100 English Tongue Twisters to Improve Pronunciation

This article will help you master pronounciation of English language tongue twisters. You can pick from Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced level tongue twisters. Tap/Click on the Practice button to test your pronunciation.

I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.

Funny Tongue Twisters in English

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair, Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?

Targets /f/, /w/, and /z/ contrasts with a playful rhyme.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?.

A classic alliterative challenge that emphasizes /p/ sounds in quick succession.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, If a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Alliterative phrase focusing on /w/ and /tʃ/ sounds; a classic challenge for pace and clarity.

I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.

Combines /w/ and /ʃ/ with "Irish wristwatch" for a rapid articulation drill.

Give papa a proper cup of coffee in a copper coffee cup.

Emphasizes /p/, /k/, and /f/ while controlling pacing and clarity.

Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.

Emphasizes /fr/, /br/, /t/ sounds with a quick back-and-forth pattern.

Cooks cook cupcakes quickly.

Focus on the /k/ sound in initial and final positions.

Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.

Packed with /s/ sounds and repeated short vowels; a fun, light-hearted twister.

Ed had edited it.

Very short but tricky alternating /d/ and /t/ in quick succession.

We surely shall see the sun shine soon.

Mixes /ʃ/ and /s/ repeatedly in a future-tense style phrase.

I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop. Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits.

Tricky transitions of /s/ and /ʃ/ in “Susie,” “sitting,” “shoeshine,” and “sits.”

Chester cheetah chewed a chunk of cheap cheddar cheese.

Combines multiple /tʃ/ ("Chester," "cheetah," "chewed," "chunk," "cheddar," "cheese").

I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.

Tests /sl/ and /ʃ/ combos at speed; watch for "slit" vs. "sheet."

Easy Tongue Twisters for Beginners

"R" (/r/) and "L" (/l/) Sounds

Red leather, yellow leather.

Great for practicing quick transitions between /r/ and /l/ in a short, repeated phrase.

Larry rarely relies on rails.

Helps with distinguishing /r/ from /l/ in both initial and medial word positions.

Really loud lions roar.

Reinforces clear /r/ sounds at the start and middle of words.

Roll a lemon along the road.

Focus on switching between /l/ and /r/ without blending them.

Laura loves lavender lilies.

Emphasizes multiple /l/ sounds in a row for tongue agility.

Rowdy rabbits relish red radishes.

Mixes initial /r/ in "rowdy," "rabbits," and "relish" with medial /r/ in "radishes."

Little Robert ran round the lane.

Good for alternating /l/ and /r/ sounds quickly.

Loose ribbons loop lightly.

Trains a lighter /l/ sound in repeated words for clarity.

Rita's locket rarely rattles.

Focuses on crisp /r/ and linking with /l/ in "locket" and "rattles."

Lily wrote letters leaning right.

Encourages clear /l/ and /r/ transitions in connected speech.

"TH" (/θ/, /ð/) Sounds

Three thin thieves thanked Theo.

Targets unvoiced /θ/ ("th" as in "thin") repeatedly.

Thaw the thick thing thoroughly.

Combines "th" in various positions, reinforcing correct tongue placement.

Thirty thoughtful thinkers thought twice.

Perfect for practicing /θ/ in both word-initial and medial positions.

Thea threw three threads.

Balances /θ/ ("threw," "three") with /ð/ ("Thea") if you pronounce "Thea" with a voiced "th."

Thrifty Theo threw the thumbtack.

Helps sharpen the difference between /θ/ ("thrifty," "thumbtack") and /ð/ in "the."

They think that Thursday is the thinnest day.

Good for alternating voiced /ð/ ("they," "that," "the") and unvoiced /θ/ ("think," "Thursday," "thinnest").

Thorny thistles thrive in the thicket.

Sustained /θ/ practice with initial "th" across multiple words.

Thoughtful Thornton thought of the theorem.

Challenges the tongue with repeated /θ/ and /ð/.

Theresa's thirty theories thrive.

Rapid repetition of unvoiced /θ/ in "thirty," "theories," "thrive."

Thirsty Theo thrived on thick shakes.

Focuses on unvoiced /θ/ in "thirsty," "Theo," "thick."

I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you.

Reinforces repetitive /θ/ in "thought," "thinking," and "thanking," testing clarity under speed.

"S" (/s/) and "SH" (/ʃ/) Sounds

Sue sells shiny shells.

Contrasts /s/ ("sells") with /ʃ/ ("shiny," "shells").

She sees the sun shining softly.

Combines /ʃ/ ("she," "shining") with /s/ ("sees," "softly").

Seven slippery snails slid slowly south.

Works on consecutive /s/ sounds for breath control and clarity.

Sasha shifts shape sometimes.

Quick shifts between /s/ and /ʃ/ ("Sasha," "shifts," "shape").

Sarah's shy sheep shiver slightly.

Reinforces /ʃ/ in "shy," "sheep," and /s/ in "slightly," "Sarah's."

Sally's socks shrink when she washes them.

Contrasts /s/ in "Sally's," "socks" with /ʃ/ in "shrink," "she."

Sam sips sweet soda slowly.

