Limerick Rhyme Scheme: AABBA Explained With Examples
A limerick uses the AABBA rhyme scheme: lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme, lines 3 and 4 rhyme. Learn the rhythm, examples, and how AABB, ABAB and sonnets compare.
A limerick uses the AABBA rhyme scheme. Lines 1, 2 and 5 are longer and rhyme with each other, and lines 3 and 4 are shorter and share a second rhyme. That pattern, plus a bouncy da-da-DUM rhythm, gives limericks their sing-song, punchline-at-the-end feel.
Below you'll find a labeled limerick example and the syllable and stress counts that make one work. You'll also see how AABBA compares with AABB, ABAB and sonnet rhyme schemes, and how to set a limerick to music.
What is the rhyme scheme of a limerick?
The limerick rhyme scheme is AABBA. Each letter stands for one end sound. Lines that share a letter rhyme with each other.
Here is a limerick by Edward Lear from A Book of Nonsense (1846). That collection made the form popular, and it is now in the public domain.
There was an Old Man with a beard, (A)
Who said, “It is just as I feared! (A)
Two Owls and a Hen, (B)
Four Larks and a Wren, (B)
Have all built their nests in my beard!” (A)
Lear often ended on the same word he used in line 1, as he does here with “beard.” Most modern limericks use a fresh rhyme word in line 5 instead. That usually makes the punchline land harder.
| Line | Rhyme letter | Length | Stressed beats | Job in the poem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Long | 3 | Introduce a character or place |
| 2 | A | Long | 3 | Set up the situation |
| 3 | B | Short | 2 | Start the twist |
| 4 | B | Short | 2 | Build the twist |
| 5 | A | Long | 3 | Deliver the punchline |
Nobody is sure how the form got its name. The most common story ties it to a parlor game or song with the refrain “Will you come up to Limerick?”, after the city in Ireland. Treat that as tradition rather than settled history.
What rhythm and syllable count does a limerick use?
Limericks run on a galloping rhythm built from anapests. An anapest is two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one: da-da-DUM. Lines 1, 2 and 5 carry three stressed beats, and lines 3 and 4 carry two.
In practice, that usually works out to these counts:
- Lines 1, 2 and 5: about 8 to 10 syllables each
- Lines 3 and 4: about 5 to 7 syllables each
- First foot: often clipped to da-DUM instead of da-da-DUM, as in “There WAS an old MAN”
Count stresses before you count syllables. A line with 9 syllables and the wrong stresses will feel worse than a line with 7 syllables and the right ones. Here is an original limerick with the stresses in capitals:
a SONG-wri-ter LIV-ing in MAINE (A)
kept WRI-ting the SAME old re-FRAIN. (A)
she SWAPPED ev-ery RHYME, (B)
got the BEAT right on TIME, (B)
and NOW it's stuck DEEP in your BRAIN. (A)
Clap on each capitalized syllable. You should hear three claps on the long lines and two on the short ones. If a line needs an extra clap, or you have to rush, the meter is off.
What is a rhyme scheme?
A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyming sounds at the ends of lines in a poem, verse or song. It is written with letters. The first end sound is A, the next new sound is B, then C, and so on.
The rhyme scheme describes structure, not quality. A well-crafted AABB children's rhyme and a clumsy one have the same scheme. For a broader walkthrough with more examples, see our guide on rhyme scheme types with AABB, ABAB and sonnet examples.
How do you label a rhyme scheme?
Labeling takes about a minute once you know the steps:
- Write down the last word of every line.
- Give the first word the letter A.
- Go down the list. If a word rhymes with an earlier word, reuse that word's letter.
- If it doesn't rhyme with anything before it, give it the next unused letter.
- Group the letters by stanza, such as ABAB CDCD.
Near rhymes like “time/mine” are usually given the same letter in songs, since singers stretch vowels. In formal poetry analysis, you may want to note them as slant rhymes.
What are the most common rhyme schemes?
The ones you'll meet most often are AABB, ABAB, ABCB, AABBA and the sonnet patterns. This table puts them side by side.
| Scheme | Name or form | Lines | Feel | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AABB | Rhyming couplets | 4 per stanza | Simple, predictable, catchy | Nursery rhymes, pop and rap verses, kids' songs |
| ABAB | Alternate (cross) rhyme | 4 per stanza | Balanced, a little more formal | Hymns, folk, sonnet quatrains, verses |
| ABCB | Ballad stanza | 4 per stanza | Loose and conversational | Ballads, country, singer-songwriter verses |
| AABBA | Limerick | 5 | Bouncy, comic, punchline | Humor, novelty songs, toasts |
| ABBA | Enclosed rhyme | 4 per stanza | Circular, reflective | Petrarchan sonnet openings |
| ABAB CDCD EFEF GG | Shakespearean sonnet | 14 | Argument, then a closing twist | Love poems, formal verse |
| ABBAABBA CDECDE | Petrarchan sonnet | 14 | Question, then answer | Formal verse |
| ABA BCB CDC | Terza rima | Any, in tercets | Chained, forward-moving | Long narrative poems |
What is the AABB rhyme scheme in poetry?
