TONGUE TWISTERS

code to simple scrolling text >To practice speaking English fluently, It is important to use some tongue twisters. A tongue-twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly. Tongue-twisters may rely on similar but distinct phonemes (e.g., s [s] and sh [ʃ]), unfamiliar constructs in loanwords, or other features of a language.

The hardest tongue-twister in the English language according to Guinness World Records is supposedly The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.

The following are the samples of tongue twisters from A - N. Have a nice practise!

A

• "What ails Alex?" asks Alice.
• A big black bear sat on a big black bug.
• A big black bug bit a big black bear and made the big black bear bleed blood.
• A big black bug bit a big black bear and the big black bear bled blood
• A big black bug bit a big black bear, made the big black bear bleed blood.
• A black bloke's back brake-block broke.
• A bloke's back bike brake block broke.
• A bloke's bike back brake block broke.
• A box of biscuits, a batch of mixed biscuits
• A lump of red leather, a red leather lump
• A lusty lady loved a lawyer and longed to lure him from his laboratory.
• A noise annoys an oyster, but a noisy noise annoys an oyster more!
• A noisy noise annoys an oyster.
• A nurse anesthetist unearthed a nest.
• A pessimistic pest exists amidst us.
• A pleasant place to place a plaice is a place where a plaice is pleased to be placed.
• A proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot.
• A real rare whale.
• A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
• A slimey snake slithered down the sandy sahara.
• A turbot's not a burbot, for a turbot's a butt, but a burbot's not.
• Ah shucks, six stick shifts stuck shut!
• Alice asks for axes.
• An elephant was asphyxiated in the asphalt.
• Ann and Andy's anniversary is in April.
• Are our oars oak?
• Argyle Gargoyle
• As one black bug, bled blue, black blood. The other black bug bled blue.
• As the sunshine shone on the side of the shot-silk sash shop.
• If I assist a sister-assistant, will the sister's sister-assistant assist me?

B

• A big bug bit a bold bald bear and the bold bald bear bled blood badly.
• Bad black bran bread.
• Bake big batches of bitter brown bread.
• Bake big batches of brown blueberry bread.
• Betty better butter Brad's bread.
• Big Ben blew big blue bubbles.
• Big black bugs bleed blue black blood but baby black bugs bleed blue blood.
• Black background, brown background.
• Black Bugs Bleed Black Blood
• Black bug's blood
• Blake's black bike's back brake bracket block broke.
• Blue bugs blood.
• Brad's big black bath brush broke.
• Brisk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades, blunderbusses, and bludgeons -- Balancing them badly.
• Buckets of bug blood, buckets of bug blood, buckets of bug blood
• Busy buzzing bumble bees.
• The fuzzy bee buzzed the buzzy busy beehive.

C

• A cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.
• A cupcake cook in a cupcake cook's cap cooks cupcakes.
• Ape Cakes, Grape Cakes.
• Catch a can canner canning a can as he does the cancan, amd you've caught a can-canning can-canning can canner!
• Cheap sheep soup.
• Chocolate chip cookies in a copper coffee cup.
• Cinnamon aluminum linoleum.
• Clean clams crammed in clean cans.
• Crisp crust crackles.
• Cuthbert's cufflinks.
• How much can can a cannibal nibble, if a cannibal can nibble can?
• If you must cross a course cross cow across a crowded cow crossing, cross the cross coarse cow across the crowded cow crossing carefully.
• Top chopstick shops stock top chopsticks.

D

• A dozen dim ding-dongs.
• Did Dick Pickens prick his pinkie pickling cheap cling peaches in an inch of Pinch or framing his famed French finch photos?
• Does this shop sport short socks with spots?
• Don't pamper damp scamp tramps that camp under ramp lamps.
• Don't spring on the inner-spring this spring or there will be an offspring next spring.
• Double bubble gum, bubbles double.
• Dr. Johnson and Mr. Johnson, after great consideration, came to the conclusion that the Indian nation beyond the Indian Ocean is back in education because the chief occupation is cultivation.
• Dust is a disk's worst enemy.
• How much dew would a dew drop drop, if a dew drop did drop dew?

E

• Each Easter Eddie eats eighty Easter eggs.
• Ed had edited it.
• Eddie edited it.
• Eleven benevolent elephants
• Elizabeth has eleven elves in her elm tree.
• Elizabeth's birthday is on the third Thursday of this month.
• Ere her ear hears her err, here ears err here.
• Excited executioner exercising his excising powers excessively.