Focuses on /s/ in quick succession for clarity.

Shy Sheila saw seashells on the seashore.

Classic /ʃ/ practice in "Sheila," "seashells," "seashore."

Silky sheets shine in sunlight.

Emphasizes /s/ at the beginnings of words with varying vowels.

Shy snakes slide softly.

Reinforces blending of /ʃ/ ("shy") and /s/ ("snakes," "slide").

Vowel Variations: "short a" (/æ/), "long e" (/iː/)

Eve eats each eerie eel easily.

Targets long "ee" /iː/ sounds repeatedly.

Aaron aims at ancient acorns again.

Practices the diphthong /eɪ/ ("aims," "acorns," "again") and short /æ/ ("Aaron").

Opal's oval oboes obey openly.

Focuses on the long /oʊ/ sound ("Opal," "oval," "oboes," "obey," "openly").

Ike's ice icons ignite ideas.

Reinforces the diphthong /aɪ/ ("Ike," "ice," "ignite," "ideas").

Uma underestimates unusual umbrellas.

Practices the /ʌ/ ("underestimates," "umbrellas") and /uː/ ("Uma," "unusual").

Amy occasionally obtains ornate oranges.

Focuses on /eɪ/ ("Amy," "occasionally") and /ɔː/ ("oranges," "ornate").

Only older ogres own oily ores.

Reinforces the long /oʊ/ ("only," "older," "ogres," "own") and diphthong /ɔɪ/ in "oily."

Eddie edited an edited edition.

Practices short /ɛ/ ("Eddie," "edited," "edition").

Annie and Andy anxiously argue about apricots.

Mixes short /æ/ ("Annie," "Andy") with /eɪ/ ("apricots") and /aʊ/ ("about").

Eileen eagerly eats exotic Easter eggs.

Emphasizes /iː/ ("Eileen," "eagerly," "eats," "Easter") and short /ɛ/ ("eggs").

Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear.

Focuses on the "ear" vowel pattern with subtle shifts, testing precise enunciation.

I have got a date at a quarter to eight; I'll see you at the gate, so don't be late.

Emphasizes the /eɪ/ vowel in "date," "eight," "gate," and "late," while also practicing smooth pacing.

Consonant Clusters: "sp" (/sp/), "spl" (/spl/), "str" (/str/)

Splashing splendid sprinkles spill swiftly.

Strengthens consonant cluster articulation (spl-, spr-, sp-).

Spring brings bright blossoms.

Good for /spr/ and /br/ clusters in quick succession.

A big black bug bit a big black bear.

Works on the /bl/ cluster and repeating initial consonants at speed.

Stringent strands stretch strongly.

Focuses on /str/ at the start of words.

Scribble scribes script swiftly.

Sharpens /skr/ ("scribble," "scribes," "script").

Split the splintered splines smoothly.

Practices /spl/ and /splɪn/ clusters together.

Crunchy crackers crack cleanly.

Emphasizes /kr/ cluster at the beginning of words.

The strictest structure stood strong.

Targets /str/ in multiple words with different vowels.

Strips of stripes strike the stratosphere.

Reinforces /str/ + /st/ clusters quickly.

Splendidly spoken speech spreads swiftly.

Good for mouth agility with multiple /sp/ and /spl/ starts.

How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?

Focuses on /kl/ and /kr/ clusters, plus repeated /k/ sounds in rapid succession.

Mixed Consonants: "p" (/p/) & "b" (/b/), "t" (/t/) & "d" (/d/)

A proper cup of coffee in a copper coffee pot.

Differentiates /p/ and /k/ sounds while managing repeated words.

Betty's puppy patted Bobby's baby.

Works on distinguishing /p/ and /b/ in rapid sequence.

Dave did the deed down at dawn.

Reinforces clear /d/ sounds in initial, medial, and final positions.

Pat placed the platter properly.

Focuses on initial /p/ and final /t/ articulation.

Tim ticked the tip-top timer.

Practices crisp /t/ in different word positions.

Deb's dad dared Dan to dive deeply.

Targets /d/ across various words with short vowels.

Pippa picked purple pickles perfectly.

Sharpens /p/ clusters and repeated sounds in a row.

Tabby the tabby cat tapped Tommy.

Maintains clarity between /t/ and /b/ within short words.

Ben bought a bright blue balloon.

Distinguishes /b/ in both initial and clustered positions ("bright," "blue").

Ted's tidy to-do list did the trick.

Alternates /t/ and /d/ quickly for enunciation control.

Hard Tongue Twisters in English

Hard Sound Combinations: "s" (/s/), "sh" (/ʃ/), "ch" (/tʃ/), "r" (/r/), "l" (/l/), "th" (/θ/, /ð/)

Sheila's rural library threw three truly rare thrills.

Interlaces /ʃ/ ("Sheila's"), /r/ ("rural," "rare"), and "th" ("threw," "three").

Freshly-fried flying fish swiftly swirl at the shore.

Mixes /fr/, /fl/, and /ʃ/ in a single sentence, emphasizing speed and clarity.

Larry and Rory rarely really row roughly.