AABB means lines rhyme in pairs: line 1 with line 2, and line 3 with line 4. Each pair is called a rhyming couplet. It's the easiest scheme to hear, which is why kids' songs, greeting-card verses and many rap verses use it.
Here's an example:
I wrote you a song on the 5 a.m. train, (A)
half of it sunshine and half of it rain. (A)
I hummed it to strangers, I hummed it to you, (B)
and every last word of the chorus came true. (B)
The trade-off is that AABB can sound sing-songy over a long stretch. Songwriters often break it up with a different scheme in the chorus.
What is the ABAB rhyme scheme in poetry?
ABAB means alternating rhymes: lines 1 and 3 rhyme, and lines 2 and 4 rhyme. It delays each rhyme by a line, which feels less obvious than AABB. It also gives you more room to tell a story.
The porch light's on, the street is still, (A)
you left your jacket on the chair. (B)
I said I'd call, I know I will, (A)
but not tonight, not while you're there. (B)
ABAB is also the building block of the Shakespearean sonnet, which stacks three ABAB-style quatrains before a final couplet.
What is the sonnet rhyme scheme?
A sonnet has 14 lines, and its rhyme scheme depends on the type. The two you'll see most are the Shakespearean (English) sonnet and the Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet. Both are usually written in iambic pentameter, ten syllables per line in a da-DUM pattern.
What is the Shakespearean sonnet rhyme scheme?
The Shakespearean sonnet rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. That's three four-line quatrains with alternating rhymes, then a rhyming couplet. The couplet usually turns or sums up the argument.
Here's the opening quatrain of Sonnet 18, which is in the public domain:
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? (A)
Thou art more lovely and more temperate: (B)
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, (A)
And summer's lease hath all too short a date; (B)
“Temperate” and “date” were a closer rhyme in Shakespeare's pronunciation than they sound today. Older poems often have rhymes that only work in the accent of their time.
How is the Petrarchan sonnet different?
The Petrarchan sonnet opens with an eight-line octave rhymed ABBAABBA. A six-line sestet follows, usually CDECDE or CDCDCD. The octave sets up a problem, and the sestet answers it.
Petrarchan sonnets are harder in English because they need four words for each A and B rhyme. Italian has more rhyming word endings than English does. That's one reason English poets moved toward Shakespeare's looser pattern.
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Make a song freeHow do you write a limerick, step by step?
Start with the punchline, then build backward. A limerick is a five-line joke, and the last line has to land.
- Write line 5 first. Decide what the funny ending is, and note its final word. That word sets your A rhyme.
- Pick an A rhyme with lots of options. You need three A words. Sounds like -ay, -ight, -ain, -ee and -ar are easy. Words like “orange,” “month” and “silver” will trap you.
- Write line 1 to introduce someone. “There once was a ___ from ___” is a cliché for a reason. It sets the rhythm instantly. Once you're comfortable, try opening mid-action instead.
- Write line 2 to set up the problem. It must rhyme with line 1 and point toward the joke.
- Write lines 3 and 4 as a quick turn. Keep them short, with two beats each, sharing a B rhyme. They often list things or escalate fast.
- Clap out every line. Fix any line that needs an extra clap or makes you stumble.
- Read it out loud to someone. If they laugh or groan at line 5, it works.
Here's a second original example, the kind people write for birthday cards and toasts:
There once was a dad named Lamar (A)
who sang way off-key in the car. (A)
We begged him to stop, (B)
so he switched to hip-hop, (B)
and now he believes he's a star. (A)
What are common limerick mistakes?
- Forcing word order to hit a rhyme. “To the store did he go” sounds wrong. Rewrite the line instead.
- Short lines that are too long. If lines 3 and 4 have three beats, the snap of the form disappears.
- Stress on the wrong syllable. “Gui-TAR” rhymes with “car,” but “GUI-tar” said the other way won't fit the beat.
- Explaining the joke. Line 5 should surprise, not summarize.
- Using the same word as the rhyme. Lear did it, but repeating “beard” for “beard” usually reads as a cheat today.
Can a limerick become a song?
Yes, and it fits music better than most poem forms. The anapest rhythm is close to a triplet or 6/8 feel. Lines 3 and 4 together take about as long as one long line, so the five lines fall into four even musical phrases.
