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A lead (or lede) paragraph in literature refers to the opening paragraph of an article, essay, news story or book chapter. Often called just "the lede," it usually occurs together with the headline or title. It precedes the main body of the article, and it gives the reader the main idea of the story. The word "lede" is pronounced to rhyme with "need".[1] In the journalism industry, particularly in the United States (see News style), the term is sometimes spelled lede, also pronounced to rhyme with "need". "Lede" refers to one or two sentences, not multiple paragraphs. This spelling is absent from almost all print dictionaries, though it has recently started to appear in some online-edition US dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster.com (it does not appear in any of their print versions, even unabridged) and TheFreeDictionary.com. In journalism, the lead paragraph should not be confused with the standfirst (UK), rider, kicker or subhead (US). These terms refer to an introductory or summary line or brief paragraph, located immediately above or below the headline, and typographically distinct from the body of the article. [edit] Research Tips
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