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What is tongue twisters


50 Tongue Twisters to improve pronunciation in English · engVid

by Alex

Tongue twisters are a great way to practice and improve pronunciation and fluency. They can also help to improve accents by using alliteration, which is the repetition of one sound. They’re not just for kids, but are also used by actors, politicians, and public speakers who want to sound clear when speaking. Below, you will find some of the most popular English tongue twisters. Say them as quickly as you can. If you can master them, you will be a much more confident speaker.

  1. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
    A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked
    If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
    Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
  2. Betty Botter bought some butter
    But she said the butter’s bitter
    If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter
    But a bit of better butter will make my batter better
    So ‘twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter
  3. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
    He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood
    As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood
  4. She sells seashells by the seashore
  5. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
  6. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream
  7. I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop
  8. Susie works in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines she sits, and where she sits she shines
  9. Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?
  10. Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
  11. I have got a date at a quarter to eight; I’ll see you at the gate, so don’t be late
  12. You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York
  13. I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen
  14. If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
  15. I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you
  16. I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch
  17. Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear
  18. Eddie edited it
  19. Willie’s really weary
  20. A big black bear sat on a big black rug
  21. Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks
  22. He threw three free throws
  23. Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely
  24. So, this is the sushi chef
  25. Four fine fresh fish for you
  26. Wayne went to wales to watch walruses
  27. Six sticky skeletons (x3)
  28. Which witch is which? (x3)
  29. Snap crackle pop (x3)
  30. Flash message (x3)
  31. Red Buick, blue Buick (x3)
  32. Red lorry, yellow lorry (x3)
  33. Thin sticks, thick bricks (x3)
  34. Stupid superstition (x3)
  35. Eleven benevolent elephants (x3)
  36. Two tried and true tridents (x3)
  37. Rolling red wagons (x3)
  38. Black back bat (x3)
  39. She sees cheese (x3)
  40. Truly rural (x3)
  41. Good blood, bad blood (x3)
  42. Pre-shrunk silk shirts (x3)
  43. Ed had edited it. (x3)
  44. We surely shall see the sun shine soon
  45. Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
  46. Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread
  47. I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit
  48. A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk
  49. Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better
  50. Of all the vids I’ve ever viewed, I’ve never viewed a vid as valued as Alex’s engVid vid

Do you want to test your understanding of some of these words and hear me pronounce them? Watch my video on 35 words that are shortened in conversation:

How to sound like a native speaker: THE SECRET · engVid

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Is there a secret to sounding like a native speaker? In today’s lesson I’ll share with you the key to PERFECT PRONUNCIATION! English pronunciation can be difficult to master, because it isn’t a phonetic language — that is, words are not pronounced the way they are spelled. In addition, American pronunciation and British pronunciation are very different from one another. So how can you sound like a native speaker? Watch this lesson to find out!

Quiz

Test your understanding of this English lesson

Test your understanding of the English lesson by answering these questions. You will get the answers and your score at the end of the quiz.

What does the |e| syllable in the word co li s e um sound like? (coliseum)

the |e| in penthe |ee| in feelthe |a| in saythe |i| in pin

What does the |ou| syllable in the word tho r ou gh sound like? (thorough)

the |o| in openthe |u| in upthe |oo| in poolthe |a| in talk

What does the |ea| syllable in the word h ea then sound like? (heathen)

the |ee| in squeezethe |e| in lendthe |i| in pinthe |o| in pond

What does the |ea| syllable in the word h ea ther sound like? (heather)

the |a| in dawnthe |ee| in queenthe |e| in penthe |a| in father

What does the |a| syllable in the word al ph a bet sound like? (alphabet)

the |a| in fatherthe |au| in laundrythe |a| in landthe | hole | in asshole

What does the |i| syllable in the word tr i ath lon sound like? (triathlon)

the |a| in cakethe |ee| in treethe |y| in stylethe |i| in spill

What does the |i| syllable in the word tr i age sound like? (triage)

the |ee| in treethe |y| in skythe |a| in can’tthe |i| in will

What does the |a| syllable in the word o r a nge sound like? (orange)

the |i| in winthe |ai| in painthe |o| in onthe |a| in apple

What does the |a| syllable in the word r a nge sound like? (range)

the |ai| in trainthe |a| in backthe |u| in underthe |e| in when

What does the |ou| syllable in the word r ou gh sound like? (rough)

the |oo| in spoonthe |ow| in shownthe |a| in standthe |a| in car


Next Question

Patter | Popular Science Journal: "Manuscript"

