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The Tongue Twister Database

This page was originally created to give a good group of tongue twisters to people in speech therapy, to people who want to work on getting rid of an accent, or to people who just plain like tongue twisters. I hope you enjoy them.

Due to popular request, I have altered the format of the page. This was done because many people have felt the previous formats to be hard to read. I also hope to add new content to the page soon, I promise.

Also, please forgive me if I do not respond to your e-mail. I do read every e-mail sent to me, but rarely have time to send responses. In fact I welcome suggestions on how to improve the page, since I think the current look is dull and am not sure the best way to make it more interesting. If you have an idea, send it to me at craigstaley@yahoo.com and I will consider it.

Visit the Tongue Twister Bookstore for books on English language resources.

Check out the credits page to see my sources. I hope that I have mentioned everyone.

Six sick slick slim sycamore saplings.

A box of biscuits, a batch of mixed biscuits

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

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

1

Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.

Unique New York.

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--that would make my batter better."

So she bought a bit of butter,better than her bitter butter,and she baked it in her batter,and the batter was not bitter.So 'twas better Betty Botterbought a bit of better butter.

Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistles stick.

Is this your sister's sixth zither, sir?

A big black bug bit a big black bear,made the big black bear bleed blood.

The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.

2

One smart fellow, he felt smart.Two smart fellows, they felt smart.Three smart fellows, they all felt smart.

Pope Sixtus VI's six texts.

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

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

Mrs. Smith's Fish Sauce Shop.

"Surely Sylvia swims!" shrieked Sammy, surprised."Someone should show Sylvia some strokes so she shall not sink."

A Tutor who tooted a flutetried to tutor two tooters to toot.Said the two to their tutor,"Is it harder to tootor to tutor two tooters to toot?"

Shy Shelly says she shall sew sheets.

Three free throws.

3

I am not the pheasant plucker,I'm the pheasant plucker's mate.I am only plucking pheasants'cause the pheasant plucker's running late.

Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.

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.

Knapsack straps.

Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.

A bitter biting bitternBit a better brother bittern,And the bitter better bitternBit the bitter biter back.And the bitter bittern, bitten,By the better bitten bittern,Said: "I'm a bitter biter bit, alack!"

Inchworms itching.

4

A noisy noise annoys an oyster.

The myth of Miss Muffet.

Mr. See owned a saw.And Mr. Soar owned a seesaw.Now See's saw sawed Soar's seesawBefore Soar saw See,Which made Soar sore.Had Soar seen See's sawBefore See sawed Soar's seesaw,See's saw would not have sawedSoar's seesaw.So See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw.But it was sad to see Soar so soreJust because See's saw sawedSoar's seesaw!

Friendly Frank flips fine flapjacks.

Vincent vowed vengeance very vehemently.

Cheap ship trip.

I cannot bear to see a bearBear down upon a hare.When bare of hair he strips the hare,Right there I cry, "Forbear!"

Lovely lemon liniment.

5

Gertie's great-grandma grew aghast at Gertie's grammar.

Tim, the thin twin tinsmith

Fat frogs flying past fast.

I need not your needles, they're needless to me;For kneading of noodles, 'twere needless, you see;But did my neat knickers but need to be kneed,I then should have need of your needles indeed.

Flee from fog to fight flu fast!

Greek grapes.

The boot black bought the black boot back.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuckif a woodchuck could chuck wood?He would chuck, he would, as much as he could,and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck wouldif a woodchuck could chuck wood.

We surely shall see the sun shine soon.

6

Moose noshing much mush.

Ruby Rugby's brother bought and brought herback some rubber baby-buggy bumpers.

Sly Sam slurps Sally's soup.

My dame hath a lame tame crane,My dame hath a crane that is lame.

Six short slow shepherds.

A tree toad loved a she-toadWho lived up in a tree.He was a two-toed tree toadBut a three-toed toad was she.The two-toed tree toad tried to winThe three-toed she-toad's heart,For the two-toed tree toad loved the groundThat the three-toed tree toad trod.But the two-toed tree toad tried in vain.He couldn't please her whim.From her tree toad bowerWith her three-toed powerThe she-toad vetoed him.

Which witch wished which wicked wish?

Old oily Ollie oils old oily autos.

7

The two-twenty-two train tore through the tunnel.

Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooedshilly-shallied south.These sheep shouldn't sleep in a shack;sheep should sleep in a shed.

Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs.

Three gray geese in the green grass grazing.Gray were the geese and green was the grass.

Many an anemone sees an enemy anemone.

Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.

Peggy Babcock.

You've no need to light a night-lightOn a light night like tonight,For a night-light's light's a slight light,And tonight's a night that's light.When a night's light, like tonight's light,It is really not quite rightTo light night-lights with their slight lightsOn a light night like tonight.

Black bug's blood.

8

Flash message!

Say this sharply, say this sweetly,Say this shortly, say this softly.Say this sixteen times in succession.

Six sticky sucker sticks.

If Stu chews shoes, should Stuchoose the shoes he chews?

Crisp crusts crackle crunchily.

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

Six sharp smart sharks.

What a shame such a shapely sashshould such shabby stitches show.

Sure the ship's shipshape, sir.

Betty better butter Brad's bread.

9

Of all the felt I ever felt,I never felt a piece of feltwhich felt as fine as that felt felt,when first I felt that felt hat's felt.

Sixish.

Don't pamper damp scamp tramps that camp under ramp lamps.

Swan swam over the sea,Swim, swan, swim!Swan swam back againWell swum, swan!

Six shimmering sharks sharply striking shins.

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

Brad's big black bath brush broke.

Thieves seize skis.

Chop shops stock chops.

10

Sarah saw a shot-silk sash shop full of shot-silk sashesas the sunshine shone on the side of the shot-silk sash shop.

Strict strong stringy Stephen Stretchslickly snared six sickly silky snakes.

Susan shineth shoes and socks;socks and shoes shines Susan.She ceased shining shoes and socks,for shoes and socks shock Susan.

Truly rural.

The blue bluebird blinks.

Betty and Bob brought back blue balloons from the big bazaar.

When a twister a-twisting will twist him a twist,For the twisting of his twist, he three twines doth intwist;But if one of the twines of the twist do untwist,The twine that untwisteth untwisteth the twist.

Untwirling the twine that untwisteth between,He twirls, with his twister, the two in a twine;Then twice having twisted the twines of the twine,He twitcheth the twice he had twined in twain.

The twain that in twining before in the twine,As twines were intwisted he now doth untwine;Twist the twain inter-twisting a twine more between,He, twirling his twister, makes a twist of the twine.

11

The Leith police dismisseth us.

The seething seas ceasethand twiceth the seething seas sufficeth us.

If one doctor doctors another doctor, does the doctorwho doctors the doctor doctor the doctor the way thedoctor he is doctoring doctors? Or does he doctorthe doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors?

Two Truckee truckers truculently trucklingto have truck to truck two trucks of truck.

Plague-bearing prairie dogs.

Ed had edited it.

She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter.

Give me the gift of a grip top sock:a drip-drape, ship-shape, tip-top sock.

While we were walking, we were watching window washerswash Washington's windows with warm washing water.

Freshly fried fresh flesh.

12

Pacific Lithograph.

Six twin screwed steel steam cruisers.

The crow flew over the riverwith a lump of raw liver.

Preshrunk silk shirts

A bloke's back bike brake block broke.

A pleasant place to place a plaice is a placewhere a plaice is pleased to be placed.

I correctly recollect Rebecca MacGregor's reckoning.

Good blood, bad blood.

Quick kiss. Quicker kiss.

I saw Esau kissing Kate. I saw Esau,he saw me, and she saw I saw Esau.

13

Cedar shingles should be shaved and saved.

Lily ladles little Letty's lentil soup.

Amidst the mists and coldest frosts,with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts,he thrusts his fist against the postsand still insists he sees the ghosts.

Shelter for six sick scenic sightseers.

Listen to the local yokel yodel.

Give Mr. Snipa's wife's knife a swipe.

Whereat with blade,with bloody, blameful blade,he bravely broached his boiling bloody breast.

Are our oars oak?

Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie managerimagining managing an imaginary menagerie?

A lusty lady loved a lawyerand longed to lure him from his laboratory.

14

The epitome of femininity.

She stood on the balconyinexplicably mimicing him hiccupping,and amicably welcoming him home.

Kris Kringle carefully crunched on candy canes.

Please pay promptly.

On mules we find two legs behindand two we find before.We stand behind before we findwhat those behind be for.

What time does the wristwatch strap shop shut?

One-One was a racehorse.Two-Two was one, too.When One-One won one race,Two-Two won one, too.

