17 Words That Rhyme With Life (Plus Half Rhymes)

Words that rhyme perfectly with each other are usually called exact rhymes or perfect rhymes. Sometimes they are referred to as full rhymes or true rhymes. These are the perfect match rhymes for the word "life."

• afterlife - life after death, such as heaven or hell
• ex-wife - a former female spouse
• fife - a small flute that makes a shrill sound
• fishwife - vulgar, loud woman who yells and screams
• Fyffe - a very small town in Alabama
• housewife - a woman who manages the household; she doesn't have a job outside the home
• jackknife - a dive in which the diver forms a folded position in the air; a situation where a vehicle pulling a trailer causes the vehicle to turn around backward, so it ends up facing the trailer
• knife - a blade attached to a handle used as a cutting tool
• lowlife - disreputable person; troublemaker or petty criminal
• midlife - the middle portion of a person's lifetime
• midwife - a person other than a physician who assists in childbirth
• nightlife - social activities enjoyed during evening hours, such a clubs or dancing
• pocketknife - a small knife with other attachments; folds for carrying in one's pocket
• rife - widely known, widespread (negative connotation)
• strife - discord, bitter disagreement, conflict, dissension
• wife - a female spouse
• wildlife - undomesticated animals that live in the wild

Not all rhyming words are examples of exact rhymes. There are actually many other types of rhymes. Half rhymes are words in which the final consonant sound of two words are very similar to the original word, but the final vowel sounds are different. They are a special type of imperfect rhyme.

Other words that end in the same -ife sound as the word "life" are exact rhymes for the word. However, words that end with an "f" or an "f" and a silent "e" would be half rhymes for the word life, as long as they aren't preceded by a long "i" in pronunciation. Examples include:

• aloof - reserved, standoffish, disinterested
• chafe - rubbing together; something that is annoying
• chef - a professional cook
  
• chief - primary or main reason; person who is in charge
• cliff - edge of a tall, steep rock mass
• coiffe - to groom attractively; usually refers to a hairstyle
• graph - a diagram that charts a variable
  
• off - removed, separated; inactive; slang for to kill someone
• poof - sudden disappearance; to "go poof"
• proof - evidence that something occurred
• reef - ridge at or below the ocean's surface
• roof - the top covering of a building
• shelf - flat board or wire in a cabinet or bookcase or attached to a wall
• sniff - drawing air in through one's nose
• spiff - to tidy up
• spoof - a humorous imitation; parody
• staff - employees, workers
• surf - riding a surfboard, waves breaking on the beach, looking for websites online
• thief - one who steals, a robber
• turf - grass and the sod beneath it
• wolf - to eat quickly and greedily, a wild predatory animal in genus Canis

For even more half rhyme options, review this list of several hundred words that end with "f." Additionally, any of the words included on this list of words that end in "fe" would also be half-rhymes for life if the "e" sound at the end is not pronounced. You may also find some options on this list of words that end in "ph," as that combination of letters sounds like "f" when spoken.

Now that you've explored perfect rhymes and half rhymes for the word "life," it's a great time to explore some of the unique writing challenges faced by poets and authors who write rhyming prose. Start by learning about some common rhyme scheme examples in poetry. From there, discover 20 essential poetry terms that every poet or student of poetry should know.