r-h-y-t-h-m
RHYTHM is a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound in music, poetry, and dance. It forms the temporal structure that drives musical compositions and provides the beat that listeners feel and follow.
17
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
Rhythm stands as one of music's most fundamental elements, representing the organized temporal flow that gives music its pulse and drive. It encompasses the systematic arrangement of sounds and silences in time, creating patterns that listeners instinctively feel and follow. From the steady beat of a drum to the complex polyrhythms of jazz, rhythm provides the foundation upon which melody and harmony build their emotional impact.
In musical terms, rhythm involves several key components: beat (the underlying pulse), meter (the organization of beats into groups), tempo (the speed of the beat), and rhythmic patterns (specific arrangements of note durations). These elements work together to create the temporal framework that defines musical genres—from the driving four-four time of rock music to the lilting triple meter of waltzes, from the syncopated rhythms of Latin music to the complex time signatures of progressive rock.
Beyond music, rhythm permeates human experience in profound ways. Our hearts beat rhythmically, our breathing follows rhythmic patterns, and our daily lives cycle through rhythmic routines. Poetry employs rhythmic structures through meter and stressed syllables, creating the musicality that makes verses memorable and emotionally resonant. Dance translates rhythm into physical movement, allowing bodies to express and interpret musical patterns through choreographed motion.
In word games, RHYTHM presents unique challenges and opportunities. As a 6-letter word containing no standard vowels except Y, it demonstrates English's flexibility in vowel substitution. The word's letter composition—R-H-Y-T-H-M—includes H appearing twice, making it valuable for players holding duplicate letters. Its consonant-heavy structure provides good scoring potential while being memorable enough for most players to recognize and attempt.
The word "rhythm" derives from Ancient Greek "rhythmos" (ῥυθμός), meaning "measured flow, movement, rhythm." The Greek root connects to "rhein" (to flow), the same source that gives us "river" and "rhyme." This flowing water metaphor perfectly captures rhythm's essence—the continuous, measured movement of musical time.
The term entered Latin as "rhythmus," then French as "rythme," before arriving in Middle English as "rithme" around 1300. The modern spelling "rhythm" was established by the 16th century, though the Y substitution created one of English's most challenging spelling patterns. The double-H formation (RH-TH) reflects the word's Greek heritage, where both combinations represented aspirated consonants.
Historically, "rhythmos" encompassed more than music—it described any measured, proportioned movement or arrangement. Ancient Greeks applied it to poetry, dance, architectural proportions, and even mathematical sequences. This broad application explains why we use "rhythm" today for phenomena beyond music: biological rhythms, work rhythms, seasonal rhythms, and the rhythms of speech and prose.
"The drummer laid down a steady four-four rhythm that anchored the entire jazz ensemble, allowing the saxophone to improvise freely over the reliable foundation."
"Salsa music's distinctive rhythm, with its emphasis on beats two and three, immediately gets dancers moving to its infectious Latin groove."
"The composer experimented with complex rhythmic patterns, layering 7/8 time against standard 4/4 to create a hypnotic polyrhythmic effect."
"Finding your natural rhythm of sleep and waking hours is crucial for maintaining good health and productivity throughout the day."
"The poem's rhythm flowed like gentle waves, with stressed and unstressed syllables creating a soothing, lyrical pattern."
"The city has its own rhythm—rush hour traffic, lunch crowds, evening entertainment—a predictable pulse of urban life."
"Playing RHYTHM across a double word score gave me 24 points, plus the 50-point bingo bonus for using all my tiles."
"RHYTHM is a perfect example of English's vowel flexibility—Y functioning as the only vowel in a 6-letter word."
Plural Form
rhythms
The song contained multiple complex rhythms.
Adjective Form
rhythmic, rhythmical
The rhythmic beating of the drums was hypnotic.
Adverb Form
rhythmically
She moved rhythmically to the music.
Related Noun
rhythmist
The rhythmist studied complex time signatures.
Related Musical Terms
Maintain the beat
Consistent tempo
Intricate time pattern
Innate timing ability
Similar length and difficulty words
Total base points: 17 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 0 | Consonants: 6
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like RHYTHM