F

• Fat frogs flying past fast.
• Five fat friars frying flat fish.
• Five frantic frogs fled from fifty fierce fishes.
• Five fuzzy French frogs Frolicked through the fields in France.
• Flee from fog to fight flu fast!
• Flies fly but a fly flies.
• Four furious friends fought for the phone.
• Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.
• Fresh French fried fly fritters
• Freshly fried fresh flesh.
• Freshly-fried flying fish.
• Friendly Frank flips fine flapjacks.
• Frogfeet, flippers, swimfins.
• A fat-free fruit float.
• False Frank fled Flo Friday.
• Few free fruit flies fly from flames.
• Four free-flow pipes flow freely.
• Fran feeds fish fresh fish food.
• Freckle-faced Freddie fidgets.
• I'm not a fig plucker nor a fig plucker's son, but I'll pluck your fig's 'til the fig plucker comes.
• The fickle finger of fate flips fat frogs flat.
• Try fat flat flounders.

G

• Cows graze in droves on grass that grows on grooves in groves.
• Gale's great glass globe glows green.
• Gertie's great-grandma grew aghast at Gertie's grammar.
• Girl gargoyle, guy gargoyle.
• Give Mr. Snipa's wife's knife a swipe.
• Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.
• Gobbling gorgoyles gobbled gobbling goblins.
• Good blood, bad blood.
• Great gray goats
• Greek grapes.
• Green glass globes glow greenly.
• Gus goes by Blue Goose bus.

H

• Hassock hassock, black spotted hassock. Black spot on a black back of a black spotted hassock.
• He threw three balls.
• He threw three free throws.
• Hiccup teacup!
• Higgledy-Piggedly!
• Hi-Tech Traveling Tractor Trailor Truck Tracker
• How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
• How many berries could a bare berry carry,
• How many cans can a canner can if a canner can can cans? A canner can can as many cans as a canner can if a canner can can cans.
• How many moose might a mini-mouse move if a mini-mouse might move moose?
• How many sheets could a sheet slitter slit if a sheet slitter could slit sheets?
• How many yaks could a yak pack pack if a yak pack could pack yaks?
• How much caramel can a canny canonball cram in a camel if a canny canonball can cram caramel in a camel?
• How much ground could a grounghog grind if a groundhog could grind ground?
• How much oil boil can a gum boil boil if a gum boil can boil oil?
• How much pot, could a pot roast roast, if a pot roast could roast pot.
• The hare's ear heard ere the hare heeded.

I

• Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager
• I correctly recollect Rebecca MacGregor's reckoning.
• I eat eel while you peel eel
• I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
• I see Isis's icy eyes.
• I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, and on that slitted sheet I sit.
• I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon a slitted sheet I sit.
• I slit the sheet and the sheet slit me the slit in the sheet was slit by me
• I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.
• I stood sadly on the silver steps of Burgess's fish sauce shop, mimicking him hiccuping, and wildly welcoming him within.
• I thought, I thought of thinking of thanking you.
• I was born on a pirate ship - Hold your tounge while saying it.
• I wish I were what I was when I wished I were what I am.
• I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.
• 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.
• I wish to wish, I dream to dream, I try to try, and I live to live, and I'd die to die, and I cry to cry but I dont know why.
• I wish you were a fish in my dish
• I would if I could! But I can't, so I won't!
• If a bare berry could carry berries?
• If a Hottentot taught a Hottentot tot to talk ere the tot could totter, ought the Hottentot tot be taught to say ought or naught or what ought to be taught 'er?
• If colored caterpillars could change their colors constantly could they keep their colored coat colored properly?
• If Kantie can tie a tie and untie a tie,
• If Stu chews shoes, should Stu choose the shoes he chews?
• If two witches would watch two watches, which witch would watch which watch?
• Ike ships ice chips in ice chips ships.
• I'll chew and chew until my jaws drop.
• Inchworms itching.
• Irish wristwatch
• Is this your sister's sixth zither, sir?
• managing an imaginary menagerie?

J

• Jack the jailbird jacked a jeep.
• Judicial system.
• June sheep sleep soundly.

