Tongue Twisters
Tongue twisters are fun little exercises for your mouth. They often use alliteration (the repeating of the beginning sounds of words) and rhyme in order to force you to verbally "stumble" instead of speaking clearly. The mistake will usually produce a smile in those listening to your attempt.
If you know of a tongue twister that you would like to see listed on these pages, please send it to me. I would love to hear about it.
5 Times Fast
This section is dedicated to the simplest tongue twisters. Sometimes simply saying a couple words isn't too hard, but repeating those words over and over causes difficulty. I dare you to read these out loud five times in a row without any mistakes.
Rubber baby buggy bumpers.
Rush the washing, Russel.
One smart fellow, he felt smart.
Two smart fellows, they felt smart.
Three smart fellows, they felt smart.
(Continue counting ...)Toy boat.
Unique New York.
Good blood, bad blood.
Six sticky sucker sticks.
Silly sheep weep and sleep.
Red bulb, blue bulb.
Red blood, blue blood.
Bubble bobble.
Upper roller lower roller.
Purple paper people.
Baboon bamboo.
Daddy draws doors.
Friendly fleas and fireflies.
Worst horse postcard.
Red lorrie, yellow lorrie.
He threw three free throws.
Knapsack strap.
Three free throws.
One-Liners
Were the ones in the last section too easy? Let's step this up a notch. Attempt to read these short phrases and sentences.
Each sixth chick sat on a stick.
Six slim slick sycamore saplings.
Listen to the local vocal yokel yodel.
The big baby buggy with the red rubber buggy bumpers.
An old scold sold a cold coal shovel.
Buy a black-backed bath brush.
The boot black brought the black boot back.
Lilly ladled little Letty's lentil soup.
Does your sport shop stock short socks with spots?
Eat the fresh fried fish free at the fish fry.
She sells seashells by the seashore.
A proper cup of coffee from a copper coffeepot.
Frivolous fan Fanny fried fresh fish furiously Friday forenoon for four famished Frenchmen.
Of all the saws I ever saw saw, I never saw a saw like that saw saws.
Sinful Caesar sipped his snifter, seized his knees and sneezed.
Much whirling water makes the mill wheel work well.
Amos Ames the amiable astronaut aided in an aerial enterprise at the age of eighty-eight.
I bought a box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer.
The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.
Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
A box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer.
If a black bug bleeds black blood, what color blood does a blue bug bleed?
Many mumbling mice are making merry music in the moonlight.
If Stu chews shoes, should Stu choose the shoes he chews?
Which witch wished which wish?
If two witches were watching two watches, which witch would watch which watch?
Any noise annoys an oyster but a noisy noise annoys an oyster more.
A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook could cook cookies.
I saw a saw that could out saw any other saw I ever saw.
A big black bug bit a big black bear. But where is the big black bear that the big black bug bit?
A big bug bit the little beetle but the little beetle bit the big bug back.
I thought, I thought of thinking of thanking you.
These thousand tricky tongue twisters trip thrillingly off the tongue.
Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward.
An ape hates grape cakes.
The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.
Penny's pretty pink piggy bank.
Crisp crusts crackle and crunch.
It's not the cough that carries you off, it's the coffin they carry you off in!
Freshly fried fat flying fish.
A very valiant viking visited a very virgin vegetarian vomiting vegetables.
Beautiful babbling brooks bubble between blossoming banks.
Eleven benevolent elegant elephants.
A bloke's back brake block broke.
"Surely Sylvia swims!" shrieked Sammy, surprised. "Someone should show Sylvia some strokes so she shall not sink."
A big black bug bit a big black bear and made the big black bear bleed blood.
A bloke's back bike brake lock broke.
Betty and Bob brought back blue balloons from the big bazaar.
Big black bugs bleed blue-black blood but baby black bugs bleed blue blood.
Brad's big black bath brush broke.
Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?
Cedar shingles should be shaved and saved.
Chop shops stock chops.
Cows graze in groves on grass which grows in grooves in groves.
Five frantic frogs fled from fifty fierce fishes.
Four furious friends fought for the phone.
Fred fed Ted bread and Ted fed Fred bread.
Give me the gift of a grip-top sock: a drip-drape, ship-shape, tip-top sock.
Give the swiper's wife a knife, then give the swiper's wife's knife a swipe.
Green glass globes glow greenly.
How can one cram a clam in a clean cream can?
I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.
I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.
If Stu chews shoes, should Stu choose the shoes he chews?
Just think, that sphinx has a sphincter that stinks!
Kris Kringle carefully crunched on candy canes.
Many an anemone sees an enemy anemone.
My dame hath a lame tame crane. My dame hath a crane that is lame.
Nine nice night nurses nurse nicely.
Old oily Ollie oils old oily autos.
Pick a partner and practice passing, for if you pass proficiently, perhaps you'll play professionally.
Rhys watched Ross switch his Irish wristwatch for a Swiss wristwatch.
Rory the warrior and Roger the worrier were reared wrongly in a rural brewery.
Round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.
Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.
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.
Seven sleazy shysters in sharkskin suits sold sheared sealskins to seasick sailors.
She said she should sit, and so she sat.
She saw Sheriff's shoes on the sofa. Was she so sure she saw Sheriff's shoes on the sofa?
Singing Sammy sang songs on sinking sand.
Six slippery, slimy snails slid silently, slowly seaward.
The blue bluebird blinks.
The crow flew over the river with a lump of raw liver.
The great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes.
The ochre ogre ogled the poker.
The two-twenty-two train tore through the tunnel.
There was a minimum of cinnamon in the aluminum pan.
These six sheep shouldn't sleep in a shack. Sheep should sleep in a shed.
Twelve twins twirled twelve pigs.
We shall surely see the sun shine soon.
What a shame such a shapely sash should such shabby stitches show.
What time does the wristwatch strap shop shut?
Wow, race winners really want red wine right away!
Swan swam over the sea. Swim, swan, swim. Swan swam back again. Well swum, swan!
Verse and Story
This last section is dedicated to the tongue twisters that portray a story or are often recited in a sing-song, rhyming style of verse. There are numerous variations of many of these and each region seems to have it's own unique way of saying it.
A tutor who tooted the flute
Tried to tutor two tutors to toot.
Said the two to the tutor,
"Is it harder to toot,
Or to tutor two tutors to toot?""Lift the ladder later," lisped Lester.
Lester lisped, "Lift the latter later."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?I stood on the steps of Burgesses fish sauce shop
Mimicking him hiccuping and welcoming him in.Moses supposes his toses are roses,
But Moses supposes erroneously,
For nobody's toesies are posies of roses
As Moses supposes his toses to be.Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks.
Three thumbtacks were thrown to Tim by Tom.
Why did Tom throw Tim three thumbtacks?Three gray geese in the green grass grazing.
Gray were the geese and green was the grass
In which the geese were grazing.A skunk sat on a stump.
The stump thunk the skunk stunk.
The skunk thunk the stump stunk.Theophilus, the thistle sifter, while sifting a sifter full of thistles, thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb.
Betty Bottter bought some butter,
"But," she said, "the butter's bitter.
If I put it in my batter,
It will make my batter better."
So, she bought a bit of butter
And she put it in her batter
And it made her batter better.
(Shouldn't bitter butter make Betty Botter's batter bitter?
Or is bitter batter from bitter butter better?)Betty Botter had some butter,
"But," she said, "the butter's bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter,
It would make my batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter,
That 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 Betty Botter
Bought a bit of better butter.How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could if a woodchuck could chuck wood.If one doctor doctors another doctor, does the doctor who doctors the doctor doctor the doctor the way the doctor he is doctoring doctors? Or does he doctor the doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors?
(The doctoring doctor doctors the doctor the way the doctoring doctor wants to doctor the doctor; not the way the doctored doctor wants to be doctored.)A tree toad loved a she-toad who lived up in a tree.
He was a two-toed tree toad but a three-toed was she.
The two-toed tree toad tried to win the three-toed she-toad's heart,
For the two-toed tree toad loved the ground that the three-toed tree toad trod.
But the two-toed tree toad tried in vain. He couldn't please her whim.
From her tree toad bower with her three-toed power the she-toad vetoed him.A flea and a fly flew in a flue
Said the fly, "Oh what should we do?"
Said the flea, "Let us fly."
Said the fly, "Let us flee."
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.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.Once a fellow met a fellow in a field of beans.
Said a fellow to a fellow, "If a fellow asks a fellow,
Can a fellow tell a fellow what a fellow means?"I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit.
And on a slitted sheet I sit.
I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit.
The sheet I slit, that sheet was it.Swan swam over the sea,
Swim, swan, swim!
Swan swam back again,
Well swum, swan!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.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.One-One was a racehorse.
Two-Two was one too.
When One-One won one race,
Two-two won one too.A tree toad loved a she-toad who lived up in a tree.
He was a two-toed tree toad, but a three-toed tree toad was she.
The two-toed tree toad tried to win the three-toed she-toad's heart,
For the two-toed tree toad loved the ground that the three-toed tree toad trod.
But the two-toed tree toad tried in vain. He couldn't please her whim.
From her tree-toad bower with her three-toed power, the she-toad vetoed him.Denise sees the fleece.
Denise sees the fleas.
At least Denise could sneeze
And feed and freeze the fleas.I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son
And I'll pluck those pheasants until the pheasant plucking's done.I am not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's mate.
I am only plucking pheasants `cause the pheasant plucker's late.I cannot bear to see a bear bear down upon a hare.
When bare of hair he strips the hare, right there I cry, "Forbear!"I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she sits, she shines; and where she shines, she sits.
I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish,
but if you wish the wish the witch wishes,
I won't wish the wish you wish to wish.If a Hottentot taught a Hottentot tot
to talk 'ere the tot could totter,
Ought the Hottentot tot be taught "aught" or "naught,"
Or what ought to be taught to her?
If to hoot and to toot a Hottentot tot
Be taught by her Hottentot tutor,
Ought the tutor get hot if the Hottentot tot
Hoot and toot at her Hottentot tutor?If you stick a stock of liquor in your locker, it's slick to stick a lock upon your stock. Or some stickler who is slicker will stick you of your liquor if you fail to lock your liquor with a lock.
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.
Ned Nott was shot and Sam Shott was not. So it is better to be Shott than Nott. Some say Nott was not shot, but Shott says he shot Nott. Either the shot Shott shot at Nott was not shot or Nott was shot. If the shot Shott shot shot Nott, Nott was shot. But if the shot Shott shot shot Shott, then Shott was shot, not Nott. However, the shot Shott shot shot not Shott, but Nott.
Of all the felt I ever felt, I never felt a piece of felt which felt as fine as that felt felt when first I felt that felt that's felt.
On mules we find two legs behind and two we find before.
We stand behind before we find what those behind be for.Once upon a barren moor there dwelt a bear, also a boar.
The bear could not bear the board. 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.Pretty Kitty Creighton had a cotton batten cat.
The cotton batten cat was bitten by a rat.
The kitten that was bitten had a button for an eye,
And biting off the button make the cotten batten fly.Say this sharply, say this sweetly,
Say this shortly, say this softly.
Say this sixteen times in succession.Suddenly swerving, seven small swans swim silently southward, seeing six swift sailboats sailing sedately seaward.
Swan swam over the sea.
Swim, swan, swim!
Swan swam back again.
Well swum, swan!There was a young fisher named Fischer
Who fished for a fish in a fissure.
The fish, with a grin,
Pulled the fisherman in!
Now they're fishing the fissure for Fischer.While we were talking, we were watching window washers wash Washington's windows with warm washing water.
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.