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Tongue Twisters -  English Language

A tongue twister is a linguistic phrase which is difficult to articulate properly. They are formed of similar but distinct phonemes. Most of them are a combination of alliteration and rhyme, and a little confusing use of sound sequences.

A word that could be regarded as a tongue-twister is a shibboleth, meaning a phrase in a language that is difficult for someone to say, who is not a native speaker of the language.

A few tongue-twisters in English
Poetry

Sarah, Sarah, sits in her Chevrolet.
When she shifts she sips her Schlitz,
and when she sips her Schlitz she shifts.

Betty Botter bought a bit of butter. "But," she said, "this butter's bitter!
If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter!"
So she bought a bit of butter better than her bitter butter,
And she put it in her batter, and her batter was not bitter.
So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter. (listen)
A canner can can anything that he can,
But a canner can't can a can, can he?

A certain young fellow named Beebee
Wished to marry a lady named Phoebe
"But," he said. "I must see
What the minister's fee be
Before Phoebe be Phoebe Beebee"

To sit in solemn silence on a dull dark dock
In a pestilential prison with a lifelong lock
Awaiting the sensation of a short sharp shock
From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block.

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

How much Zen would a Zen master master
if Zen master could master all the Zen?
A Zen master would master all the Zen he could master
if a Zen master should master all the Zen

I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's mate,
And I'm only plucking pheasants 'cause the pheasant plucker's late.
I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son,
And I'm only plucking pheasants till the pheasant pluckers come.

One smart fellow, he felt smart
Two smart fellows, they felt smart
Three smart fellows, they all felt smart

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?

A tutor who tooted the flute
Tried to tutor two tooters to toot
Said the two to the tutor
"Is it tougher to toot
Or to tutor two tooters to toot?"

A mother to her son did utter
"Go, my son, and shut the shutter"
"The shutter's shut" the son did utter
"I cannot shut it any shutter!"

How many sheets could a sheet slitter slit
If a sheet slitter could slit sheets?
A sheet slitter could slit all the sheets
If a sheet slitter could slit sheets!

A fly and a flea in a flue
Were trapped, so what could they do?
"Let us fly," said the flea
"Let us flee," said the fly
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

Tongue Twisting Phrases when repeated rapidly

* A cricket critic
* A black bug's blood
* Air Hockey
* Irish wristwatch
* Legend tripping
* Liril
* Red lorry, yellow lorry
* Road-roller
* Upper roller, lower roller
* Rubber baby buggy bumpers
* Stupid Superstition
* Toy boat
* Unique New York
* X, X, X, etc. (a schoolyard trick: the intent is to force someone to say "sex".)

Other phrases

* Ken Dodd's dad's dog's dead.
* "Are you copper-bottoming 'em my man?" "No, I'm aluminiuming 'em ma'am."
* The black bloke's back brake block broke.
* A box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer
* He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
* Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.
* I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon a slitted sheet I sit.
* The Leith police dismisseth thee. The Leith police dismisseth us.
* A proper cup of coffee from a copper coffee pot
* Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.
* You know I need unique New York. I know you need unique New York.
* The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.
* "We reweave rips"
* The winkle ship sank and the shrimp ship swam.
* An old seabear sits on the pier and drinks a pint of beer. * Three sweet switched Swiss witches watch three washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switches. Which sweet switched Swiss witch watches which washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switch?
* One was a racehorse, Two was one too. One won a race, Two won one too.
* She sells sea shells on the sea shore. The shells she sells are sea shells, I'm sure.
* One woman wore one hundred wippy wrist watches.

Enjoy.

 

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