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Tongue Twisters for Clear Speech & English Pronunciation Practice

Tongue twisters are short phrases packed with similar sounds that are hard to say quickly. They are one of the fastest ways to sharpen your articulation, diction, and English pronunciation. Below are 170 tongue twisters grouped from easy to hard — say each one out loud three times, slow then fast, keeping every word clear.

How to practice a tongue twister

  1. Read it slowly and correctly first — exaggerate every sound.
  2. Repeat it 3–5 times, getting faster only while it stays clear.
  3. Record yourself and listen back for slurred or dropped sounds.
  4. Accuracy beats speed: only speed up once it is clean.

Easy tongue twisters 47

Great for warming up and for younger speakers or beginning English learners.

  1. She sees cheese.
  2. The blue bluebird blinks.
  3. He threw three free throws.
  4. Really leery, rarely Larry.
  5. Busy buzzing bumblebees.
  6. Friendly fleas and fireflies.
  7. Two tried and true tridents.
  8. Great glass globes glow greenly.
  9. Rubber rudders bounce.
  10. Six sticky skeletons.
  11. Proper copper coffee pot.
  12. Willie's really weary.
  13. Red leather, yellow leather.
  14. Bad money, mad bunny.
  15. Freshly-fried flying fish.
  16. She threw three balls.
  17. Dark dusty disks.
  18. Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs.
  19. Which witch wished which wicked wish?
  20. An ape hates grape cakes.
  21. Rubber baby buggy bumpers.
  22. Black bug's blood.
  23. Sheep should sleep in a shed.
  24. Unique New York.
  25. Pre-shrunk silk shirts.
  26. Flash message.
  27. Thin sticks, thick bricks.
  28. Knit kitten.
  29. Cheap ship trip.
  30. Mix a box of mixed biscuits.
  31. Cooks cook cupcakes quickly.
  32. Drew Dodd's dad's dog's dead.
  33. Brisk brave brigadiers.
  34. Chop shops stock chops.
  35. Tiny toad told tall tales.
  36. Blue bright balloons burst.
  37. Fast fat fish fly fast.
  38. Green grass grows gracefully.
  39. Purple people pick purple plums.
  40. Seven silver stars shine.
  41. Ten tiny turtles took time.
  42. White whales watch water.
  43. Yellow yarn yields yummy yolks.
  44. Specific Pacific.
  45. Red Buick, blue Buick.
  46. Good blood, bad blood.
  47. Toy boat.

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Medium tongue twisters 71

A step up — these target trickier consonant clusters and faster pacing.

  1. Six sharp smart sharks.
  2. Red lorry, yellow lorry.
  3. Eleven benevolent elephants.
  4. Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nuts.
  5. Scissors sizzle, thistles sizzle.
  6. Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward.
  7. A big bug bit the little beetle but the little beetle bit the big bug back.
  8. How many yaks could a yak pack, pack if a yak pack could pack yaks?
  9. Double bubble gum, bubbles double.
  10. Gobbling gargoyles gobbled gobbling goblins.
  11. A big black bear sat on a big black rug.
  12. If two witches would watch two watches, which witch would watch which watch?
  13. If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
  14. I saw a saw that could saw out any other saw I ever saw.
  15. Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.
  16. Picky people pick Peter Pan Peanut-Butter, 'tis the peanut-butter picky people pick.
  17. Babbling baby boys blurted boldly.
  18. The two-toed tree-toad tried to win the three-toed she-toad's heart.
  19. Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.
  20. I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet, I sit.
  21. Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.
  22. Denise sees the fleece, Denise sees the fleas. At least Denise could sneeze and feed and freeze the fleas.
  23. Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.
  24. Kitty caught the kitten in the kitchen.
  25. Five frantic frogs fled from fifty fierce fishes.
  26. Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses.
  27. The great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes.
  28. Splish, splash, splosh, went the dog in the wash.
  29. I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop.
  30. A snake sneaks to seek a snack.
  31. Two tiny tigers take two taxis to town.
  32. Five fat frogs flying on fast flipping flies.
  33. Four furious friends fought for the phone.
  34. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
  35. If cows could fly, I'd have a cow pie in my eye!
  36. I like New York, unique New York, I like unique New York.
  37. Betty and Bob brought back blue balloons from the big bazaar.
  38. A proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot.
  39. Seven slippery seals silently slid down the slippery seaweed.
  40. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
  41. Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't very fuzzy, was he?
  42. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?
  43. Three thin thinkers thinking thick thoughtful thoughts.
  44. Three grey geese in the green grass grazing. Gray were the geese and green was the grass.
  45. Many mumbling mice are making midnight music in the moonlight, mighty nice.
  46. I can think of six thin things, but I can think of six thick things too.
  47. One smart fellow, he felt smart. Two smart fellows, they felt smart. Three smart fellows, they all felt smart.
  48. A flea and a fly flew up in a flue. Said the flea, "Let us fly!" Said the fly, "Let us flee!" So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
  49. If two witches were watching two watches, which witch would watch which watch?
  50. Eddie edited it.
  51. How much caramel can a cannon ball cannon.
  52. Santa's short suit shrunk.
  53. She stood on the balcony, inexplicably mimicking him hiccupping.
  54. Can you can a can as a canner can can a can.
  55. Theo thrust a thumb through the thick of his thumb.
  56. Crush grapes, grapes crush, crush grapes.
  57. Green glass globes glow greenly.
  58. Excited executors executing the will expertly.
  59. The soldier's shoulder shuddered when she shifted the shelf.
  60. Knife and a fork, bottle and a cork, that is the way you spell New York.
  61. Soldiers' shoulders shudder when silly shenanigans shower shards.
  62. Bake big batches of bitter biscuits.
  63. Cheerful children chirp cheerful chants.
  64. Dizzy dogs danced down dusty doors.
  65. Giggling girls gathered green grapes greedily.
  66. Hairy hamsters hope for healthy herbs.
  67. Jolly jugglers juggle juicy jellies.
  68. Lively leopards leaped long lovely lakes.
  69. Merry monkeys mimic many messy men.
  70. Quiet queens quickly questioned quirky quests.
  71. Rushing rabbits ran round rural roads.

