Shine? — Choose the option that rhymes with the given word

Analyze the question: You need the word that rhymes with "shine". Rhyming words have the same vowel sound and the same ending sound, even if the spelling differs.

Explain the concept: "Shine" is pronounced /ʃaɪn/. The vowel is the long "eye" sound (/aɪ/) followed by "n". So the rhyming word must end in /aɪn/.

Solution: Check each option:

• A. clean is /kliːn/. The vowel is a long "ee", so it does not rhyme.
• B. fine is /faɪn/. The vowel is the long "eye" sound plus "n", so it rhymes with shine.
• C. machine is /məˈʃiːn/. It ends in a long "ee" sound, even though it is spelt "-ine". It does not rhyme.
• D. lain is /leɪn/. The vowel is "ay", so it does not rhyme.

Answer: B. fine

Exam tip: In rhyme questions, don't trust spelling. "Machine" looks like "shine" because both end in "-ine", but it sounds like "clean". Say each word aloud and compare the vowel sound. Watch for words with "-ine" endings, because they can be pronounced as "-eye-n" (fine, mine, line) or "-een" (machine, routine, marine).