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English Tongue Twisters with Audio and Exercises

Tongue twisters help you practise English pronunciation. Listen to each example, repeat it slowly, then increase your speed. Try popular phrases such as “Red leather, yellow leather”, “A good cook could cook cookies” and “I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop”, followed by a listening exercise.

How to practise tongue twisters

First, read the phrase aloud and listen for similar sounds. Then play the audio and repeat it three times. Start slowly: clear pronunciation matters more than speed.

Note: Audio uses your browser’s speech synthesis. The voice and pronunciation may vary by device.

More English tongue twisters

Search for a word or part of a phrase. You can listen to every example.

91 tongue twister examples

  1. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
    If a wood chuck could chuck wood?
  2. How much wood could a wood chopper chop
    If a wood chopper could chop wood?
  3. I would if I could
    If I couldn't how could I?
    I couldn't, without I could, could I?
    Could you, without you could, could ye?
    Could ye? Could ye?
    Could you, without you could, could ye?
  4. Which is the witch that wished the wicked wish?
    I don't know which witch is which.
  5. Two witches bought two wrist watches
    But which witch wore which wrist watch?
  6. Miss, Miss, little Miss, Miss
    When she misses, she misses like this.
  7. To kiss a Miss is awfully simple
    But to miss a kiss is simply awful
  8. She sells shells on the sea shore
    The shells she sells are sea-shells I'm sure
    For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore
    Then I'm sure she sells sea-shore shells.
  9. When a doctor doctors a doctor
    Does the doctor doing the doctoring
    Doctor as the doctor being doctored wants to be doctored or
    Does the doctor doing the doctoring doctor as he wants to doctor?
  10. I thought a thought
    But the thought I thought wasn't the thought
    I thought I thought.
  11. 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?
  12. Picky people pick Peter Pan peanut butter
    Peter Pan Peanut is the peanut picky people pick.
  13. While we were walking
    We were watching window washers wash
    Washington's windows with warm washing water.
  14. A big black bug bit a big black bear
    A big black bear bit a big black bug.
  15. Never trouble trouble
    Till trouble troubles you
    It only doubles trouble
    And troubles others too.
  16. I scream
    You scream
    We all scream
    For ice cream.
  17. Does your shirt shop stock short socks with spots?
  18. Good Goodie Twoshoes took two shoes
    To the Goody Shoeshine shoe shop.
  19. Big Billy, who had a big belly was also a big bully.
  20. She shuts the shop shutters
    So the shopping shoppers can't shop.
  21. Six sharp smart sharks.
  22. Strange strategic statistics.
  23. A quick witted cricket critic.
  24. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
  25. Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
  26. Roberta ran rings around the Roman ruins.
  27. Clean clams crammed in clean cans.
  28. I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish,
    but if you wish the wish the witch wishes,
    I won't wish the wish you wish to wish.
  29. Picky people pick Peter Pan Peanut-Butter,
    'tis the peanut-butter picky people pick.
  30. Seventy seven benevolent elephants
  31. There those thousand thinkers were thinking how did the other three thieves go through.
  32. One-one was a race horse.
    Two-two was one too.
    One-one won one race.
    Two-two won one too.
  33. Pirates Private Property
  34. When you write copy you have the right to copyright the copy you write.
  35. A big black bug bit a big black dog on his big black nose!
  36. How much pot, could a pot roast roast, if a pot roast could roast pot.
  37. Four furious friends fought for the phone.
  38. Tie twine to three tree twigs.
  39. Green glass globes glow greenly.
  40. The queen in green screamed.
  41. How many berries could a bare berry carry,
    if a bare berry could carry berries?
    Well they can't carry berries
    (which could make you very wary)
    but a bare berry carried is more scary!
  42. Six slimy snails sailed silently.
  43. The great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes.
  44. Singing Sammy sung songs on sinking sand.
  45. I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.
  46. Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear.
  47. On a lazy laser raiser lies a laser ray eraser.
  48. He threw three free throws.
  49. 2 Y's U R.
    2 Y's U B.
    I C U R.
    2 Y's 4 me!
  50. Wow, race winners really want red wine right away!
  51. If you're keen on stunning kites and cunning stunts,
    buy a cunning stunning stunt kite.
  52. Tommy Tucker tried to tie Tammy's turtle's tie.
  53. I eat eel while you peel eel
  54. She said she should sit.
  55. I wish you were a fish in my dish.
  56. Mommy made me eat my M&Ms.
  57. If you notice this notice, you will notice that this notice is not worth noticing.
  58. If you understand, say "understand".
    If you don't understand, say "don't understand".
    But if you understand and say "don't understand".
    how do I understand that you understand. Understand?
  59. She sees cheese.

Short tongue twisters – repeat three times

These short phrases are ideal for quick pronunciation practice.

  1. Rubber baby buggy bumpers ...Rubber baby buggy bumpers ...Rubber baby buggy bumpers ...
  2. Chris Catches Cats ...Chris Catches Cats ...Chris Catches Cats ...Chris Catches Cats ...
  3. Sunshine City ...Sunshine City ...Sunshine City ...Sunshine City ...
  4. Freshly fried fresh flesh ...Freshly fried fresh flesh ...Freshly fried fresh flesh ...
  5. Three free throws ...Three free throws ...Three free throws ...Three free throws ...
  6. Peter Pan's peanut butter ...Peter Pan's peanut butter ...Peter Pan's peanut butter ...
  7. Hi says Hilda Hippo happily ...Hi says Hilda Hippo happily ...Hi says Hilda Hippo happily ...
  8. Unique New York ...Unique New York ...Unique New York ...Unique New York ...
  9. What a terrible tongue twister,... what a terrible tongue twister, ...what a terrible tongue twister...
  10. Very well, very well, very well ...
  11. Gig whip, gig whip, gig whip, ...
  12. Real rock wall, real rock wall, real rock wall
  13. Salty broccoli, salty broccoli, salty broccoli ....
  14. Truly rural, truly rural, truly rural, ...
  15. Good blood, bad blood, good blood, ...
  16. Red leather, yellow leather, ...

Extra tongue twisters for pronunciation practice

These additional tongue twisters offer more practice with challenging English sounds.

  1. A Happy Hippo Hopped and Hiccupped

    A happy hippo hopped and hiccupped.

    Pronunciation tip: Practise /h/ at the beginning of words.

  2. Two Toads Totally Tired

    Two toads totally tired.

    Pronunciation tip: Practise a clear /t/ sound and the rhythm of this short phrase.

  3. To Sit in Solemn Silence

    To sit in solemn silence.

    Pronunciation tip: Practise /s/ and the different vowel sounds.

  4. Wayne Went to Wales to Watch Walruses

    Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses.

    Pronunciation tip: Practise /w/ at the beginning of words.

Listening exercise – listen and type

Listen to a short tongue twister and type the words you hear. This activity tests listening and spelling, not your spoken pronunciation.

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