Do tongue-twisters twist your tongue?
 | A tongue-twister is a phrase designed to be difficult to articulate properly, correctly and quickly. It consists on attempting to recite a tricky rhyme or phrase as fast as possible without making mistakes on the pronounce challenges and hurdles lurking within these tongue-tying* sentences. An example of a tongue twister is The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick, which is supposedly the hardest tongue-twister in the English language according to Guinness World Records. |
By combining the effects of alliteration (repetition of a sound), particularly similar but distinct sounds, with a phrase designed such that it is made very easy to slip accidentally, English tongue-twisters can be guaranteed to provide us with lots of fun and laughter. These sentences and poems may also be used by foreign students of English to improve their accent, actors who need to develop a certain accent, and by speech therapists to help those with speech difficulties.
Another typical tongue-twister is How many slips would a slip ship shift if a slip ship could shift slips? It is a tongue-twister because the letters f and p and the letters s and sh are interchanged in an unfamiliar sequence that is difficult to speak without practice. Try to pronounce the following tongue-twisters. You can also invite you friends to a contest and have bunches of fun!
*tongue-tied = not able to speak because you are shy or nervous.
Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.
She sells sea shells by the sea shore.
A sailor went to sea to see what he could see.
A noisy noise annoys an oyster.
Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.
Shy Shelly says she shall sew sheets.
Five fine fresh fish for you!
The jumbo juggler juggles the jelly in the jug.
If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
The worst word in the world is the word world.
Fat frogs flying past fast.
Six silly sisters selling shiny shoes.
An Ape hates grape cakes.
Six Swiss ships sails swiftly.
How many bagels would a Beagle bake if a Beagle could bake bagels?
Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward.
We surely shall see the sun shine soon.
