One of the most fun ways to practise and improve your pronunciation is with tongue twisters. That’s because they’re short, fun and a great challenge when learning a new language.

In this blog post you’re going to learn what tongue twisters are, how they help you improve your pronunciation, 20 funny tongue twisters in English for you to start practising today, and finally some crucial tips to help you pronounce difficult tongue twisters.

 

What are tongue twisters?

 

Tongue twisters have many benefits. Let’s take a look at some together:

 

  • They help to stretch and strengthen muscles in your mouth that you are not used to using in your first language(s).

  • You develop muscle memory when you repeat them multiple times.

  • They help you identify which sounds and words you have difficulty pronouncing.

  • They help you warm up before doing speaking activities.

  • They’re a quick and convenient way to practise specific sounds.

  • They build your confidence and give you a feeling of accomplishment when you do them correctly.

  • They have been proven to enhance your articulation, clarity and fluency.
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WOW! That’s quite a list!

Now let’s talk about how to use tongue twisters.

 

How to use tongue twisters for pronunciation practice

 

Before diving into a super tricky tongue twister, let’s go through some steps to make them more effective.

Step 1.

Find a tongue twister (preferably one which is a challenging sound for you).

Step 2.

Find a mirror and make sure that you can clearly see your mouth (this is very important).

Step 3.

Start by slowly reading the tongue twister. Look into the mirror at your mouth to ensure you have the correct position. Identify any difficult sounds and spend some time practising them.

Step 4.

Once you feel confident with the sound(s), practise the full tongue twister again. Repeat it slowly.

Step 5.

Once you’re comfortable with the tongue twister, gradually increase the speed. Pay close attention to your mouth in the mirror.

Step 6.

Impress your teacher and friends with your new tongue-twister skills!

Now you know what tongue twisters are and how to use them, let’s start practising some tongue twisters!

 

Fun and challenging English tongue twisters

 

Here are ten of the best tongue twisters in English.

Let’s start with some short tongue twisters. Try to repeat them three times as quickly as you can:

1. She sells seashells by the seashore.

2. Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

3. Thin sticks, thick bricks.

4. Rolling red wagons.

5. Eleven benevolent elephants.

Now let’s look at some long tongue twisters:

1. 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?

2. 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.

3. 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 will make my batter better”.

4. Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?

5. All I want is a proper cup of coffee, made in a proper copper coffee pot. If I can’t get a proper cup of coffee, made in a proper copper coffee pot, then I’ll have a cup of tea.

 

Tongue twisters for specific pronunciation challenges

 

Here are ten tongue twisters to help you practise some commonly confused and difficult sound combinations.

Tongue twisters for specific pronunciation challenges | English Tongue Twisters to Improve your Pronunciation (2023) | Oxford House Barcelona
 

Tips for effective tongue twister practice

 

Here are some quick tips to help you get the most out of tongue twisters.

 

  • Before speaking, repeat some short tongue twisters to activate your mouth muscles.

  • Break down long tongue twisters into shorter segments.

  • Check your pronunciation by recording yourself and listening to it.

  • Practise tongue twisters regularly and remember to have fun!
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More ways to improve your English pronunciation

 

Phew! After all those tongue twisters you deserve a rest.

However, if you’re still looking for more pronunciation tips and resources, then you’ll love these blog posts:

5 of the best apps for improving your English speaking

Improve your pronunciation by mastering these 10 tricky words

5 powerful tools to perfect your pronunciation

6 common pronunciation mistakes that Spanish speakers make

Improve your pronunciation with a phonemic chart

If you’re serious about improving your pronunciation and speaking skills, then one of the best ways to improve is by taking lessons with our highly qualified and experienced English teachers.

We offer courses both online and in-person in Barcelona. Take a look at our available courses here.

Glossary for Language Learners

 

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Crucial (adj): very important.

Strengthen (v): become or make stronger.

Enhance (v): increase or improve the quality of something.

Dive into (pv): start enthusiastically doing something.

Ensure (v): make certain.

Shilly-shally (v): spend a lot of time deciding what to do because you don’t know what the best option is.

Rascal (n): a mischievous and naughty person (who you still like).

Key

adj = adjective

v = verb

pv = phrasal verb

n = noun

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