Girl gargoyle, guy gargoyle.

Pick a partner and practice passing,for if you pass proficiently,perhaps you'll play professionally.

15

Once upon a barren moorThere dwelt a bear, also a boar.The bear could not bear the boar.The boar thought the bear a bore.At last the bear could bear no moreOf that boar that bored him on the moor,And so one morn he bored the boar--That boar will bore the bear no more.

If a Hottentot taught a Hottentot totTo talk ere the tot could totter,Ought the Hottenton totBe taught to say aught, or naught,Or what ought to be taught her?If to hoot and to toot a Hottentot totBe taught by her Hottentot tutor,Ought the tutor get hotIf the Hottentot totHoot and toot at her Hottentot tutor?

Will you, William?

Mix, Miss Mix!

Who washed Washington's white woolen underwearwhen Washington's washer woman went west?

Two toads, totally tired.

Freshly-fried flying fish.

16

The sawingest saw I ever saw sawwas the saw I saw saw in Arkansas.

Just think, that sphinx has a sphincter that stinks!

Strange strategic statistics.

Sarah sitting in her Chevrolet,All she does is sits and shifts,All she does is sits and shifts.

Hi-Tech Traveling Tractor Trailor Truck Tracker

Ned Nott was shot and Sam Shott was not.

So it is better to be Shott than Nott.

Some say Nott was not shot.

But Shott says he shot Nott.

Either the shot Shott shot at Nott was not shot, or Nott was shot.

If the shot Shott shot shot Nott, Nott was shot.

But if the shot Shott shot shot Shott, then Shott was shot, not Nott.

However, the shot Shott shot shot not Shott -- but Nott.

17

Six slippery snails, slid slowly seaward.

Three twigs twined tightly.

There was a young fisher named FischerWho fished for a fish in a fissure.The fish with a grin,Pulled the fisherman in;Now they're fishing the fissure for Fischer.

Pretty Kitty Creighton had a cotton batten cat.The cotton batten cat was bitten by a rat.The kitten that was bitten had a button for an eye,And biting off the button made the cotton batten fly.

Suddenly swerving, seven small swansSwam silently southward,Seeing six swift sailboatsSailing sedately seaward.

The ochre ogre ogled the poker.

If you stick a stock of liquor in your locker,It's slick to stick a lock upon your stock,Or some stickler who is slickerWill stick you of your liquorIf you fail to lock your liquorWith a lock!

Shredded Swiss chesse.

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The soldiers shouldered shooters on their shoulders.

Theophiles Thistle, the successful thistle-sifter,in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles,thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb.

Now.....if Theophiles Thistle, the successful thistle-sifter,in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles,thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb,see that thou, in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles,thrust not three thousand thistles through the thick of thy thumb.

Success to the successful thistle-sifter!

Thank the other three brothers of their father's mother's brother's side.

They both, though, have thirty-three thick thimbles to thaw.

Irish wristwatch.

Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.

Cows graze in groves on grass which grows in grooves in groves.

Brisk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades,blunderbusses, and bludgeons -- balancing them badly.

19

Tragedy strategy.

Selfish shellfish.

They have left the thriftshop, and lost both their theatre tickets and thevolume of valuable licenses and coupons for free theatrical frills and thrills.

http://www.esl4kids.net/tongue.html

Ailing Auntie Annie Ames ate apple butter in abundance.

Double bubble gum bubbles double. (submitted by Elisabeth from Brazil)

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--that would make my batter better."

So she bought a bit of butter,better than her bitter butter,and she baked it in her batter,and the batter was not bitter.So 'twas better Betty Botterbought a bit of better butter.

Billy blows big blue bubbles.

Barber baby bubbles and a bumble bee(submitted by Tracy Paul Feyereisen)

Baby boy blue blows bubbles.(submitted by Toniann DeFusco)

Busy buzzing bumble bees.

20

A big black bug bit a big black bear,Made the big black bear bleed blood.(submitted by Jacqui Phillips)

Captain Kangaroo's carefully crunching crunchy candy corn.

Chris crashes crimson cars quickly.

A cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.(submitted by Robin Keith)

How much wood would a woodchuck chuckif a woodchuck could chuck wood?He would chuck, he would, as much as he could,and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck wouldif a woodchuck could chuck wood.

How much woodWould a woodchuck chuckIf a woodchuck could chuck wood?