Contents:

Patter

A tongue twister is a short sentence or phrase deliberately constructed so that it is difficult to pronounce correctly, usually due to various combinations of similar sounds; small poetic genre of folklore origin.

Origin

Russian tongue twisters appeared in folk art as a result of an oral word game in which they competed in the ability to “speak quickly”, that is, to pronounce complex combinations of sounds or consonant polysyllabic words clearly, correctly and quickly. The tongue twister was composed in the form of rhythmic prose or a short verse with comic content. Thus, the tongue twister arose in folklore as a comic composition intended to be spoken aloud for the purpose of entertainment. The tongue twister was also called "pure tongue twister" and "chastotrovka".

Tongue twister in literature

Tongue twister in literature took shape as a separate poetic genre based on the phonetic organization of literary text. A tongue twister is a sentence or phrase that is difficult to pronounce because it includes alliteration, homonymy, rhyme, or all of these phenomena at the same time.

The tongue twister is based on a game of specially arranged hard-to-pronounce words and sounds that create difficulties for the fast and expressive pronunciation of the phrase. Errors that occur during the incorrect pronunciation of tongue twisters by the speaker create a humorous effect, as a result of which the entertaining function of the tongue twister is performed.

Each tongue twister is not a random combination of sounds and words; it deliberately selected words consisting of the same sounds (“Buy a pile of pik”), which makes it difficult to pronounce the phrase. This repetition of consonants is called alliteration. Alliteration is often supplemented with rhyme, which gives the tongue twister the form of a poem. Tongue twisters are also called verses that are quickly pronounced.

Examples of tongue twisters:

Osip hoarse, Arkhip osip.
Grass in the yard, firewood on the grass. Do not cut wood on the grass of the yard.
The ships tacked, tacked, but did not catch.

Tongue twisters are found both on their own and in literary works. In fiction, tongue twisters are often used as a comedic element, focusing on how difficult it is to say a phrase correctly.

An equivalent tongue twister exists in sign language, in which phrases that are difficult to express are called "confusion finger".

V. I. Dal

The famous Russian writer and ethnographer of the 19th century V. I. Dal in the collection “Proverbs of the Russian people” wrote that many tongue twisters also contain a proverb, for example: “You can’t change our sexton to become” (you can’t correct a person). This combination indicates the close connection of folklore genres, as well as their multifunctionality. In this regard, the tongue twister acts as a verbal game, an exercise in diction, a short folk saying with an instructive meaning. V. I. Dal also emphasized the significant role of tongue twisters in the process of developing the correct pronunciation.

Patter and shibboleth

Shibboleth, i.e. a phrase in a certain language that is difficult for a person who is not a native speaker of that language to pronounce, is considered as a type of tongue twister. For example, the Georgian expression baq'aq'i ts'q'alshi q'iq'inebs ("the frog croaks in the water") or the Czech and Slovak strc prst skrz krk ("put your finger through the throat") is difficult to pronounce to a non-local person because for the absence of vowels, although the syllabic r is a common sound in Czech, Slovak, and other Slavic languages.

Tongue twisters are common in pedagogy and speech therapy as a means by which diction is trained and speech defects are corrected. Short rhyming tongue twisters are an effective method for developing a child's articulatory apparatus. The study of tongue twisters is included in the curriculum of elementary grades, which has a positive effect on the development of children's speech from an early age.

Tongue twisters in speech therapy are selected according to the sound or sound combination, the pronunciation of which is being trained. For example, the tongue twister "Ligurian traffic controller regulated in Liguria" is intended for practicing consonant sounds r, l, r.

Russian tongue twisters are characterized by complexity, because they contain difficult-to-pronounce combinations of sounds that accumulate in a short passage of text. As a rule, tongue twisters are easier to pronounce at a slow pace of speech. But the text is first pronounced slowly and distinctly, and then repeated many times at an accelerated pace. Constant training helps to improve articulation and enhance the expressiveness of speech.

Modern meaning

In modern language practice, tongue twisters are used not only for the purpose of entertainment or creating a comic effect in a work, but also for the development of speech. Tongue twisters improve a person's oratorical abilities: a clear pronunciation forms a correctly delivered speech. In preparation for a speech performance, tongue twisters are often used by representatives of professions that involve demonstrating voice skills - television announcers, radio hosts, translators, singers, actors, etc.

The term "patter" is also used to denote a short, hasty speech, for example: "The writer finished the story with a tongue twister" (that is, quickly).

Patter as an easy way to develop speech |

Tongue twisters are sentences or phrases whose sounds are chosen in a certain way to complicate their pronunciation. Many tongue twisters have been known for several centuries, while others, on the contrary, have appeared quite recently. Since ancient times, these intricate combinations of words have served as fun for adults and a way to teach children to pronounce different letters correctly. And today, tongue twisters are very often used in the study of the Russian language. They help you work on improving your pronunciation and reducing your accent.

In order to better understand the essence of tongue twisters, try to quickly pronounce one of the most famous ones: “There is grass in the yard, firewood on the grass.” From the first time you will notice how the previously understandable sounds turn into a real abracadabra. Do not be surprised, even native speakers can hardly cope with the task on the first try.

But in order for tongue twisters to be effective, a few simple rules must be strictly observed.

Exercise frequency

Choose any 3-4 tongue twisters for yourself and practice saying them several times a day. For example, right after waking up and before going to bed. But do not get hung up only on the selected tongue twisters. Remember that our articulatory apparatus can quickly adapt to the tasks at hand. Therefore, once every 10-14 days, change the already studied tongue twisters to new ones.

How to speak quickly correctly

You should not immediately rush into a gallop. Start with a slow pronunciation of tongue twisters, clearly highlighting all difficult places and stresses. And until you can clearly read all the phrases without ever going astray, do not speed up the pace.

When you realize that you can already clearly pronounce each phrase, try to pronounce the entire text of the tongue twister in one breath. The first time it will be difficult, but this is the most correct way. And don't be discouraged if you don't succeed on the first try.

If in a couple of days you have mastered all the tongue twisters you have chosen, try to start pronouncing them in different voices: male and female, childish and elderly, rough and gentle. Or, alternatively, you can add emotional coloring to your text. Trying to pronounce words with anger, surprise, irritation, etc.

Additional recommendations

It is best to print the tongue twisters themselves. If they are in front of your eyes, then the pronunciation process will be greatly simplified. Another good trick is to say tongue twisters in front of a mirror, watching how your tongue and lips work.

If you like, you can combine tongue twisters with other activities. For example, with physical exercises: squats or push-ups. This is how you train your breathing.

Types of tongue twisters

The tongue twisters themselves can be divided according to a huge number of features: simple and complex, short and long, according to trained sounds, etc. We also decided to advise you on some interesting tongue twisters and divide them according to complexity. You can start learning with the simplest ones and gradually move on to more and more complex ones.

You can find even more tongue twisters on the Internet.

Simple tongue twisters:
  • Tell us about your purchases. About what about purchases? About shopping, about shopping, about your purchases.
  • Here is syrup, jelly in a glass, cheesecakes in sour cream, oranges, peaches, cream, and sausages in gravy.
  • Polkan has a stick under his paw.
  • The ram's horns are twisted-twisted, twisted-turned
  • The weather got wet outside.
Intermediate tongue twisters: