skilled wordsmiths can bend pronunciation and use multi-syllabic rhymes to work around these challenges.
At BrianDOLeary.com, we also believe constraints breed creativity. Just as poets find ways around unrhymable words, our people can learn to navigate life's seemingly impossible challenges with the right guidance and community support.
Ready to unlock your creative potential?
If you’re an adult, we have the Inner Sphere program and you can find out more about it at
However, next week, we are launching a similar but new program for youngsters.
It is called The Foundry, an intensive 8-week program designed for high school to early college-aged young men that will offer the tools and mentorship to tackle life's "unrhymable" moments.
Our next cohort begins next week and runs through the end of July.
Join The Foundry today and discover how the young man in your house can turn limitations into a launching pad for success.
As always,
Brian