He'd chuck all the woodThat a woodchuck couldIf a woodchuck could chuck wood. (submitted by Byron Stuckless)

A cheap sheep is cheaper than a cheap ship.(submitted by Anne-Cécile Couderc)

The cheeky Chief Chef Chicken chatted to the Second Chef Chicken as he cooked. (submitted by Derrell Thomas)

If one doctor doctors another doctor, does the doctorwho doctors the doctor doctor the doctor the way thedoctor he is doctoring doctors? Or does he doctorthe doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors?

Dazzling dinosaurs dance, dance, dance.

"Ed's easily excited," excitedly exclaimed Edwina.

Eddie eats eight eggs easily every evening.(submitted by Nguyen Quoc Viet)

A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.Said the flea, "Let us fly!"

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Said the fly, "Let us flee!"So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

Funny Frank fell fifty feet.

Four fluffy feathers and a fiffer feffer feff(submitted by Tracy Paul Feyereisen)

Fresh fried fish,Fish fresh fried,Fried fish fresh,Fish fried fresh.

Of all the felt I ever felt,I never felt a piece of feltwhich felt as fine as that felt felt,when first I felt that felt hat's felt.

Fe Fi Fo Fom --Tell me quickly where you're from.(anonymous submission)

Greek grapes.

Grandma gathers great green grapes.

Gray geese graze in the green, green grass.

George and Grace grew glossy grapes and grimy garlic gladly. (submitted by Janet Kidon)

Inchworms itching.

Icabod is itchy; so am I.(submitted by Tracy Paul Feyereisen)

Jackie's jumping jovially 'round Jakarta.

Chubby jugglers juggling oranges jovially.

Red leather, yellow leather. Red leather, yellow leather.

Red lorry, yellow lorryRed lorry, yellow lorryRed lorry, yellow lorry(submitted by Andrew Johnston)

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Note: ("Lorry," for those who don't know, is the British English word for the American English "truck.")

Really leery, rarely Larry.

Round the rugged rock, the ragged rascal ran.

Raleigh, are you already ready?Are you really ready, Raleigh?Raleigh's really ready, Riley.Riley, Raleigh's already ready!

Rubber baby buggy bumpers,Rubber baby buggy bumpers,Rubber baby buggy bumpers.(submitted by Valerie Brown-Wood)

Lucy and Lacy love lemon lollipops.

Little Lola Lopp licked a lollipop.(submitted by Tracy Paul Feyereisen)

A real weird rear wheel. (Repeat 3x)(submitted by Jason Morgan)

Rory, the Romanian rural warrior-ruler rip roared as he rested on his horses' real rear posterior wrongly.(submitted by Derrell Thomas)

Rory and Rupert warriors and Roger the worrier were all really reared wrongly in a rural brewery.(submitted by Derrell Thomas)

Might might make right.

Momma made me mash my M & M's. (submitted by Robin Keith)

Moose noshing much mush.

Nine new noisy, nosy, annoying neighbors

Nine nervous Nuns in an Indiana Nunnery.(submitted by Robin Keith)

23

Nine new neckties and a nightshirt and a nose(submitted by Tracy Paul Feyereisen)

Noisy knobbly kneed gnomeHad nine nice niecesWho knocked nine times, On a nutty knotty knocker.The nine nice nieces were known to be naughty,For eighty one knocksOn a nutty knotty knockerIs a noisy niecy nutty knotty knocker knock(submitted by James Corr)

Naive Nanna Nancy needed no nickname.(submitted by Nguyen Quoc Viet)

Orange jello, lemon jello,Orange jello, lemon jello,Orange jello, lemon jello.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Poppa, Poppa picked a pot of peas.(submitted by Robin Keith)

Pirates' private property (submitted by Catherine Quinto)

Push, pull. Push, pull. Push, pull. (submitted by Brianna)

Plead Lee's pleas for peas, please! (submitted by Lee the Lemon)

Quaint queens can't quarrel crazily.

Queenie is quite quiet, but quick-witted.(submitted by Fong Chee)

The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

24

She sells sea shells by the sea shore. (submitted by Donna Caddie)

Seven slippery sea- snakes slithered past the shore.(submitted by Kathy Donaghey)

 Sister Suzie sewing shirts for soldiersSuch skill at sewing shirtsOur shy young sister Suzie showsSome soldiers send epistlesSay they'd rather sleep in thistlesThan the saucy, soft short shirts for soldiers Sister Suzie sews

Sal sang seven silly songs.

Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore. But if Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore then where are the sea shells Sally sells?

Slender skiers slammed into sleek smugglers.(submitted by Rose Richman)

Scandalous scouts scaled a scaffold.(submitted by Rose Richman)

Students scribbled on scruffy sneakers.(submitted by Rose Richman)

Skillful skaters skidded and slammed against a big stone slab.(submitted by Rose Richman)

Stodgy students study static structures.(submitted by Rose Richman)

Squirmy squirrels swim in slosh.(submitted by Rose Richman)

I vigorously sheared the swift smelly silly sheep on the sweet swell sheep swift ship.(submitted by Derrell Thomas)

Sixty six sick chicks are stuck in the stock room full of sixty six sticks.(submitted by Francis Joshua Calabia)

Sailor Sam saw some swallows swooping suddenly.(submitted by Nguyen Quoc Viet)

25

The sailor thought his ship was sinking,such thoughts no sailor should be thinking. (submitted by Dieter Wolters)

The sixth sheik's sixth sheep is sick.

She sees Shem shake.

A cheap sheep is cheaper than a cheap ship.(submitted by Anne-Cécile Couderc)

The three trees(submitted by Lisa Cyr)

Not these things here but those things there.(submitted by Dan)

King Thistle stuck a thousand thistles in the thistle of his thumb.A thousand thistles King Thistle stuck in the thistle of his thumb.If King Thistle stuck a thousand thistles in the thistle of his thumb,How many thistles did King Thistle stick in the thistle of his thumb?

Ruth and Luther's moose's loosest tooth is uncouth.(submitted by Norma Jean Krim)

I can think of six thin things, but I can think of six thick things too.(submitted by Elisabeth from Brazil)

One way to outthink others is to make them think you think you're not really thinking what you're trying to get them to think you think.(submitted by Krista Lewis)

Three free throws. (Repeat 3x.)

Three thieves thank you. (Repeat 3x.)

A Tudor who tooted a flutetried to tutor two tooters to toot.Said the two to their tutor,"Is it harder to tootor to tutor two tooters to toot?"

Never trouble about trouble until trouble troubles you!

If a Hottentot taught a Hottentot totTo talk ere the tot could totter,

26

Ought the Hottenton totBe taught to say aught, or naught,Or what ought to be taught her?If to hoot and to toot a Hottentot totBe taught by her Hottentot tutor,Ought the tutor get hotIf the Hottentot totHoot and toot at her Hottentot tutor?

Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs.

Tie three tree twigs.(submitted by Lisa MacIntyre)

Truly rural.

You usually use unique unicorns.

Betty loves the velvet vest best.(submitted by Ian Wilson)

Vincent vowed vengeance very vehemently.

Vincent the very vivacious vacuuming vampire visited Victor Von Viking the vegetarian veterinarian vacationing in Valentine Valley.(submitted by Madu Bodinagoda)

Which wristwatch is a Swiss wristwatch?

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

Whether the weather is warm,Whether the weather is hot,We have to put up with the weatherWhether we like it or not.(submitted by Montserrat Casas)

Would that we would work without weariness!(adapted from submission by Nguyen Quoc Viet)

If two witches were watching two watches: which witch would watch which watch?(anonymous submission)

27

Three Swedish switched witches watch three Swiss Swatch watch switches.Which Swedish switched witch watched which Swiss Swatch watch switch?(submitted by Stela Bortolon)

Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.

"Extra, Extra!" Exton exclaimed excitedly.

Sixish.

Expect exactly, exactly expect excellence.(submitted by Josefine Mangaoang)

Exemplary example exempts jinxes.(submitted by Josefine Mangaoang)

Exacting vixen exudes existence.(submitted by Josefine Mangaoang)

Extreme exercise exacerbates exhaustion.(submitted by Josefine Mangaoang)

Yellow yo-yos,Yellow yo-yos,Yellow yo-yos.

Yellow Jello. Yellow Jello. Yellow Jello. Yellow Jello.(submitted by Rose Richman)

Zebras zig and zebras zag.

Zac the xenophobic zebraLived in a XebecAnd zealously zapped out zangy zippy xeroxed tuneson his Zippy xylophone and zingy zither.(submitted by James Corr)

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.(anonymous submission)

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