We have compiled a list of 99 tongue twisters in English for kids. Tongue twisters when used properly have proven benefits on a child’s development. Tongue twisters can be used as games for children as young as 4 years (preschool and kindergarten) and can be enjoyed by school students as old as 14 years.
The first 30 tongue twisters are right below. Scroll down to find the rest tongue twisters (31-99) in English along with beautiful downloadable cards. For parents who are interested in knowing how and why tongue twisters positively impact a child’s development, we have an informative blog at the very end.
Tongue Twisters in English for Kids
| 1 | World Wide Web |
| 2 | Pirates Private Property |
| 3 | Busy buzzing bumble bees |
| 4 | Crush grapes, grapes crush, crush grapes |
| 5 | Stupid superstition |
| 6 | Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely |
| 7 | Excited executioner exercising his excising powers excessively |
| 8 | A slimey snake slithered down the sandy Sahara |
| 9 | Four furious friends fought for the phone |
| 10 | I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen |
| 11 | It’s a nice night for a white rice fight |
| 12 | Octopus ocular optics |
| 13 | Tie twine to three tree twigs |
| 14 | The queen in green screamed |
| 15 | Three short sword sheaths |
| 16 | Two tiny tigers take two taxis to town |
| 17 | Toy Boat |
| 18 | Red lorry, yellow lorry |
| 19 | He threw three free throws |
| 20 | Thin grippy thick slippery |
| 21 | I scream, you scream, we all scream for icecream! |
| 22 | No need to light a night-light on a light night like tonight |
| 23 | If practice makes perfect and perfect needs practice, I’m perfectly practiced and practically perfect |
| 24 | Rory the warrior and Roger the worrier were reared wrongly in a rural brewery |
| 25 | Santa’s Short Suit Shrunk |
| 26 | Upper roller, lower roller |
| 27 | Good blood, bad blood |
| 28 | Scissors sizzle, thistles sizzle |
| 29 | She stood on the balcony, inexplicably mimicking him hiccuping, and amicably welcoming him in |
| 30 | Black background, brown background |
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Tongue Twister in English 3
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Tongue Twister in English 4
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Tongue Twister in English 11
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More tongue twisters in English (31 to 60). You will find these to be a mixture of easy and difficult tongue twisters.
| 31 | Three grey geese in green fields grazing |
| 32 | We surely shall see the sun shine soon |
| 33 | Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks |
| 34 | Teacher teaches, cheater cheats |
| 35 | There those thousand thinkers were thinking how did the other three thieves go through |
| 36 | She sells sea shells on the sea shore |
| 37 | Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards |
| 38 | Which wristwatch strap shop is the Swiss wristwatch strap shop? |
| 39 | How many snacks could a snack stacker stack, if a snack stacker snacked stacked snacks? |
| 40 | I feel a feel a funny feel, a funny feel I feel, if you feel the feel I feel, a funny feel you feel |
| 41 | If you notice this notice, you will notice that this notice is not worth noticing |
| 42 | Is the Swiss wristwatch strap shop shut? |
| 43 | When you write copy you have the right to copyright the copy you write |
| 44 | Green glass globes glow greenly |
| 45 | On a lazy laser raiser lies a laser ray eraser |
| 46 | Pad kid poured curd pulled cold |
| 47 | The ruddy widow really wants ripe watermelon and red roses when winter arrives. |
| 48 | Plain bun, Plum bun, bun without plum |
| 49 | A black bloke’s back, brake-block broke |
| 50 | One-one was a race horse Two-two was one too One-one won one race Two-two won one too |
| 51 | Fresh fried fish Fish fresh fried Fried fish fresh Fish fried fresh |
| 52 | Tie a knot, tie a knot, Tie a tight, tight knot, Tie a knot in the shape of a nought. |
| 53 | If Stu chews shoes, should Stu choose, the shoes he chews? |
| 54 | Roofs of mushrooms rarely mush too much |
| 55 | Black bug’s blood |
| 56 | A big black bear bit a big black bug and the big black bug bled black blood |
| 57 | The great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes |
| 58 | Six sick sheep |
| 59 | Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks |
| 60 | The sixth sick sheikh’s sixth sheep’s sick |
Scroll down for beautiful tongue twisters cards (31 to 60), which you are free to download! Scroll down further for the rest of our tongue twisters in English collection (61 to 99).
Tongue Twister in English 31
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Tongue Twister in English 33
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Tongue Twister in English 34
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Tongue Twister in English 36
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Tongue Twister in English 37
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Tongue Twister in English 38
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Tongue Twister in English 39
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Tongue Twister in English 40
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Tongue Twister in English 45
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More funny and tough tongue twisters in English! Scroll down for beautiful tongue twisters cards (61 to 99), which you are free to download!
| 61 | 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 eat with your mouth full! |
| 62 | Double bubble gum, bubbles double |
| 63 | Singing Sammy sung songs on sinking sand. |
| 64 | She sees cheese |
| 65 | 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 |
| 66 | While we were walking, we were watching, window washers washing Washington’s windows with warm washing water |
| 67 | Five frantic frogs fled from fifty fierce fishes |
| 68 | Silly sheep weep and sleep |
| 69 | Real weird rear wheels |
| 70 | Proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot. |
| 71 | You cuss, I cuss, we all cuss, for asparagus |
| 72 | Sheena leads, Sheila needs |
| 73 | The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday. |
| 74 | Can you can a can as a canner can can a can? |
| 75 | Send toast to ten tense stout saints’ ten tall tents. |
| 76 | A pessimistic pest exists amidst us |
| 77 | Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t very fuzzy, was he? |
| 78 | How can a clam cram in a clean cream can? |
| 79 | If two witches would watch two watches, which witch would watch which watch? |
| 80 | Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager, imagining managing an imaginary menagerie. |
| 81 | I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits. |
| 82 | How many boards Could the Mongols hoard If the Mongol hordes got bored? |
| 83 | If you understand, say “understand”. If you don’t understand, say “don’t understand”. But if you understand and say “don’t understand”. how do I understand that you understand. Understand!? |
| 84 | Denise sees the fleece, Denise sees the fleas. At least Denise could sneeze and feed and freeze the fleas. |
| 85 | 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? |
| 86 | How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood |
| 87 | Luke Luck likes lakes. Luke’s duck likes lakes. Luke Luck licks lakes. Luck’s duck licks lakes. Duck takes licks in lakes Luke Luck likes. Luke Luck takes licks in lakes duck likes |
| 88 | Mary Mac’s mother’s making Mary Mac marry me. My mother’s making me marry Mary Mac. Will I always be so Merry when Mary’s taking care of me? Will I always be so merry when I marry Mary Mac? |
| 89 | There was a fisherman named Fisher who fished for some fish in a fissure. Till a fish with a grin, pulled the fisherman in. Now they’re fishing the fissure for Fisher. |
| 90 | Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew. While these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew. Freezy breeze made these three trees freeze. Freezy trees made these trees’ cheese freeze. That’s what made these three free fleas sneeze. |
| 91 | How many cans can a cannibal nibble if a cannibal can nibble cans? As many cans as a cannibal can nibble if a cannibal can nibble cans. |
| 92 | To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock, Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock, From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block! To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock, Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock, From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block! A dull, dark dock, a life-long lock, A short, sharp shock, a big black block! To sit in solemn silence in a pestilential prison, And awaiting the sensation From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block! |
| 93 | Bobby Bippy bought a bat. Bobby Bippy bought a ball. With his bat Bob banged the ball Banged it bump against the wall But so boldly Bobby banged it That he burst his rubber ball “Boo!” cried Bobby Bad luck ball Bad luck Bobby, bad luck ball Now to drown his many troubles Bobby Bippy’s blowing bubbles |
| 94 | Tree toad loved a she-toad, Who lived up in a tree. He was a three-toed tree toad, But a two-toed toad was she. The three-toed tree toad tried to win, The two-toed she-toad’s heart, For the three-toed tree toad loved the ground, That the two-toed tree toad trod. But the three-toed tree toad tried in vain. He couldn’t please her whim. From her tree toad bower, With her two-toed power, The she-toad vetoed him. |
| 95 | A tutor who tooted a flute, Tried to tutor two tooters to toot. Said the two to their tutor, “Is it harder to toot Or to tutor two tooters to toot? |
| 96 | Betty Botter bought some butter But she said the butter’s bitter If I put it in my batter It’ll make my batter bitter But a bit of better butter will surely make my batter better 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 t’was better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter |
| 97 | 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. |
| 98 | 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. |
| 99 | Swan swam over the pond, Swim swan swim! Swan swam back again— Well swum swan! |
Scroll down for beautiful tongue twisters cards (61 to 99), which you are free to download!
