English tongue twisters to test your English skills

Charlotte Guest
Two friends sat outide smiling and looking at a phone
Reading time: 6 minutes

¡°She sells seashells by the seashore¡± and "If a woodchuck could chuck wood" are classic tongue twisters and aren¡¯t just whimsical phrases but one of many tools language learners use to polish their pronunciation and articulate troublesome English sounds. For students and enthusiasts alike, tongue twisters are not only entertaining but they also serve as an effective and fun way to test and improve your English skills.

In this blog post, we¡¯ll explore some challenging English tongue twisters perfect for language learners seeking to refine their pronunciation. Of course, the best way to use these tongue twisters is to say them out loud¨Cso don¡¯t just read them; try to repeat them and see how fast you can go without stumbling. Incorporating funny tongue twisters into your practice can make learning more enjoyable for kids and adults alike.

Test your English skills with tongue twisters
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree ÃÛÌÒapp can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

What are tongue twisters and how can they help language learners?

Tongue twisters are phrases or sentences that are challenging to articulate because they contain similar-sounding syllables, words, or letters. They serve as a form of speaking exercise that can help with speech clarity, pronunciation and fluency in any language.

They can be especially helpful for those learning English, as the language¡¯s diverse range of phonemes (distinct units of sound) provides a great exercise for all manner of verbal communication. Tongue twisters can be seen as a form of verbal gymnastics that challenges language learners.

Easy tongue twisters: A peck of pickled peppers

When you¡¯re just beginning, start with some straightforward tongue twisters in English. These will help you get a sense of rhythm, which is crucial for getting your mouth used to the mechanics of English pronunciation. You¡¯ve likely heard of this first one.

  1. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
  2. Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter¡¯s bitter.
  3. If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
  4. Red lorry, yellow lorry.
  5. Three free throws.
  6. Ted fed Fred bread. Fred fed Ted bread,
  7. Fresh fried fish fresh fried.
  8. Four furious friends fought for the phone.
  9. Tie twine to three tree twigs.
  10. Toy boat.

Medium tongue twisters: The proper copper coffee pot challenge

Once you¡¯ve mastered the basics, it¡¯s time to up the ante. These slightly more complex tongue twisters will begin to challenge your diction and speed of speech.

  1. A proper copper coffee pot.
  2. Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward.
  3. Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
  4. She sees cheese on the Chinese chessboard.
  5. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
  6. She sells seashells on the seashore; the shells she sells are surely seashells.
  7. Too big a toboggan is too big a toboggan to buy to begin to toboggan.
  8. I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she sits, she shines, and where she shines, she sits.
  9. Double bubble gum bubbles double.
  10. Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.

Hard tongue twisters: How much wood can a woodchuck chuck

For those ready to push their skills to the limit, these tongue twisters are particularly tough. They involve tricky combinations of phonemes and are a true workout for your mouth.

  1. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as he could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
  2. The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.
  3. Can you can a canned can into an uncanned can like a canner can can a canned can into an uncanned can?
  4. The great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes but do great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes only.
  5. Swan swam over the sea, swim, swan, swim! Swan swam back again well swum swan.
  6. A big black bear sat on a big black rug while a big black bug bit the big black bear.
  7. If you must cross a course cross cow across a crowded cow crossing, cross the cross coarse cow across the crowded cow crossing carefully.
  8. Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.
  9. How much ground would a groundhog grind if a groundhog could grind ground.

What's the hardest tongue twister?

This depends on who you ask, but a named the challenge of "Pad kid poured curd pulled cod" the most difficult tongue twister in the world. The phrases ¡°kid poured curd pulled¡± and ¡°poured curd pulled cod¡± show why many have twisted their tongues trying to pronounce it.

Another example of a challenging tongue twister is ¡°nearly eerie ear,¡± emphasizing its difficulty in pronunciation and showcasing the complexity of certain sounds and words.

Three friends sat together looking at a open book

How to practice with tongue twisters

Here are some steps to follow when practicing with tongue twisters:

  1. Start slow: Begin by saying the phrase slowly, ensuring you focus on the accurate pronunciation of each word and sound. This initial focus on accuracy is crucial for building a solid foundation in your pronunciation skills.
  2. Repeat: Repetition is key. Repeat it several times at a slow pace before trying to speed up.
  3. Record yourself: Listen to your pronunciation by recording yourself. This will help you catch subtleties and improve.
  4. Try different tongue twisters: Each tongue twister will test different aspects of speech. Don¡¯t stick to just one; variety is important.
  5. Have fun: Don¡¯t stress over getting it perfect. Have fun and use it as a warm-up exercise or a break from more serious study sessions.

Incorporating tongue twisters into daily language learning

Incorporating tongue twisters into your daily language-learning routine can significantly enhance your spoken English skills. Here are a few creative ways to make them part of your practice:

  • Morning warm-up: Begin your day with a set of tongue twisters to awaken your speech muscles and start your day with a word workout.
  • Social challenges: Challenge friends or fellow language learners to duels. This can be done in person or through social media, adding a competitive edge to your practice.
  • Teaching tool: If you¡¯re teaching English, use tongue twisters as a fun and effective tool to engage students in pronunciation practice.

Remember, the key is consistency and enjoyment. By regularly challenging yourself with using tongue twisters in English, you¡¯ll gradually notice improvements in your fluency, articulation and confidence in speaking English. Using tongue twisters daily can serve as a form of practice for your speech muscles.

Whether you¡¯re a novice or an advanced English learner, tongue twisters are not only a fantastic way to improve your linguistic skills but also serve as an effective diagnostic tool to identify pronunciation challenges.

They can pinpoint which sounds you struggle with and provide a focused platform to work on them. Just remember, even fluent English speakers can trip over these tricky sentences, so take your time and enjoy the process.

Feeling tongue-tied yet? Take this opportunity to untangle your tongue and brush up on your English skills. Visit our blog for more tips, tricks and guides on mastering the English language.

More blogs from ÃÛÌÒapp

  • Woman wearing headphones outside, smiling and looking hopeful

    6 easy ways to learn English

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    When you¡¯re learning English, it¡¯s important to keep your motivation up. As with any task, there may be times when it feels a bit more difficult, so switch up your methods and don¡¯t be afraid to make mistakes ¨C you¡¯ll reach the level you want to be at.

    We¡¯ve already provided some unique ways to teach English that you may now have experienced with your teacher. Here, we suggest some easy ways to learn English that you can try any time ¨C at home, at work or on the move. Why not try them today? Surround yourself with English and you¡¯ll see improvements in your language confidence and skills, while having fun at the same time¡­

    1. English words with friends

    Scrabble is a classic board game in which players use random lettered tiles to create words in a crossword fashion. It¡¯s a fantastic way to strengthen your English vocabulary, and there¡¯s also a Scrabble Junior version for beginners. Playing Scrabble challenges you to really think in English as you try to come up with different words using your set of letters.

    If you¡¯re taking an English class, buy the board game and invite your classmates to play with you. You can also play Scrabble online through websites like Facebook, where it is called Words With Friends.

    2. Add some music

    Not only will your favorite song wake up your mind and put you in a positive mood to learn English, but the lyrics can help you expand your skills. acquire grammar and vocabulary and improve spelling.

    Songs almost always contain a lot of useful vocabulary, phrases and expressions. And since the intended audience is fluent English speakers, the latest tunes include up-to-date language and colloquialisms. The language used in songs is casual and usable, if you pick the right music. Music also has an uncanny ability to stick in our heads, which can help you remember your new English words.

  • a hand holding a remote control

    8 easy tricks for improving your English skills

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    As you work to improve your English skills, it¡¯s always helpful to have some tricks and tips to help you stay motivated. With that in mind, we¡¯ve collated these eight simple tips from fellow English language learners, to help you on your quest¡­

    1. Set yourself small goals

    Learning English is a long process, and it may take years to progress from one level to the next. That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to set yourself achievable goals. At ÃÛÌÒapp, we work with thousands of English teachers worldwide to define what it means to ¡®be at a level¡¯ in English.?

    2. Create a study schedule

    Ensure this schedule works around your daily responsibilities and make sure to keep it simple! Try breaking up your English language learning over the course of an entire day, which may make it feel more manageable.