One simple way to map it:
| Musical phrase | Limerick lines | Length (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Phrase 1 | Line 1 | 2 bars |
| Phrase 2 | Line 2 | 2 bars |
| Phrase 3 | Lines 3 and 4 | 1 bar each |
| Phrase 4 | Line 5 | 2 bars |
That's a starting point, not a rule. Slower ballads may stretch each phrase to 4 bars. For tempo, a bouncy limerick usually sits well in a moderate-to-quick range. Try something in the 100 to 130 BPM area as a first guess, then adjust by ear. Our explainer on what BPM means and which tempos feel fast or slow can help you choose.
How do you build a full song from limericks?
A single limerick lasts about 15 to 20 seconds when sung, which is too short for a full song. Common fixes:
- Use several limericks as verses. Each one tells a new mini-story about the same character.
- Add a chorus in a different scheme. An AABB or ABAB chorus contrasts nicely with AABBA verses. See our guide on how to write a chorus with a strong hook.
- Repeat line 5 as a tag. Singing the punchline twice gives the joke room to breathe and works as a mini-hook.
- Match the genre to the joke. Country, polka, sea-shanty and pop-punk styles suit comic limericks. A slow piano ballad can make a silly limerick funnier through contrast.
If you'd rather hear it than arrange it yourself, Remixy turns your own lyrics into a finished song with vocals, instruments and cover art. Paste your limericks into the lyrics-to-song tool and describe the style you want, such as “upbeat country, male vocal, 6/8 swing.” For a personal gift, the custom birthday song maker works well with a funny limerick about the birthday person.
Can you use famous limericks or poems in your song?
It depends on whether the poem is still under copyright. In the US, works published in 1930 or earlier are generally in the public domain as of 2026. That includes Edward Lear's limericks and Shakespeare's sonnets, so you can generally set them to music. Newer poems usually need permission from the rights holder.
Many “famous” limericks shared online have unknown authors, and some were written recently. If you can't confirm the source, write your own. For the general rules on what copyright covers and how long it lasts, see the U.S. Copyright Office's Copyright Basics circular. Canadian readers should check Canada's own rules, which differ in places. This is general information, not legal advice.
If you're making music with AI tools, the Copyright Office also has an official page on copyright and artificial intelligence. It covers how human authorship is treated. Your own written lyrics are a clear piece of human authorship you can point to.
What about using the finished song?
Check the license of whatever tool you use. With Remixy, new accounts get 150 free starter credits, about 3 songs, with no card needed. The free plan is for non-commercial use and streams songs rather than offering MP3 downloads.
Premium and Pro plans include a full commercial license and 320 kbps MP3 downloads, and Pro adds lossless WAV. You can compare details on the plans and pricing page. If a limerick song is only for a birthday party or a family group chat, non-commercial use may be all you need.
Which rhyme scheme should you pick for your own writing?
Pick the scheme that matches the mood and the payoff you want. A quick guide:
- Want a joke with a punchline? Use AABBA, the limerick.
- Want something instantly catchy for kids or a chant? Use AABB.
- Want a verse that tells a story without sounding singsong? Use ABAB or ABCB.
- Want a formal love poem with a twist at the end? Use the Shakespearean sonnet, ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
- Writing a song? Mix schemes. Use a looser one in the verses and a tighter one in the chorus so the hook stands out.
The fastest way to learn any of these is to write five or six short drafts and read them aloud. Your ear will catch a broken rhyme or an extra beat long before a syllable count does.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rhyme scheme of a limerick?+
A limerick follows AABBA. Lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme with each other and have three stressed beats. Lines 3 and 4 share a different rhyme and have two stressed beats.
How many syllables are in a limerick?+
The long lines (1, 2 and 5) usually have about 8 to 10 syllables. The short lines (3 and 4) usually have about 5 to 7. The stress pattern matters more than the exact count.
What is the difference between AABB and ABAB rhyme schemes?+
AABB rhymes lines in back-to-back pairs (1 with 2, 3 with 4). ABAB alternates them (1 with 3, 2 with 4). AABB sounds catchier and simpler, while ABAB sounds more balanced and less predictable.
What is the Shakespearean sonnet rhyme scheme?+
ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. That's three alternating-rhyme quatrains followed by a rhyming couplet, 14 lines in total, usually in iambic pentameter.
Who made limericks popular?+
Edward Lear popularized the form with A Book of Nonsense, published in 1846. The name is commonly linked to Limerick, Ireland, but its exact origin is uncertain.
Can I turn a limerick into a song?+
Yes. The bouncy rhythm suits a triplet or 6/8 feel. Treat lines 3 and 4 as one musical phrase, use several limericks as verses, and add a chorus in a different rhyme scheme.
Can I use a famous limerick in a song I share online?+
Older works such as Edward Lear's are generally in the US public domain. Newer poems usually need permission. Check the U.S. Copyright Office's guidance, since this is not legal advice.
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