diff --git a/app.py b/app.py
index e73c565..864ca31 100644
--- a/app.py
+++ b/app.py
@@ -212,10 +212,11 @@ def founding_projections(key: str) -> dict[str, str]:
         vowels = [p for p in ph if p in ARPA_VOWELS]
         if vowels:
             out["slant"] = "v:" + " ".join(vowels)
-            if len(ph) > 1 and ph[1] not in ARPA_VOWELS:
-                out["vc"] = "c:" + ph[0] + " " + _coda_class(ph[1])
-            else:
-                out["vc"] = "c:" + ph[0]
+            if len(vowels) <= 2:  # consonance only for short rimes
+                if len(ph) > 1 and ph[1] not in ARPA_VOWELS:
+                    out["vc"] = "c:" + ph[0] + " " + _coda_class(ph[1])
+                else:
+                    out["vc"] = "c:" + ph[0]
             mk = _multi_key(vowels)
             if mk:
                 out["multi"] = mk
@@ -336,6 +337,11 @@ def vc_key(word: str) -> str | None:
     tail = pl[start:]
     if not tail or not tail[0][-1].isdigit():
         return None
+    # consonance is an ENDING sound: allow at most one trailing syllable
+    # (people/sleep), but not a stress buried deep in a long word
+    # (meticulous's IH-K under -ulous shouldn't consonance-rhyme quick)
+    if sum(p[-1].isdigit() for p in tail) > 2:
+        return None
     key = DIGITS.sub("", tail[0])
     if len(tail) > 1:
         key += " " + _coda_class(tail[1])
diff --git a/tests/test_rhymes.py b/tests/test_rhymes.py
index a2daf45..4a04380 100644
--- a/tests/test_rhymes.py
+++ b/tests/test_rhymes.py
@@ -754,3 +754,16 @@ def test_near_miss_radar():
     res = analyze(Draft(text=text))
     near = {res["lines"][t["l"]][t["s"]:t["e"]].lower() for t in res["near"]}
     assert near == {"hand", "bond"}
+
+
+def test_consonance_only_on_final_syllable():
+    # me-TIC-ulous's mid-word IH-K must not consonance-rhyme quick
+    text = "a maverick imagine that I travel quick\nso meticulous and ridiculous"
+    res = analyze(Draft(text=text))
+    from collections import defaultdict
+    bg = defaultdict(set)
+    for t in res["tokens"]:
+        bg[t["g"]].add(res["lines"][t["l"]][t["s"]:t["e"]].lower())
+    assert not any({"meticulous", "quick"} <= s for s in bg.values())
+    # bliss/exist (final-syllable consonance) still works
+    group_with("bliss whisps in the nights exist", "bliss", "exist")