Great for the /r/ in multiple positions and /l/ in "Larry."

Susie's sushi shop sells sashimi on Sunday.

Combines /s/ and /ʃ/ in alternating positions with quick timing.

Thirty thrifty thieves threw threads through the thick sheet.

Rapid "th" transitions, both voiced and unvoiced, plus consonant clusters.

A cheery cherry Charlie cherishes rarely rots.

Focus on /tʃ/ vs. /r/ and repeated "ch" sounds.

Trish's short shriek shook Richard's red shack.

/ʃ/ and /r/ in multiple word positions challenge tongue agility.

The rolling rock rattled along the rocky ridge.

Repeated /r/ and "ck" clusters test breath control.

Sasha sharply shouted, shaking the shabby shack.

Alternates /ʃ/ ("Sasha," "sharply," "shouted," "shaking," "shack") with /ʃ/ + /æ/ vowels.

Robert roasts robust ribs with rosemary regularly.

Packed with /r/ in different syllables for advanced articulation.

If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?

Challenges /tʃ/ ("chews," "choose") and /ʃ/ ("shoes"), contrasting final sounds ("choose," "shoes").

Long Tongue Twisters

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?

Iconic alliterative phrase for /p/ practice and rapid repetition.

Betty Botter bought some butter, But she said the butter's bitter; If I put it in my batter, It will make my batter bitter.

Classic multi-line piece targeting /b/ and /t/ sounds, plus consistent rhythm.

She sells seashells by the seashore; The shells she sells are surely seashells. So if she sells seashells by the seashore, I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

Emphasizes /s/ and /ʃ/ with a repetitive, flowing pattern.

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.

Advanced pace and stamina test with repeating /w/ and /tʃ/ sounds.

A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

Rapid /sk/ and "st" clusters plus minimal vowel changes.

I thought a thought. But the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thought I thought.

Brain twister for distinguishing past tense "thought" from "I thought I thought."

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream, Until our throats are raw, Then we whisper for whipped cream.

Vowel variation practice and pacing; also good for intonation.

If two witches were watching two watches, Which witch would watch which watch?

Contrasts /w/ and /tʃ/ in a question form to challenge clarity.

The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick. Try saying that six times quick!

Extremely tough /s/ and /ʃ/ combos; tests speed and precision.

Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches, And which wristwatches are not?

Great for /w/ and /r/ in "wristwatches," plus the /tʃ/ in "which."

Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.

Fast-paced practice with /l/, /θ/, and /w/ transitions.

Speed-Based, Repeated Phrases

Perfect for quick articulation drills; try saying each phrase multiple times fast.

Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat.

Repeated rapid /t/ and /b/ sounds to improve tongue precision.

Unique New York, Unique New York.

Challenges smooth vowel transitions and the /n/ + /j/ in "New."

Black background, brown background.

Focus on distinct /bl/ and /br/ starts and switching vowels.

Red Buick, blue Buick.

Alternates /r/ and /bl/ while shifting vowels quickly.

Truly rural, truly rural, truly rural.

Teases the /r/ sound repeatedly in close sequence.

Irish wristwatch, Irish wristwatch.

Tests /r/ and /w/ in a tight cluster; famously difficult at speed.

The crow flew over the river with a lump of raw liver.

Mixes /r/ in different positions and interesting vowel combos.

Peggy Babcock, Peggy Babcock.

Repeated /p/ and /b/ for rapid transitions in short words.

Greek grapes, Greek grapes, Greek grapes.

Emphasizes the /gr/ cluster and the /ks/ or /k/ in "Greek."

Big blue blimp blinked briskly.

Piles on /bl/ and /br/ clusters for clarity at high speed.

You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York.

Expands the "Unique New York" challenge with repeated /n/ and /j/ transitions.

Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses.

Highlights repeated /w/ sounds and shifting vowels, useful for advanced pacing.

Six sticky skeletons. Six sticky skeletons. Six sticky skeletons.

Focuses on repeated /s/ and /st/ patterns for clear articulation at high speed.

Which witch is which? Which witch is which? Which witch is which?

Practices /w/ and /tʃ/ in a short, repeated question for clarity under speed.

Snap crackle pop. Snap crackle pop. Snap crackle pop.

Quick repetition drills /sn/, /kr/, and /p/ clusters in short bursts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Interpret Pronunciation Feedback

Accuracy: How closely the spoken words match the expected pronunciation. This includes correct sounds, stress, and articulation.
Completeness: Whether all expected words or sounds were spoken. It checks if anything was skipped or omitted.
Fluency: The smoothness and flow of speech - how naturally the person speaks without excessive pauses, hesitations, or repetitions.
Prosody: The rhythm, intonation, and stress patterns in speech. It reflects how well the speaker uses natural pitch and emphasis.

How to Practice Tongue Twisters

Start slowly and focus on accuracy rather than speed
Practice daily for just a few minutes to see improvement
Try to visualize the mouth movements for difficult sounds
Don't worry about making mistakes – they're part of the learning process!

Use Kippy AI language tutor to practice pronunciation and conversation. Kippy can help you master these challenging sounds with instant feedback.