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Try saying that ten times fast.
By Sydney Taylor — Written on Nov 06, 2021
Tongue twisters are phrases that are meant to be difficult to articulate properly. Some use rapid alternation between similar words, while others use alliteration (repetition of one sound) and rhyme which require repositioning of the tongue.
For example, ‘pad kid poured curd pulled cod’ has been named the hardest tongue twister by a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Psychologists who created the tongue twister say most stop saying it midway through because it is too difficult or they could only say it once!
Although some tongue twisters are created for fun, they can also help improve your pronunciation and fluency. For this reason actors, politicians, and professional speakers use tongue twisters for articulation exercises.
Try to see if you can say these phrases.
Toughest Tongue Twisters
1. “Brisk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades,
blunderbusses, and bludgeons—balancing them badly.”
2. “Rory the warrior and Roger the worrier were reared wrongly in a rural brewery.”
3. “The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.”
4. “I slit the sheet,
the sheet I slit,
and on the slitted sheet I sit.”
5. “If you must cross a coarse,
cross cow across a crowded cow crossing,
cross the cross,
coarse cow across the crowded cow crossing carefully.”
6. “Send toast to ten tense stout saints’ ten tall tents.”
7. “Red lorry, yellow lorry.”
8. “How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?”
9. “Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards.”
10. “Ingenious iguanas improvising an intricate impromptu on impossibly-impractical instruments.”
11. “Two tiny timid toads trying to trot to Tarrytown.”
12. “Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.”
13. “Round the rough and rugged rock the ragged rascal rudely ran.”
14. “I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish,
but if you wish the wish the witch wishes,
I won’t wish the wish you wish to wish.”
15. “Thirty-three thirsty, thundering thoroughbreds thumped Mr. Thurber on Thursday.”
16. “Can you can a canned can into an uncanned can like a canner can
can a canned can into an un-canned can?”
17. “Thirty-three thousand feathers on a thrushes throat.”
18. “Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.”
19. “The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.”
Famous Tongue Twisters in English
20. “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.”
21. “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.”
23. “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?”
24. “I thought a thought.
But the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thought I thought.
If the thought I thought I thought had been the thought I thought,
I wouldn't have thought so much.”
25. “A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk,
but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.”
26. “If one doctor doctors another doctor,
does the doctor who doctors the doctor doctor the doctor the way the doctor he is doctoring doctors?
Or does he doctor the doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors?”
27. “She sells seashells by the seashore.”
28. “I saw a saw that could out saw any saw I ever saw saw.
If you happen to see a saw that can out saw the saw I saw saw I'd like to see the saw you saw saw.”
29. “Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.”
30. “How many cookies could a good cook cook?
If a good cook could cook cookies?
A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.”
31. “I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.”
32. “Singing Sammy sung songs on sinking sand.”
33. “Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.
The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooed
Shilly-shallied south.
These sheep shouldn't sleep in a shack;
Sheep should sleep in a shed.”
34. “Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear.
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?”
35. “He threw three free throws.”
36. “If a dog chews shoes,
whose shoes does he choose?”
37. “Double bubble gum, bubbles double.”
38. “A proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot.”
39. “If you understand, say ‘understand’.
If you don't understand, say ‘don't understand’.
But if you understand and say ‘don't understand’.
how do I understand that you understand. Understand!?”
40. “One smart fellow, he felt smart.
Two smart fellows, they felt smart.
Three smart fellows, they felt smart.
Four smart fellows, they felt smart.
Five smart fellows, they felt smart.
Six smart fellows, they felt smart.”
41. “If you notice this notice,
you will notice that this notice is not worth noticing.”
42. “Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nuts.”
43. “Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks.”
44. “Six sticky skeletons.”
45. “One-One was a racehorse.
Two-Two was one, too.
When One-One won one race,
Two-Two won one, too.”
46. “Which witch is which?”
47. “Three thin thinkers thinking thick thoughtful thoughts.”
48. “Love's a feeling you feel when you feel
you're going to feel the feeling you've never felt before.”
49. “Fresh fried fish,
Fish fresh fried,
Fried fish fresh,
Fish fried fresh.”
50. “Thin sticks, thick bricks.”
Sydney Taylor is a writer who focuses on News and Entertainment topics.