potter — choose the word that rhymes with the given word

Analyze the question: You are asked to find the word that rhymes with "potter". Rhyming words sound alike from the stressed vowel to the end of the word.

Explain the concept: "Potter" is pronounced /ˈpɒt.ər/ (or /ˈpɑː.tər/). The stress falls on the first syllable, "pot", and the word ends with the unstressed "-er" sound. A rhyme must match both the vowel sound in the stressed syllable and the sounds that follow it.

Solution, checking each option:

• A. porters /ˈpɔː.təz/: The vowel is "aw" (as in port), not the short "o" in pot. It also ends in an extra "z" sound. Not a rhyme.
• B. pear /peə/: This is one syllable with a completely different vowel sound. Not a rhyme.
• C. otter /ˈɒt.ər/: It has the same short "o" vowel followed by "-tter". Pot-ter and ot-ter match exactly after the first consonant, so they rhyme.
• D. rotten /ˈrɒt.ən/: The vowel matches, but it ends in "-en" rather than "-er". This is only a near-rhyme, not a true rhyme.

Answer: The correct option is C. otter.

Tip: To test a rhyme, drop the opening consonant and compare the rest. Potter → "-otter" and otter → "-otter". They are identical, so they rhyme. Always check that the final syllable matches too, as in "rotten", which is a trap.