Words and Phrases that Rhyme with Themselves

Sometimes when you’re writing a rhyming poem, you may want to include a word or phrase that rhymes with itself, such as itsy-bitsy or super-duper. Also called “close rhymes,” these are what are known as “reduplicated” words or phrases. “Reduplication” is the term for words or phrases that are created by repeating sounds. Here is a list of rhyming reduplicated words and phrases that may come in handy to you sometime.

  • abracadabra
  • ants’ pants
  • argle-bargle
  • argy-bargy
  • artsy-fartsy
  • backpack
  • backtrack
  • bandstand
  • bed head
  • bee’s knees
  • big rig
  • bigwig
  • blackjack
  • blame game
  • blues clues
  • bolo
  • boo-hoo
  • boogie-woogie
  • boot scoot
  • bowwow
  • boy toy
  • brain drain
  • bucket truck
  • chick-flick
  • chilly willy
  • chip dip
  • chock-a-block
  • chop shop
  • chug-a-lug
  • chunky monkey
  • claptrap
  • clean green
  • cookbook
  • crop top
  • cuddly-wuddly
  • cutie patootie
  • deadhead
  • ding-a-ling
  • ditch witch
  • double bubble
  • double trouble
  • downtown
  • drop crop
  • drop-top
  • dry fly
  • easy cheese
  • easy-peasey
  • eency-weency
  • even-steven
  • fair and square
  • fancy nancy
  • fancy-schmancy
  • fat cat
  • fender-bender
  • fiddle diddle
  • fight or flight
  • fit bit
  • flyby
  • fomo
  • fright night
  • fuddy-duddy
  • fun in the sun
  • fun run
  • funny money
  • fuzzy-wuzzy
  • gal pal
  • go low
  • go pro
  • go slow
  • great state
  • green bean
  • ground round
  • handstand
  • handy-dandy
  • hanky-panky
  • harum-scarum
  • heart smart
  • heebie-jeebies
  • helter skelter
  • heyday
  • hi-fi
  • higgledy-piggledy
  • high and dry
  • high fly
  • hinky dinky
  • hippy-dippy
  • hobby lobby
  • hobnob
  • hobo
  • hocus-pocus
  • hoddy-noddy
  • hodgepodge
  • hoi polloi
  • hoity-toity
  • hokey-pokey
  • holy cannoli
  • holy moly
  • hong kong
  • hoodoo
  • hooley-dooley
  • hot pot
  • hotshot
  • hotspot
  • hotsy-totsy
  • hubbub
  • huffing and puffing
  • hugger-mugger
  • hulu
  • humdrum
  • humpty dumpty
  • hurdy-gurdy
  • hurly-burly
  • hurry-scurry
  • hustle and bustle
  • itsy-bitsy
  • itty-bitty
  • jeepers creepers
  • jelly belly
  • jet set
  • kowtow
  • laffy taffy
  • lardy-dardy
  • lean and mean
  • lite brite
  • loosey-goosey
  • lovey-dovey
  • low and slow
  • low blow
  • low-flow
  • mai tai
  • maintain
  • make or break
  • mars bars
  • mayday
  • melee
  • mellow yellow
  • might makes right
  • mojo
  • mudblood
  • mukluk
  • mumbo-jumbo
  • namby-pamby
  • name game
  • naysay
  • neato burrito
  • night-light
  • night-night
  • nighty-night
  • nitty-gritty
  • nitwit
  • no-go
  • no pain, no gain
  • no-show
  • nutter butter
  • oingo boingo
  • okey dokey
  • one-ton
  • out and about
  • pall mall
  • payday
  • pedal to the metal
  • pell-mell
  • phony-baloney
  • pickwick
  • picnic
  • pie in the sky
  • piggly wiggly
  • plain jane
  • polo
  • pooper scooper
  • pop-top
  • powwow
  • prime-time
  • pump and dump
  • quick pick
  • quiet riot
  • quite a sight
  • ragtag
  • rat-tat
  • rat-a-tat
  • razzle-dazzle
  • razzmatazz
  • reese’s pieces
  • righty tighty
  • ring ding
  • rinky-dink
  • roly-poly
  • rom-com
  • rootin’ tootin’
  • rough and tough
  • rough stuff
  • scat cat
  • shake and bake
  • shock jock
  • shoe goo
  • shout out
  • silly-willy
  • single mingle
  • sky high
  • slim jim
  • sloppy copy
  • slow-mo
  • snack pack
  • snail mail
  • snow blow
  • soho
  • solo
  • space case
  • space race
  • spruce goose
  • steak ‘n shake
  • steer clear
  • stop and shop
  • study buddy
  • stun gun
  • sump pump
  • super-duper
  • surf and turf
  • tee-hee
  • teen scene
  • teenie-weenie
  • teensy-weensy
  • tepee
  • tex-mex
  • thin skin
  • tighty-whitey
  • tinky winky
  • tohubohu
  • top crop
  • tramp stamp
  • true blue
  • turkey jerky
  • tutti frutti
  • TV
  • undone
  • use it or lose it
  • voodoo
  • wall ball
  • walkie-talkie
  • waylay
  • wear and tear
  • white flight
  • white knight
  • wi-fi
  • willy-nilly
  • wing-ding
  • without a doubt
  • wonton
  • word nerd
  • yolo
  • yoo-hoo