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Tongue Twister 62
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Tongue Twister 63
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Tongue Twister 64
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Tongue Twister 65
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Tongue Twister 66
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Tongue Twister 67
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Tongue Twister 68
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Tongue Twister 70
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Tongue Twister 75
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Tongue Twister 77
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Tongue Twister 78
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Tongue Twister 79
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Tongue Twister 80
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Tongue Twister 81
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Tongue Twister 90
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Tongue Twister 91
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Tongue Twister 93
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Tongue Twister 95
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Tongue Twister 98
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Tongue Twister 99
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Hope you liked our compilation of best tongue twisters in English! Tongue twisters have enormous benefits for kids who practice them regularly. Read on to know more about tongue twisters and their impact on speech and language development.
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Tongue Twisters: An Introduction
Tongue twisters make for great games. In these games, people have to repeat a difficult phrase 3 to 5 times in quick succession. The goal is to do so without mispronouncing even a single word.
For example, try saying aloud the following sentences 5 times in quick succession:
1. “एक ऊँचा ऊँट है, पूँछ ऊँची ऊँट की, पूँछ से भी ऊँची क्या, पीठ ऊँची ऊँट की“
2. “Six Thick Thistle Sticks”
Fairly challenging, isn’t it?
What are Tongue Twisters?
“Tongue Twisters are phrases or sentences which are difficult to pronounce because of successive similar consonantal sounds”. Tongue twisters are a great way to learn a language better. Tongue twisters enhance speech production skills and spoken language skills. Tongue twisters stimulate the brain and enhance pronunciation skills. The impact of reciting a tongue twister is not just on the oral cavity, but also on the brain, which controls the oral and speech functions.
Is this the Trickiest Tongue Twister Ever?
Some psychologists consider the tongue twister below to be the trickiest tongue twister in the entire English Language?[1] Try saying it aloud 5 times, real fast!
“Pad kid poured curd pulled cold”
Why are Tongue Twisters so difficult?
The answer lies in the peculiar combination of sounds and the limitations of the brain’s execution capabilities with regards to the pronunciation of different sounds.
- Certain combinations of sounds and phrases make the brain momentarily lose control of the mouth. There is something about sounds ‘th’ and ‘sh’ that makes it particularly difficult to say them in a sequence. This is why tongue twisters such as “she sells seashells” or the “sixth sick sheik of the six sixth sheep’s sick” are quite difficult to master. Often, one sound seems to replace another. For instance, ‘toy boat’ becomes ‘toy boyt’ and ‘top cop’ becomes ‘cop cop’.
- Another reason why tongue twisters are hard is due to the pattern of sounds. In case of “she sells seashells”, the s/sh at the beginning are alternating in one pattern and the e/l of the rest of the word is alternating in the opposite pattern. It is kind of like rubbing one’s stomach while patting head simultaneously. Try it! Rubbing (or patting) of stomach and head simultaneously is easy but to pat one and while rubbing the other is quite challenging. Similarly, our brain isn’t designed to handle two alternating patterns in the same utterance.
Tongue Twisters in English for Kids: How can Tongue Twisters help in Speech development?
Speech Production has 3 major components:
- Initiation: Using vocal tract to set the air in motion
- Phonation: Airflow modification while it passes through larynx for creating sound
- Articulation: Refers to the manner in which the oral muscles are shaped to produce desired types of sounds
Tongue twisters can help in exercising the child’s articulators as they extend the tongue as far as possible, thereby truly extending the muscles of the tongue. They are recommended by speech therapists to improve a child’s consonant and vowel sounds. They help the child notice the tiny differences between the pronunciation of different letters, such as “p” and “b”. Tongue twisters ensure that kids articulate the syllables properly and don’t slur the sounds when pronounced together. Not surprisingly: “Hard tongues mellow and delicate tongues solidify, contingent upon the words of tongue twisters”.
