One-syllable article

A one-syllable article (Chinese: 同音文章; pinyin: Tóngyīn wénzhāng) is a type of constrained writing found in Chinese literature. They take advantage of the large number of homophones in the Chinese language, particularly when writing in Classical Chinese (due to historic sound changes). Although a one-syllable article's characters have many different meanings, they are all pronounced as the same syllable, although not necessarily the same tone. Therefore, a one-syllable article is comprehensible in writing, but becomes an incomprehensible tongue twister when read aloud.

Notable examples

• Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den (Chinese: 施氏食獅史; pinyin: Shī Shì shí shī shǐ), the most well-known example, by Yuen Ren Chao
• The nephew that administers hemorrhoids (Chinese: 侄治痔; pinyin: zhí zhì zhì), by He Yuanwai
• Record of the beauty Ji attacking chickens (Chinese: 季姬击鸡记; pinyin: jì jī jí jī jì)
• The legendary archer's descendant: Yi (Chinese: 羿裔熠; pinyin: yì yì yì)
• Suspecting the physician of losing gold (Chinese: 遗镒疑医; pinyin: yí yì yí yī)
• Auntie's easy pancreatic cure (Chinese: 易姨医胰; pinyin: yì yí yī yí)
• Alas, desire to pursue the jewel (Chinese: 于瑜欲渔; pinyin: yú yú yù yú)
• Splendid rhinoceros' theatrical play (Chinese: 熙戏犀; pinyin: xī xì xī)
• Starving chicken assemble at a rift (Chinese: 饥鸡集矶记; pinyin: jī jī jí jī jì)
• Records of the lion that ate a boar (Chinese: 狮食豕史; pinyin: shī shí shǐ shǐ)

See also

• Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
• James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher