English tongue twisters to test your English skills

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“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–so 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
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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.

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  • A teacher standing over a desk where a student is sat, helping them. Students are also sat at desks in the background

    4 key challenges in secondary education

    提交者 Anna Roslaniec

    Let’s examine four of the most common challenges secondary teachers have and look into some strategies to help solve them.

    1. My students are afraid of making mistakes

    You’re not alone! Many teachers say their teenage students are quiet and unwilling to answer questions in class. Sometimes, this might simply be because they don’t know the answers, but more often than not, they are nervous about making mistakes.

    When children grow into teenagers, they tend to become more self-conscious and worried about what their peers think of them – and making mistakes in public is a big no-no for them. However, there are several ways to facilitate a safe learning environment where your students are happy and willing to talk. Sometimes, though, it takes a little experimentation. Here are some things you can try:

    Celebrate mistakes

    When students make mistakes, ensure that you praise them for taking a risk or making an effort. Correct their errors and be clear with the rest of the class that the only way to learn is to try new things.

    Be firm

    Don’t tolerate any bullying or laughing when someone gets an answer wrong. If your students fear that others will mock them for their efforts, they’ll stay quiet. So make sure you have clear rules and that your students understand that mistakes are normal and to be expected.

    Have students discuss their answers in pairs or groups

    If your students are painfully shy and afraid of making mistakes, avoid picking on individuals to answer questions in front of the class. Instead, when asking a question, tell your students to discuss it in pairs or small groups first. This will allow them to formulate their ideas and feel more confident. Afterwards, you can ask the pairs to share what they discussed – leading to a natural open-class discussion.

    Listen to your students

    Another, powerful way of engaging your students in discussion is to listen to a conversation they are having with their partners and then express how impressed you are with their ideas during a feedback session. E.g. “You said X, which I thought was very interesting. Could you explain this to the class? It was a great idea.” This gives them the confidence to share their thoughts.

    2. My students are not engaged with the activities I choose

    This is another very common problem for teachers of teenagers. You spend a lot of time thinking of fun, interesting activities – then, when you present them to the class, your students look away and say they’re bored. Soon enough, you’ll get frustrated and not know how to re-engage them. Here are some ideas to help:

    Get to know your students

    Without fail, the best way to engage your students is by getting to know them as individuals over the year. Find out about their hobbies and interests outside of school, and learn what makes them laugh and what worries them. Use your knowledge of your students to find interesting books to read, videos to watch, or relevant subjects to discuss. This way, you’ll deliver tailored lessons your students find truly interesting and useful.

    Allow a degree of autonomy

    Sometimes quietness is also a sign of disengagement with the learning materials. To get past this obstacle, you can get your students to brainstorm things that interest them in groups, list them on the board and have a class vote on the topic of their next class project. As a teacher, you always have the power to veto inappropriate ideas, but giving students a voice is a powerful way of making them feel valued and involved in their own education.

    Make things (a little) competitive

    Even teenagers love games! And play is an integral part of learning, as it allows our students to be themselves, have fun, and communicate freely at the same time. By allowing them to play language-focused games in class, they’ll soon forget their inhibitions and start talking.

    3. My students just want to do grammar exercises

    Language is all about communication, speaking, listening, reading and writing – yet all your students want to do is grammar exercises. Frustrating as this is, it’s probably a sign that our students are not confident in their speaking or listening abilities. Here’s what you can do:

    Encourage free language practice

    Grammar activities are very structured and there is often a clear answer. Day-to-day communications, however, are much freer, which can intimidate less confident students. This activity will help you combine the two aspects of language learning:

    • Put students in small groups and give them a set of cards with exciting topics printed on them—for example; music, sports, environment, school, vacations, friends, food.
    • Tell students that they should each choose a card and speak freely about their topic for 30 seconds – the short time will help them overcome their fear of speaking and can be gradually increased as they get used to this type of activity.
    • Have students record themselves when they are speaking and then, when they listen back, have them identify the grammatical structures they used.

    They should write down and correct any mistakes under your guidance. Not only will this get students used to talking and encourage a lot of emergent language, but it will also help them feel they are practicing grammar.

    If your students really enjoy learning grammar, you can ‘flip’ your grammar activities and make them more communicative. First, provide them with a series of sentences or listening clips which have a common grammatical structure (second conditional sentences, for example).

    Then have students work together (in English) to identify how the language is structured, so they can discover the grammar point for themselves. This not only gets them talking, but they are doing something they feel confident at.

    4. My students are bored of all the repetition

    Repetition is an important part of language learning. By practicing things over and over again, your students will come to understand it better and will be able to produce the language more easily. However, repetition is often quite dull, especially for fast learners. Here’s how you can make things more interesting for your teenage students:

    Use a greater variety of activities to engage your learners

    If you’ve been teaching your students a particular set of vocabulary, a grammatical structure, or some pronunciation rules, think about how else they can practice them.

    For example, instead of drilling pronunciation over and over again, ask students to think of all the words they can think of that have the same sound in them (e.g. book, look, cook, shook, etc.). This will help them ‘hear’ the sounds in their heads and improve their understanding of other words.

    If you have been learning vocabulary through reading, have students write or tell stories that incorporate the words.

    The idea is not to stop repeating the target language or skill, but to practice it in different ways. Apply this principle to other areas of language learning so your students won’t feel like they are repeating things.