    3. Practice a little bit every day

    Even if it¡¯s listening to an English podcast during your commute or practicing your favorite words while having breakfast, every little bit of practice helps!

    4. Discover what type of learner you are

    Auditory, visual, or tactile. Use this as a basis for how you spend time studying. For instance, a visual learner may benefit from flashcards (see point 7), while an auditory learner may benefit from watching a television program in English.

    5. Turn on music in English

    Rhythms and rhymes have been found to stimulate the brain and improve learning. Our research found that music can be an invaluable tool when learning English, as it helps with pronunciation, word boundaries and vocabulary.

    6. Watch movies with English dialogue

    Movies are a great source of native conversation and vocabulary. Plus, the visual nature of film allows you to experience nonverbal context too ¡ª such as facial expressions and hand gestures ¡ª accompanying and contextualizing the film¡¯s dialogue. Above all, watching a movie is a fun and motivational way to develop English language skills.

    7. Learn new vocabulary with flashcards

    While this may be the oldest studying trick in the book, students around the world use flashcards because they work!

    8. Track your progress

    To gain a sense of accomplishment, it¡¯s important to know where you¡¯ve started. We¡¯ve just introduced a new way to measure progress in English. Have a look at it to quickly discover what your areas of strength and weakness are.

    Finally, it¡¯s important to remember that not every learning trick will work for you. So, if you find that chatting with fluent English speakers helps you progress faster but you¡¯re not always able to converse with them face-to-face, spend more of your time communicating online with your English-speaking friends and contacts.

  • A overhead shot of a  person sat on a chair with a laptop to their left is icons of envelopes

    6 things to consider when writing English emails

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    Every day, an astonishing number of emails are sent and received worldwide. While a considerable amount of these are informal messages between friends, the majority are for business purposes. Whether you¡¯re emailing someone you work with, applying for a new job or making new connections, here are some general rules to follow when writing English emails¡­

    1. Know your tone

    Always consider who you are writing to and adapt your language accordingly. Emails are less formal than letters, so it¡¯s fine to start your email with ¡°Hi¡± or ¡°Good morning¡± ¨C but it may be better to write ¡°Dear¡­¡± if you are emailing someone for the first time or if they are senior to you. Similarly, ending emails with ¡°Best/kind regards¡± rather than ¡°Yours sincerely/faithfully¡± works well, with the latter being more appropriate for a formal email. Whatever the relationship, though, don¡¯t feel tempted to use laid-back, colloquial expressions like ¡°Hey, you guys¡±, ¡°Yo!¡±, or ¡°Hi folks¡±.

    2. It¡¯s all about the titles

    It¡¯s increasingly common to use first names in international business communications, so don¡¯t be afraid to do so. Another title to consider is your email subject header: a short, clear text is important as busy people often decide whether to even open an email depending on the subject header. Examples of a good subject header include ¡°Meeting date changed¡±, ¡°Quick question about your presentation¡±, or ¡°Suggestions for the proposal¡±.

    3. Use a professional email address

    If you work for a company you¡¯ll be using your company email address. But if you¡¯re using a personal email account because you¡¯re self-employed or looking for a new job, you should be careful when choosing that address.

    You should always have an email address that includes your name so that the recipient knows exactly who is sending the email. Email addresses that you created while you were in school or college (IloveJohn@¡­ or ¡°Beerlover@¡­) are not appropriate for the workplace!

    4. Limit the small talk

    Small talk can help to build relationships but it doesn¡¯t need to be overly personal. A simple ¡°I hope you are well¡± or ¡°How are things?¡± will usually suffice. Also, be cautious with humor as it can easily get lost in translation without the correct tone or facial expressions that accompany face-to-face meetings. It¡¯s safer to leave out humor from emails unless you know the recipient well.

    5. Keep it simple

    Emails are intended to be written, read and understood quickly, so only include the important details ¨C and avoid saturating your message with unnecessary information.

    6. Proofread every message

    Always check your emails before pressing Send. Read and re-read your email a few times, preferably aloud, to ensure there are no spelling or grammatical mistakes. And never just rely on the auto spell-check; spell-checking software doesn't always understand the context of your writing and can throw you off with incorrect suggestions.?

    Happy emailing.