A tongue twister is a group of words that gets your tang all tongueled up . . .
On Holidays and Fridays
Down the slippery slide they slid
Sitting slightly sideways;
Slipping swiftly, see them skid,
On holidays and Fridays.
by Author Unknown
Katie saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.
News headline: Grin-Again Gang Gets Gung-Ho About Gladness.
Oyster Stew
An oyster met an oyster,
And they were oysters two;
Two oysters met two oysters,
And they were oysters too;
Four oysters met a pint of milk,
And they were oyster stew.
by Author Unknown
Six slippery snails suddenly slid seaward.
Tongue twisters consist of sequences of sounds, typically of an alliterative type (we will have more to say about that in our upcoming ‘Alliterations’ topic; suffice it to say for now that they are repeated sounds). Tongue twisters are difficult to pronounce quickly and correctly, as for example, ‘Matilda tied twine to three tree twigs.’ Tongue twisters can help students, actors, speakers, and other people develop their speech skills, and are used in speech therapy as an aid in helping people overcome stammers, stutters, lisps, and accents. To obtain the full benefit of a tongue twister, try to repeat it several times, as quickly as possible, without stumbling or mispronouncing the words. Remember, practice makes perfect.
A tiny tiger thinks tough thoughts.
Round and round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran.
Betty Botter
Betty Botter had some butter,
“But,” she said, “this butter’s bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter,
it would make my batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter
would make my batter better.”
So she bought a bit of butter,
better than her bitter butter,
And she baked it in her batter,
and the batter was not bitter.
So ’twas better that Betty Botter
bought a bit of better butter.
by Carolyn Wells (1862 - 1942)
How many tweets could a tweeter tweet, if a tweeter could tweet tweets? A tweeter would tweet as many tweets as a tweeter could tweet, if a tweeter could tweet tweets.
There once was a man who had a sister, his name was Mr. Fister. Mr. Fister’s sister sold sea shells by the sea shore. Mr. Fister didn’t sell sea shells, he sold silk sheets. Mr. Fister told his sister that he sold six silk sheets to six sheiks. The sister of Mr. Fister said she sold six shells to six sheiks, too!
She Sells Sea-Shells
She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore;
The shells she sells are sea-shells, I’m sure,
For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore,
Then I’m sure she sells sea-shore shells.
by Terry Sullivan: “She Sells Sea-Shells” (1908), lyrics; music by Harry Gifford
The zany zoo’s zesty zebra zigzags with zeal.
Yellow Butter
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread;
Spread it thick, say it quick!
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread;
Spread it thicker, say it quicker!
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread;
Don’t say it with your mouth full!
by Author Unknown
Mares eat oats and does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy. A kid* will eat ivy too, now wouldn’t you?
* kid: a young goat.
“In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire hurricanes hardly ever happen.” -Author Unknown: “My Fair Lady” (25 December 1964), a movie musical based upon George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950): “Pygmalion” (16 October 1913)
Sally Swim and Sadie Slee
Sally Swim saw Sadie Slee
Slowly, sadly swinging.
“She seems sorrowful,” said she.
So she started singing.
Sadie smiled: soon swiftly swung;
Sitting straight, steered swiftly.
“So,” said Sally, “something sung
Scatters sunshine swiftly!”
by Author Unknown
Five fat friars furiously fanned flames for frying frogs’ legs.
Silly Sally’s Sheep
Silly Sally swiftly shooed
Seven silly sheep.
The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooed
Shilly-shallied south.
These sheep shouldn’t sleep in a shack;
Sheep should sleep in a shed.
by Author Unknown
“Mrs. Smith’s Fish Sauce Shop,” said the shiny sign.
Bust to Dust
A maid with a duster
Made a furious bluster
Dusting a bust in the hall.
When the bust it was dusted
The bust it was busted,
The bust it was dust, that’s all.
by Author Unknown
Sarah saw a shot-silk sash shop full of shot-silk sashes as the sunshine shone on the side of the shot-silk sash shop.
Shut the Shutter
“Go, my son, and shut the shutter,”
This I heard a mother utter.
“Shutter’s shut,” the boy did mutter,
“I can’t shut ’er any shutter.”
by Author Unknown
“Little by little and whittle by whittle the whittler whittled a little winged warbler of willow wood.” -David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
In the movie “Singin’ in the Rain” (1 January 1952), voice coaches use tongue twisters to help silent film actors Don Lockwood (played by actor Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (played by actress Jean Hagen) learn proper diction so that they can make the transition from silent films to talkies (movies with sound) in 1920’s Hollywood. In the movie “My Fair Lady” (25 December 1964), phonetics Professor Henry Higgins (played by Rex Harrison), made use of the tongue twister “the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain” as an aid in training flower girl Eliza Doolittle (played by Audrey Hepburn) to speak without a Cockney accent and to speak like a proper English lady. In the movie “The King’s Speech” (6 September 2010), speech therapist Lionel Logue (played by actor Geoffrey Rush) trains Prince Albert, Duke of York, later to become King George VI (played by actor Colin Firth) to overcome his stammer using the tongue twister, “I have a sieve full of sifted thistles and a sieve full of unsifted thistles, because I am a thistle sifter,” so that he can make public speeches. These are examples, the first two fictional and the second based on actual historical events, in which tongue twisters were used to help people correct or change how they spoke.
How much myrtle would a wood turtle hurdle if a wood turtle could hurdle myrtle? A wood turtle would hurdle as much myrtle as a wood turtle could hurdle if a wood turtle could hurdle myrtle.
A Twister of Twists
A twister of twists once twisted a twist,
And the twist she was twisting
Was a three-twisted twist.
And in twisting this twist
She became entwisted -
Will you pray untwist
The three-twisted twist
In which the twister of twists is entwisted?
by Author Unknown
Say each number and letter aloud:
2 Y’s U R.
2 Y’s U B.
I C U R.
2 Y’s 4 me!
Wristwatch
I wish I hadn’t washed this wristwatch.
I’ve washed all the wheels and works.
This wristwatch which was washed,
Oh, how it jumps and jerks!
by Author Unknown
Samuel said several slippery slithering snakes snickered snootily.
How many cookies could a good cook cook, if a good cook could cook cookies? A good cook would cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.
Woodchuck
How much wood
Would a woodchuck chuck,
If a woodchuck
Could chuck wood?
A woodchuck would chuck
All the wood he could chuck,
If a woodchuck
Could chuck wood.
by Author Unknown
Rubber baby buggy bumpers. (Say it three times fast!)
The Smothers brothers’ father’s mother’s brothers are the Smothers brothers’ mother’s father’s other brothers.
“Proper prior planning prevents poor performance.” -Author Unknown
Bear and Boar
Once upon a barren moor
There dwelt a bear, also a boar.
The bear could not bear the boar.
The boar thought the bear a bore.
At last the bear could bear no more
Of that boar that bored him on the moor,
And so one morn he bored the boar -
That boar will bore the bear no more!
by Author Unknown
Two tree toads tied together tried to trot to town twice.
(We’re thinking it must have been similar to one of those three-legged races humans have.)
Tongue twister: A thing distinctly hard to say, but harder still to do.
Six sly sailors sold seven slightly salted salmon.
Mr. See and Mr. Soar
Mr. See owned a saw.
And Mr. Soar owned a seesaw.
Now See’s saw sawed Soar’s seesaw
Before Soar saw See,
Which made Soar sore.
Had Soar seen See’s saw
Before See sawed Soar’s seesaw,
See’s saw would not have sawed
Soar’s seesaw.
So See’s saw sawed Soar’s seesaw.
But it was sad to see Soar so sore
Just because See’s saw sawed
Soar’s seesaw!
by Author Unknown
If you wanted to become the world’s foremost authority on tongue-twisters, how would you start, and then what would be your next step, and your next step after that? Could you find employment in the language or speech department of a university?
This meeting of the super-secret Society of Tongue Twisters Creators will come to order.
You’ve No Need to Light a Night-Light
You’ve no need to light a night-light
On a light night like tonight,
For a night-light’s light’s a slight light,
And tonight’s a night that’s light.
When a night’s light, like tonight’s light,
It is really not quite right
To light night-lights with their slight lights
On a light night like tonight.
by Author Unknown
How many cans could a camel can if a camel could can cans?
A sporty tongue twister for athletes: Three free throws.
Tongue twisters can be used just for fun, yet tongue twisters can also be used to treat hiccups; aid in overcoming speech defects such as lisps and stuttering; test the fit of dentures; assist in screening applicants for positions as announcers and broadcasters; and reduce violence between people (as part of an overall effort at humor). It’s all said to be true!
“Martha makes marvelous muffins,” muttered Matthew.
“A pop-up blocker blocks bothersome pop-ups.” -David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●
The following is a diction test for would-be radio announcers, “To be read clearly, without mistakes, in less than 20 seconds.”
“I bought a bit of baking powder and baked a batch of biscuits. I brought a big basket of biscuits back to the bakery and baked a basket of big biscuits. Then I took the big basket of biscuits and the basket of big biscuits and mixed the big biscuits with the basket of biscuits that was next to the big basket and put a bunch of biscuits from the basket into a biscuit mixer and brought the basket of biscuits and the box of mixed biscuits and the biscuit mixer to the bakery and opened a tin of sardines.”
-Author Unknown: as published in “Coronet Magazine” (August 1948)
●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●
Sometimes Cheryl thinks such lofty soft thoughts.
Eleven elves laughingly licked eleven little licorice lollipops.
Imagine if instead of ‘tongue twisters,’ they were called ‘tongue ticklers,’ and every time you tried to say one, you started laughing uncontrollably . . . what a wonderful world that would be!
Wandering Walter went to Wales to watch walruses.
Tongue twisters can help us to identify which letters and sounds in speech we need to practice more so that we can communicate clearly when speaking and sound polished when making speeches.
Do tell, do tongue twisters twist your tongue terribly? Anyone can make a tongue twister, no special skills required, so grab a pen and paper and make your very own personalized verbal calisthenics to get your tongue in great shape for your next speech, job interview, or poetry recital! Now we’re off to the next zany topic . . .
On Holidays and Fridays
Down the slippery slide they slid
Sitting slightly sideways;
Slipping swiftly, see them skid,
On holidays and Fridays.
by Author Unknown
Katie saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.
News headline: Grin-Again Gang Gets Gung-Ho About Gladness.
Oyster Stew
An oyster met an oyster,
And they were oysters two;
Two oysters met two oysters,
And they were oysters too;
Four oysters met a pint of milk,
And they were oyster stew.
by Author Unknown
Six slippery snails suddenly slid seaward.
Tongue twisters consist of sequences of sounds, typically of an alliterative type (we will have more to say about that in our upcoming ‘Alliterations’ topic; suffice it to say for now that they are repeated sounds). Tongue twisters are difficult to pronounce quickly and correctly, as for example, ‘Matilda tied twine to three tree twigs.’ Tongue twisters can help students, actors, speakers, and other people develop their speech skills, and are used in speech therapy as an aid in helping people overcome stammers, stutters, lisps, and accents. To obtain the full benefit of a tongue twister, try to repeat it several times, as quickly as possible, without stumbling or mispronouncing the words. Remember, practice makes perfect.
A tiny tiger thinks tough thoughts.
Round and round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran.
Betty Botter
Betty Botter had some butter,
“But,” she said, “this butter’s bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter,
it would make my batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter
would make my batter better.”
So she bought a bit of butter,
better than her bitter butter,
And she baked it in her batter,
and the batter was not bitter.
So ’twas better that Betty Botter
bought a bit of better butter.
by Carolyn Wells (1862 - 1942)
How many tweets could a tweeter tweet, if a tweeter could tweet tweets? A tweeter would tweet as many tweets as a tweeter could tweet, if a tweeter could tweet tweets.
There once was a man who had a sister, his name was Mr. Fister. Mr. Fister’s sister sold sea shells by the sea shore. Mr. Fister didn’t sell sea shells, he sold silk sheets. Mr. Fister told his sister that he sold six silk sheets to six sheiks. The sister of Mr. Fister said she sold six shells to six sheiks, too!
She Sells Sea-Shells
She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore;
The shells she sells are sea-shells, I’m sure,
For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore,
Then I’m sure she sells sea-shore shells.
by Terry Sullivan: “She Sells Sea-Shells” (1908), lyrics; music by Harry Gifford
The zany zoo’s zesty zebra zigzags with zeal.
Yellow Butter
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread;
Spread it thick, say it quick!
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread;
Spread it thicker, say it quicker!
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread;
Don’t say it with your mouth full!
by Author Unknown
Mares eat oats and does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy. A kid* will eat ivy too, now wouldn’t you?
* kid: a young goat.
“In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire hurricanes hardly ever happen.” -Author Unknown: “My Fair Lady” (25 December 1964), a movie musical based upon George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950): “Pygmalion” (16 October 1913)
Sally Swim and Sadie Slee
Sally Swim saw Sadie Slee
Slowly, sadly swinging.
“She seems sorrowful,” said she.
So she started singing.
Sadie smiled: soon swiftly swung;
Sitting straight, steered swiftly.
“So,” said Sally, “something sung
Scatters sunshine swiftly!”
by Author Unknown
Five fat friars furiously fanned flames for frying frogs’ legs.
Silly Sally’s Sheep
Silly Sally swiftly shooed
Seven silly sheep.
The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooed
Shilly-shallied south.
These sheep shouldn’t sleep in a shack;
Sheep should sleep in a shed.
by Author Unknown
“Mrs. Smith’s Fish Sauce Shop,” said the shiny sign.
Bust to Dust
A maid with a duster
Made a furious bluster
Dusting a bust in the hall.
When the bust it was dusted
The bust it was busted,
The bust it was dust, that’s all.
by Author Unknown
Sarah saw a shot-silk sash shop full of shot-silk sashes as the sunshine shone on the side of the shot-silk sash shop.
Shut the Shutter
“Go, my son, and shut the shutter,”
This I heard a mother utter.
“Shutter’s shut,” the boy did mutter,
“I can’t shut ’er any shutter.”
by Author Unknown
“Little by little and whittle by whittle the whittler whittled a little winged warbler of willow wood.” -David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
In the movie “Singin’ in the Rain” (1 January 1952), voice coaches use tongue twisters to help silent film actors Don Lockwood (played by actor Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (played by actress Jean Hagen) learn proper diction so that they can make the transition from silent films to talkies (movies with sound) in 1920’s Hollywood. In the movie “My Fair Lady” (25 December 1964), phonetics Professor Henry Higgins (played by Rex Harrison), made use of the tongue twister “the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain” as an aid in training flower girl Eliza Doolittle (played by Audrey Hepburn) to speak without a Cockney accent and to speak like a proper English lady. In the movie “The King’s Speech” (6 September 2010), speech therapist Lionel Logue (played by actor Geoffrey Rush) trains Prince Albert, Duke of York, later to become King George VI (played by actor Colin Firth) to overcome his stammer using the tongue twister, “I have a sieve full of sifted thistles and a sieve full of unsifted thistles, because I am a thistle sifter,” so that he can make public speeches. These are examples, the first two fictional and the second based on actual historical events, in which tongue twisters were used to help people correct or change how they spoke.
How much myrtle would a wood turtle hurdle if a wood turtle could hurdle myrtle? A wood turtle would hurdle as much myrtle as a wood turtle could hurdle if a wood turtle could hurdle myrtle.
A Twister of Twists
A twister of twists once twisted a twist,
And the twist she was twisting
Was a three-twisted twist.
And in twisting this twist
She became entwisted -
Will you pray untwist
The three-twisted twist
In which the twister of twists is entwisted?
by Author Unknown
Say each number and letter aloud:
2 Y’s U R.
2 Y’s U B.
I C U R.
2 Y’s 4 me!
Wristwatch
I wish I hadn’t washed this wristwatch.
I’ve washed all the wheels and works.
This wristwatch which was washed,
Oh, how it jumps and jerks!
by Author Unknown
Samuel said several slippery slithering snakes snickered snootily.