Tongue Twisters for Kids: Tongue Twisters and Language Development
As discussed, tongue twisters help kids in speech production and development. But what about language development? Tongue twisters help in strengthening the following aspects of language development:
- Fluency and Expression: Regular practice of tongue twisters helps improve the diction and enhances the clarity of the child’s speech. For example, if you make your child run through the tongue twisters before singing a particularly fast-paced song, it will prepare your child mentally for the twists and turns in the song, thereby reducing the chances of slippage during the rendition of the song.
- Tongue Twisters are also good for brain-tongue co-ordination: Learning tongue twisters helps in refining the tongue’s finer capabilities. In the long run, they help increase the capacity of a child to get a handle on the minutest changes of spellings. There is also lesser wasting of valuable seconds to frame a word properly. Basically, tongue twisters teach the brain to connect tongue movements to sounds in a precise manner.
Stuttering and Spoonerisms problems and Tongue Twisters
Stuttering is a speech disorder characterized by the repetition of sounds, syllables, or words; prolongation of sounds; and interruptions in the speech known as blocks. Stuttering is sometimes referred to as stammering. The broader technical term for it is disfluent speech[2]. A child who stutters knows what he or she wants to say but struggles to produce a normal flow of speech. Stuttering can make it difficult for a child to communicate with other children, which affects the child’s development of interpersonal skills. Wikipedia definition of spoonerisms: “an error in speech in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched between two words in a phrase”[3] For example, a child may want to say “May I show you to another seat?” but end up saying, “May I sew you to another sheet?”.
Tongue twisters are considered a good tool by experts to reduce the problems of stuttering and spoonerism in children. The secret to mastering tongue twisters is to switch between two very similar sounding words several times within a sentence while practising them. Practising switching accurately and maintaining concentration may help a child with these problems and re-train their speech system.
Tongue Twisters: A Tool to Master the Second or Foreign Language Pronunciation
“All verbal languages use pitch to express emotional and other paralinguistic information and to convey emphasis, contrast, and other such features in what is called intonation”. However, not all languages use tones to distinguish words or their inflections, analogous to consonants and vowels. Languages that do have this feature are called tonal languages. As many as seventy percent of world languages may be tonal but the rest are not.[4]. For example, in English phonetic system there are twenty vowels and twenty-four consonants, but in Chinese phonetic system, there are only six vowels (or monophthongs), twenty-five consonants and four tones which do not exist in English.
Due to such complex differences among languages, we often suffer from what is called as “mother tongue interference” or MTI, when we try and learn a second language. The mother tongue of a child may not contain all the sounds of another language. The “mother tongue interference” is the unintentional transfer of mother tongue pronunciation, when one speaks or reads aloud in a new language. Practising the tongue twisters in the new language can help a child sound more like its native speakers. Not necessarily with the same accent but definitely with a lot more clarity!
Conclusion: 5 Key Takeaways for Parents
Here are the key takeaways for parents who wish to know more about tongue twisters and child development:
- Regular practice of tongue twisters can help kids in exercising the muscles of their mouth, enabling clearer pronunciation, in producing clearer speech patterns and in pronouncing previously difficult syllables.
- They can help in overall language development, overcome speech disorders, better brain-speech organs coordination and may even help in new language acquisition.
- However, the parents need to be careful while selecting the tongue twisters for their kids. They should be selected keeping in mind the age of the child as well as the difficulty level of tongue twisters.
- Also, make sure the child understands the meaning of every word in the tongue twister as well as what the tongue twister is trying to say.
- Finally, never forget tongue twisters are meant to be fun! Try to say aloud the tongue twister as fast as you can along with your child. He or she will be pleased to know that even you can get tongue tied! Or they may be very impressed if you roll one off your tongue perfectly. So, don’t forget to have fun with them!
Toughest Tongue Twister in English Ever?
We are going to end this blog, with the toughest tongue twister in English language, as per ‘Guinness Book of World Records’:
“The sixth sick sheikh’s sixth sheep’s sick”.
Do you want us to add a specific tongue twister to this list? Have we missed a good one? Kindly add them in our comments section below!