great — choose the word that rhymes with the given word below

Analyze the question: You need the word that rhymes with "great". Rhyme depends on sound, not spelling, so focus on how each word is pronounced.

Explain the concept: Two words rhyme when their vowel sound and the sounds after it match. "Great" is an irregular spelling: the "ea" is pronounced /eɪ/ (as in "day"), not /iː/ (as in "eat"). So "great" is pronounced /ɡreɪt/.

Solution: Compare each option with /ɡreɪt/:

• A. heat is /hiːt/. The vowel is "ee", so it does not rhyme.
• B. freight is /freɪt/. The "eigh" makes the /eɪ/ sound, and it ends in /t/. It rhymes with "great".
• C. boast is /bəʊst/. The vowel is different and it ends in "st", so it does not rhyme.
• D. greet is /ɡriːt/. It looks similar to "great", but the vowel is "ee", so it does not rhyme.

Answer: B. freight. Both "great" and "freight" are pronounced with /eɪt/, like "gate" and "late".

Tip: Don't be fooled by spelling. "Heat" and "greet" look closer to "great", but they are traps. Say each word aloud and listen to the vowel. Only a few words spell /eɪ/ as "ea": great, break, steak. Remember that "great" rhymes with "gate", "eight", "weight" and "freight".