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Hard tongue twisters 52

Classic mouth-twisters. Start slow, then build speed without slurring.

  1. A big black bug bit a big black dog on his big black nose.
  2. She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are seashells, I'm sure. So if she sells seashells on the seashore, then I'm sure she sells seashore shells.
  3. Fresh fried fish, fish fresh fried, fried fish fresh, fish fried fresh.
  4. Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.
  5. Send toast to ten tense stout saints' ten tall tents.
  6. Rory's lawn rake rarely rakes really right.
  7. Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.
  8. Rory the warrior and Roger the worrier were reared wrongly in a rural brewery.
  9. A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
  10. On a lazy laser raiser lies a laser ray eraser.
  11. Many mumbling mice are making merry music in the moonlight.
  12. These sheep shouldn't sleep in a shack; Sheep should sleep in a shed.
  13. Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.
  14. The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.
  15. To begin to toboggan first buy a toboggan, but don't buy too big a toboggan. Too big a toboggan is too big a toboggan to buy to begin to toboggan.
  16. Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
  17. Supposed to be pink pistachio, supposed to be pistachio pink.
  18. Seven sleazy shysters in sharkskin suits sold sheared sealskins to seasick sailors.
  19. Thirty-three thirsty, thundering thoroughbreds thumped Mr Thurber on Thursday.
  20. The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.
  21. Brisk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades, blunderbusses, and bludgeons—balancing them badly.
  22. How much ground would a groundhog hog, if a groundhog could hog ground? A groundhog would hog all the ground he could hog if a groundhog could hog ground.
  23. Betty Botter bought some butter but, she said, this butter's bitter; if I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter. But, a bit of better butter will make my batter better.
  24. I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she shines, she sits, and where she sits, she shines.
  25. Whether the weather be fine or whether the weather be not, whether the weather be cold or whether the weather be hot, we'll weather the weather whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.
  26. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
  27. If you must cross a course cross cow across a crowded cow crossing, cross the cross coarse cow across the crowded cow crossing carefully.
  28. A tutor who tooted the flute tried to teach two young tooters to toot. Said the two to the tutor, "Is it harder to toot, or to tutor two tooters to toot?"
  29. 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?
  30. 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!
  31. Whether the weather is warm, whether the weather is hot, we have to put up with the weather, whether we like it or not.
  32. Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said, "This butter's bitter. If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter."
  33. Mr. See owned a saw, and Mr. Soar owned a seesaw. Now See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw before Soar saw See.
  34. One-One was a racehorse; Two-Two was one, too. When One-One won one race, Two-Two won one, too.
  35. Swan swam over the sea, swim, swan, swim! Swan swam back again, well swum, swan!
  36. I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.
  37. Pad kid poured curd pulled cod.
  38. Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear.
  39. Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew. While these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew.
  40. 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 hat's felt.
  41. I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you.
  42. He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
  43. Shelly sells shells from the seashore to shell seekers seeking seashells she sells on the shore.
  44. A loyal warrior will rarely worry when we rule rural roads.
  45. Six shimmering sharks shared sharp silver shells swiftly.
  46. Splendid silk shirts shouldn't shrink since Shelly showed Shirley.
  47. The enthusiastic executor expertly executed every exit strategy.
  48. Thirteen thirsty thistles thrived through thin thermal threads.
  49. World wide web, world wide web, world wide web.
  50. Surgical shells should surely stay sharp since Sally showed Sam.
  51. Practical prickly pears produced plenty professional projects.
  52. Vigorous Vikings visited various vibrant valleys virtually.

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Get scored on every rep

VoxStar reads a tongue twister aloud, records you, and gives an AI accuracy score plus feedback on your pace and clarity. Free to start on iOS and Android.

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Frequently asked questions

How do tongue twisters improve your speech?

Tongue twisters force your mouth to move between similar sounds quickly and precisely, which builds articulation, diction, and breath control. Repeating them slowly and then speeding up trains clearer pronunciation — useful for public speaking, debate, acting, and English-language learning.

What is a good tongue twister for English pronunciation practice?

Start easy with "Red leather, yellow leather" or "Unique New York," then work up to "She sells seashells by the seashore" and "The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick." Pick twisters that target the sounds you find hardest, and say each one three times without slowing down.

How should I practice tongue twisters?

Say the twister slowly and correctly first, exaggerating each sound. Then repeat it three to five times, gradually getting faster while keeping every word clear. Accuracy beats speed — only speed up once you can say it cleanly.

Can VoxStar score my tongue twisters?

Yes. In VoxStar you pick a twister, hear it read aloud, record yourself, and get an AI accuracy score plus feedback on your pace and clarity. It is free to start on iOS and Android.