Tong twister in English

Just as tongue twisters in Spanish are an effective resource to improve the diction and elocution of words, tongue twisters in English will also help the student to correct and acquire the ability to reproduce those difficult sounds that appear in the language, to give fluency to their conversations. 

Just as we have had fun, as children, saying popular tongue twisters like “Pepe, freckles, pica, potatoes…”, in English there are those hilarious phrases that are taught to children, with the dual purpose of having fun and at the same time challenging the diction skills. Words that are easy on their own, such as bubble gum, can be the protagonists of several cute verses that make the little ones laugh.

As a main feature, almost all tongue twisters, complicated or easy, repeat certain sounds, which within the verse can be combined with others. When the speaker tries to execute them, he must resort to a certain degree of concentration , analysis and coordination between his mind and the muscular system involved in the vocal expression. With constant repetition, muscle memory also plays an important role, which will help make such a combination easier to perform on future occasions.

Below, we show you some original tongue twisters in English, classified according to different characteristics. 

easy

If the level of English is basic in children, it is convenient to start by practicing easy tongue twisters. In this way, the student does not get too frustrated and gives up on the first try. Ideally, she should be able to do the first few exercises relatively easily, if she runs them at normal pronunciation speed. If it is possible to pronounce correctly in a few attempts, perhaps she can vocalize the exercise again, this time, faster.

1. Daddy Draws Doors
2. I Scream, you scream, we all scream, for ice cream!
3. Easy, Susy, easy but busy 

funny

As children become more proficient in the language, they will be able to understand the phrases they are saying, which will also be part of enjoying the following fun tongue twisters.

4. Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.
5. Birdie birdie in the sky, laid a turdie in my eye.
6. Mommy made me eat my M&Ms.

with “S”

One of the most difficult sounds to pronounce, both in English and Spanish, is hissing . In particular, some people have difficulty producing it. Let’s see some examples of tongue twisters with “S”.

7. She sells seashells by the seashore of Seychelles
8. Shellfish so selfish (repeats several times)
9. Six socks sit in a sink, soaking in a soapsuds
10. Sheep shouldn’t sleep in a shack. Sheep should sleep in a shed.
11. If Charlie chews shoes, should Charlie choose the shoes he chews?

long tongue twisters

Challenging memory, tongue twisters with more words also develop this important skill. Some examples for children.

12. Sister Susie went to sea

To see the sea, you see.

The sea she saw was a saucy sea,

Since she sells sea shells by the sea shores

a sort of saucy sea saw she.

13. How many cans can a canner can if a canner can can cans? 

A canner can can as many cans as a canner can if a canner can can cans.

14. Ray Rag ran across a rough road. Across a rough road Ray Rag ran. Where is the rough road Ray Rag ran across?

with W

In Spanish, we do not have a phoneme similar to the one that is equivalent to the word world in English, which is why it is so difficult to master. Here we can see some tongue twister exercises with w, to perfect this sound and combine it.

15. Which switch, Miss, is the right switch for Ipswich, Miss?
16. Why may we melee, when we may waylay?
17. world Wide Web
18. Wunwun was a racehorse, Tutu was one too. Wunwun won one race, Tutu won one too.
19. Five very funny flies in velvet vests flew from France on Friday evening.

For the little ones in primary school, a corgo tongue twister in English, repeated frequently, will be enough for them to gradually begin to master the combination of sounds in the new language. In addition, when carried out in the classroom, it could be an interesting dynamic, which will encourage children to feel more confident in speaking, seeing that their classmates can also make mistakes and that there is nothing wrong with it, on the contrary, it can be fun. Even the teacher can be wrong!

Short but effective

The number of verses in the composition does not necessarily tell us how complicated it can be. In fact, there are famous names like “Woody Woodpecker” (which is how the wacky bird is called in English, the well-known cartoon created by Walter Lantz) represents a challenge for somewhat inexperienced languages. Here are some examples of short and difficult tongue twisters:

20. Cheap sheep soup.
21. Red lolly, yellow lolly.
22. Crush grapes, grapes crush, crush grapes.
23. Frog Feet, flippers, swim fins.
24. Larry sent the latter a letter later.

Benefits of tongue twisters

To finish, it is not superfluous to mention other qualities that carry out these linguistic exercises frequently.

1. They help balance the cerebral hemispheres, by developing them simultaneously. This allows the brain to have greater skills to perform various tasks.
2. They allow the sounds when speaking to be clearer. With the consequent advantage that those who listen to them can understand what they are trying to convey. They could even improve their pronunciation in their mother tongue.
3. They develop rhythm. The combination of rapid sounds and pauses can give more musicality to the language.
4. They stimulate memory, something that will be essential throughout life.
5. They improve tolerance to frustration, since the student can progressively face new challenges and overcome them with effort and dedication.
6. They improve the sense of humor. Laughing at yourself is important, as moments that are caused by confusion or a sudden change of words can be funny. If tongue twisters are practiced in company, it will be much better.
7. They allow learning by playing. This, perhaps, is the greatest benefit for children, who are unknowingly developing multiple skills.

If you want to find more options, or some adult tongue twisters, you will always have as a resource to write the phrase “tongue twisters” in the search engine, so that you find a large number of them. In addition, you might also be interested in knowing some English jokes or riddles in English for children, which complement the class and help children relax to continue learning in a better mood. 

In the same way, if you need educational toys (here you will find some purchase options) to reinforce other areas of knowledge, you can visit our special section dedicated to this type of support material.