How many cookies could a good cook cook, if a good cook could cook cookies? A good cook would cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.
Woodchuck
How much wood
Would a woodchuck chuck,
If a woodchuck
Could chuck wood?
A woodchuck would chuck
All the wood he could chuck,
If a woodchuck
Could chuck wood.
by Author Unknown
Rubber baby buggy bumpers. (Say it three times fast!)
The Smothers brothers’ father’s mother’s brothers are the Smothers brothers’ mother’s father’s other brothers.
“Proper prior planning prevents poor performance.” -Author Unknown
Bear and Boar
Once upon a barren moor
There dwelt a bear, also a boar.
The bear could not bear the boar.
The boar thought the bear a bore.
At last the bear could bear no more
Of that boar that bored him on the moor,
And so one morn he bored the boar -
That boar will bore the bear no more!
by Author Unknown
Two tree toads tied together tried to trot to town twice.
(We’re thinking it must have been similar to one of those three-legged races humans have.)
Tongue twister: A thing distinctly hard to say, but harder still to do.
Six sly sailors sold seven slightly salted salmon.
Mr. See and Mr. Soar
Mr. See owned a saw.
And Mr. Soar owned a seesaw.
Now See’s saw sawed Soar’s seesaw
Before Soar saw See,
Which made Soar sore.
Had Soar seen See’s saw
Before See sawed Soar’s seesaw,
See’s saw would not have sawed
Soar’s seesaw.
So See’s saw sawed Soar’s seesaw.
But it was sad to see Soar so sore
Just because See’s saw sawed
Soar’s seesaw!
by Author Unknown
If you wanted to become the world’s foremost authority on tongue-twisters, how would you start, and then what would be your next step, and your next step after that? Could you find employment in the language or speech department of a university?
This meeting of the super-secret Society of Tongue Twisters Creators will come to order.
You’ve No Need to Light a Night-Light
You’ve no need to light a night-light
On a light night like tonight,
For a night-light’s light’s a slight light,
And tonight’s a night that’s light.
When a night’s light, like tonight’s light,
It is really not quite right
To light night-lights with their slight lights
On a light night like tonight.
by Author Unknown
How many cans could a camel can if a camel could can cans?
A sporty tongue twister for athletes: Three free throws.
Tongue twisters can be used just for fun, yet tongue twisters can also be used to treat hiccups; aid in overcoming speech defects such as lisps and stuttering; test the fit of dentures; assist in screening applicants for positions as announcers and broadcasters; and reduce violence between people (as part of an overall effort at humor). It’s all said to be true!
“Martha makes marvelous muffins,” muttered Matthew.
“A pop-up blocker blocks bothersome pop-ups.” -David Hugh Beaumont (born 1966)
●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●
The following is a diction test for would-be radio announcers, “To be read clearly, without mistakes, in less than 20 seconds.”
“I bought a bit of baking powder and baked a batch of biscuits. I brought a big basket of biscuits back to the bakery and baked a basket of big biscuits. Then I took the big basket of biscuits and the basket of big biscuits and mixed the big biscuits with the basket of biscuits that was next to the big basket and put a bunch of biscuits from the basket into a biscuit mixer and brought the basket of biscuits and the box of mixed biscuits and the biscuit mixer to the bakery and opened a tin of sardines.”
-Author Unknown: as published in “Coronet Magazine” (August 1948)
●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●
Sometimes Cheryl thinks such lofty soft thoughts.
Eleven elves laughingly licked eleven little licorice lollipops.
Imagine if instead of ‘tongue twisters,’ they were called ‘tongue ticklers,’ and every time you tried to say one, you started laughing uncontrollably . . . what a wonderful world that would be!
Wandering Walter went to Wales to watch walruses.
Tongue twisters can help us to identify which letters and sounds in speech we need to practice more so that we can communicate clearly when speaking and sound polished when making speeches.
Do tell, do tongue twisters twist your tongue terribly? Anyone can make a tongue twister, no special skills required, so grab a pen and paper and make your very own personalized verbal calisthenics to get your tongue in great shape for your next speech, job interview, or poetry recital! Now we’re off to the next zany topic . . .