Reduplicated Sentences

In addition to the above list of reduplicated words and phrases, there are also a number of common reduplicated idioms or catchphrases in English. Here are some of the most well known.

  • After a while, crocodile
  • Easy peasy, lemon squeezy
  • No muss, no fuss
  • No way, José
  • Not I said the fly
  • Not me said the flea
  • Okie dokie, artichokey
  • See you later, alligator
  • Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey
  • Winner, winner, chicken dinner

Non-Rhyming Reduplicated Words and Phrases

Some reduplicated words and phrases don’t quite rhyme because they contain different vowel sounds, such as ping-pong or zigzag. Technically, these are known as “ablaut reduplications.” Here is a list of reduplicated words and phrases that don’t rhyme.

  • bric-a-brac
  • chit-chat
  • clip-clop
  • criss-cross
  • dig dug
  • dilly-dally
  • ding-dong
  • fiddle faddle
  • flimflam
  • flip-flop
  • hee-haw
  • hip hop
  • jibber-jabber
  • jingle-jangle
  • king kong
  • kit kat
  • kitty cat
  • knickknack / nicknack
  • mishmash
  • ping-pong
  • pitter-patter
  • riffraff
  • seesaw
  • shilly-shally
  • shipshape
  • singsong
  • skimble-scamble
  • splish splash
  • teeny tiny
  • teetertotter
  • tic-tac
  • tick-tock
  • ticky-tacky
  • tip-top
  • tittle-tattle
  • wibble-wobble
  • wiggle-waggle
  • winky dink
  • wishy-washy
  • zigzag

Exact Reduplications

Some reduplicated words and phrases repeat the exact same word or syllable, either for emphasis, continuity, or to create a rhythmic effect. These are called “exact reduplications.” Unlike rhyming reduplications like itsy-bitsy or non-rhyming ones like ping-pong, exact reduplications simply double the word without alteration, as in “through and through” or “step by step.” Often, these phrases reinforce meaning by emphasizing repetition or progression. Here is a list of exact reduplications that you may find useful in your writing.

  • again and again
  • back to back
  • better and better
  • bigger and bigger
  • bit by bit
  • blah blah
  • brick by brick
  • cancan
  • closer and closer
  • dada
  • day by day
  • deeper and deeper
  • dodo
  • drop by drop
  • end to end
  • eye to eye
  • face to face
  • farther and farther
  • faster and faster
  • gogo
  • ha ha
  • hand in hand
  • hee hee
  • higher and higher
  • ho ho
  • hour by hour
  • inch by inch
  • juju
  • layer by layer
  • less and less
  • line by line
  • little by little
  • louder and louder
  • lower and lower
  • mama
  • mile after mile
  • minute by minute
  • moment by moment
  • month by month
  • more and more
  • muumuu
  • nana
  • neck and neck
  • no-no
  • note for note
  • over and over
  • papa
  • piece by piece
  • piri-piri
  • point by point
  • second by second
  • shot for shot
  • shoulder to shoulder
  • side by side
  • slower and slower
  • smaller and smaller
  • step by step
  • stronger and stronger
  • through and through
  • time after time
  • toe to toe
  • tutu
  • turn by turn
  • weaker and weaker
  • week by week
  • wonga-wonga
  • word for word
  • worse and worse
  • yadda yadda
  • year after year

Click here for other lists of rhyming words.

If you know of any reduplications I have missed on these lists, please let me know so I can add them.