Tongue twisters in English

English tongue twisters are tricky, funny sentences in English that don’t make much sense. They don’t need to though, because their secret job is to help you pronounce words correctly, not teach you facts. Take a look at how silly they can be. Kids and grown-ups alike love taking on the challenge and competing to say different tongue twisters right. It’s a fun game that helps improve language skills. Tongue twisters are a fun and funny way to practice English pronunciation. Here are the most popular ones.

English tongue twisters: Peter Piper

The tongue twister about Peter and pickled peppers first appeared in print in 1813 in John Harris’s book “Peter Piper’s Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation.” However, most likely this rhyme was created even earlier. One of the possible inspirations for this tongue twister is Pierre Poivre, a gardener who became famous for sneaking cloves. The name “Poivre” means “pepper,” just like “Piper.” It’s possible that Poivre grew pickled peppers in his garden.

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?

But if Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, were they pickled when he picked them from the vine? Or was Peter Piper pickled when he picked the pickled, peppers peppers picked from the pickled pepper vine?

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English tongue twisters: Woodchuck

Like many tongue twisters, Woodchuck probably existed before the official date. It was first performed in 1903 as the chorus of a song in the musical “The Runaway.”

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck all the wood that he could if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

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English tongue twisters: She sells sea shells

This English tongue twister was most likely inspired by Mary Anning, an English paleontologist and fossil collector from the 19th century. She was responsible for discovering the complete skeleton of a plesiosaur and for being one of the first people to identify fossilized poop.

Sister Sue sells sea shells. She sells sea shells on the sea shore. The shells she sells. Are sea shells she sees. Sure she sees shells she sells.

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English tongue twisters: Betty Botter

The tongue-twister Betty Botter was written by the American writer and poet Carolyn Wells. It even appeared in the popular English nursery rhyme book Mother Goose.

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.

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English tongue twisters: One-liners

English tongue twisters use similarly sounding words to create difficult-to-pronounce texts. So, after translation, they lose their specific rhythm and melody, which makes them challenging to say, although their content remains surprising and often nonsensical. Here are the most popular one-liner English tongue twisters.

We surely shall see the sun shine soon.

Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.

I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.

A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.

How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop.

Susie works in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines she sits, and where she sits she shines.

You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York.

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?

Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?

I have got a date at a quarter to eight; I’ll see you at the gate, so don’t be late.

I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.

If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?

I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you.

I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.

Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear.

Eddie edited it.

Willie’s really weary.

A big black bear sat on a big black rug.

He threw three free throws.

Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.

So, this is the sushi chef.

Four fine fresh fish for you.

Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks.

Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses.

Betty’s big bunny bobbled by the blueberry bush.

A really leery Larry rolls readily to the road.

Rory’s lawn rake rarely rakes really right.

Lucky rabbits like to cause a ruckus.

I looked right at Larry’s rally and left in a hurry.

Round and round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran.

“Surely Sylvia swims!” shrieked Sammy surprised. “Someone should show Sylvia some strokes so she shall not sink.”

If you must cross a course cross cow across a crowded cow crossing, cross the cross coarse cow across the crowded cow crossing carefully.

Brisk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades, blunderbusses, and bludgeons — balancing them badly.

Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.

Can you can a canned can into an un-canned can like a canner can can a canned can into an un-canned can?

Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.

Rory the warrior and Roger the worrier were reared wrongly in a rural brewery.

Send toast to ten tense stout saints’ ten tall tents.

Short English tongue twisters:

Six sticky skeletons.

Which witch is which?

Snap crackle pop.

Flash message.

Red Buick, blue Buick.

Red lorry, yellow lorry.

Thin sticks, thick bricks.

Stupid superstition.

Eleven benevolent elephants.

Two tried and true tridents.

Rolling red wagons.

Black back bat.

She sees cheese.

Truly rural.

Good blood, bad blood.

Pre-shrunk silk shirts.

Pad kid poured curd pulled cod.

Willy’s real rear wheel.

Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards.

Scissors sizzle, thistles sizzle.

A happy hippo hopped and hiccupped.

Cooks cook cupcakes quickly.

Really leery, rarely Larry.

Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs.

A snake sneaks to seek a snack.

Six Czech cricket critics.

Blue bluebird.

Daddy Draws Doors.

Three free throws.

The big bug bit the little beetle.

Friendly fleas and fireflies.

Fresh fried fish.

Specific Pacific.

Green glass globes glow greenly.

Rubber baby buggy bumpers.

Selfish shellfish.

Red leather, yellow leather.

More English tongue twisters:

Yally Bally had a jolly golliwog. Feeling folly, Yally Bally Bought his jolly golli’ a dollie made of holly! The golli’, feeling jolly, named the holly dollie, Polly. So Yally Bally’s jolly golli’s holly dollie Polly’s also jolly!

Birdie birdie in the sky laid a turdie in my eye.
If cows could fly I’d have a cow pie in my eye.

How much ground would a groundhog hog, if a groundhog could hog ground? A groundhog would hog all the ground he could hog, if a groundhog could hog ground.

Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.
Spread it thick, say it quick!
Spread it thicker, say it quicker!
Don’t eat with your mouth full!

The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.

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 I thought.

Something in a thirty-acre thermal thicket of thorns and thistles thumped and thundered threatening the three-D thoughts of Matthew the thug – although, theatrically, it was only the thirteen-thousand thistles and thorns through the underneath of his thigh that the thirty-year-old thug thought of that morning.

Thirty-three thousand feathers on a thrushes throat.