K

• A knapsack strap.
• Keenly cleaning copper kettles.
• Kinky kite kits.
• Kiss her quick, kiss her quicker, kiss her quickest!
• Come kick six sticks quick.
• Kanta is a masai girl, she can tie a tie and untie a tie, if kanta can tie a tie and untie a tie, why can't I tie a tie and untie a tie?
• Ken Dodd's dad's dog 's dead.
• Knapsack strap.
• Knife and a fork bottle and a cork
• Kris Kringle carefully crunched on candy canes.

L

• Larry Hurley, a burly squirrel hurler, hurled a furry squirrel through a curly grill.
• Larry sent the latter a letter later.
• Lesser leather never weathered lesser wetter weather.
• Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.
• Lily ladles little Letty's lentil soup.
• Lisa laughed listlessly.
• Listen to the local yokel yodel.
• Literally literary.
• Little Mike left his bike like Tike at Spike's.
• Lonely lowland llamas are ladylike.
• Lovely lemon liniment.
• Love's a feeling you feel when you feel you're going to feel the feeling you've never felt before.
• Red leather! Yellow leather!
• Yellow lorry, blue lorry.

M

• A missing mixture measure.
• Mallory's hourly salary.
• Many an anemone sees an enemy anemone.
• Miss Smith lisps as she talks and lists as she walks.
• Miss Smith's fish-sauce shop seldom sells shellfish.
• Mix, Miss Mix!
• Mommy made me eat my M&Ms.
• Moose noshing much mush.
• Mr. Tongue Twister tried to train his tongue to twist and turn, and twit an twat, to learn the letter ""T"".
• Mrs Hunt had a country cut front in the front of her country cut pettycoat.
• Mrs. Smith's Fish Sauce Shop.
• Much mashed mushrooms.
• Mummies make money.
• Why may we melee, when we may waylay?

N

• Nick knits Nixon's knickers.
• Nine nice night nymphs.
• Nine nimble noblemen nibbled nuts
• Norse myths.
• A noisy noise annoys an oyster.
• Nat the bat swat at Matt the gnat.
• National Sheepshire Sheep Association
• Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear.
• Never trouble about trouble until trouble troubles you!
• Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.
• No need to light a night light on a light night like tonight.
• Nothing is worth thousands of deaths


The next practice are:

I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it's written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,

Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation's OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,

Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.
Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
Pronunciation (think of Psyche!)
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won't it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It's a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.
Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!

TIPS TO SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY AND ACCURATELY

Speaking is the most prominent skill that need to be mastered by any English interlocutors. This is caused by speaking is the most frequently used method to share human's idea in communication. Here are some tips to speak fluently and accurately. It is mostly taken from www.musicalenglish.org/

HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH MORE FLUENTLY

In order to imprint words on your memory and also to feel comfortable about pronouncing them at a moment's notice, it is necessary to practice vocabulary a number of times.

1. Decide which constructions and vocabulary are ideal for you to learn. (Be discerning, because you cannot learn everything.) Choose about ten new words per day to practice.

2. Practice them until you are word-perfect. Then use them in real situations by incorporating them into conversations with as many people as possible (at least six times each word or construction, but more if possible). The more you manage to use them in conversation, the more readily you will be able to say them fluently in the future.

REMEMBER: Fluency in English is accuracy with good pronunciation - not speed.

HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH MORE ACCURATELY

From a learner's point of view, the problem with English is that it is too rich in constructions and vocabulary, i.e.: There are numerous words and constructions, which have similar meanings. Mistakes occur when students remember half of one construction and half of another; they end up with a hotchpotch which is at best "incorrect but understandable" and at worst "nonsense".

1.Choosing English for Use or Recognition Purposes only

English people do not use every phrase and word in the English language. They have favorite phrases, which they use time and time again. I recommend that when you are taught more than one way of saying the same thing; choose only one version to learn accurately for future use. Then store the other one(s) vaguely in your mind for future recognition purposes only.

2. Pitfalls to Avoid

Native English speakers modify their language according to their situation, just as you would do in your own language. Unless you have constant exposure to English over many years, you cannot expect to do this. The trick therefore is to choose the best English for universal speaking purposes and to recognize other versions of English, so you are not at a disadvantage. By doing so, you will avoid misunderstandings and you will be able to judge the quality of another person's English.

Although a knowledge of the following is essential for understanding English (and possibly for some exams), I recommend you avoid them as much as possible when speaking in normal situations:-

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, Slang (which can sound insolent when used at the wrong time)

3.Avoiding grammatical errors when speaking

Many students experience difficulties with the use of the present perfect, because the use of it does not correspond with a similar-looking tense in their own language. If it helps you, it is possible to avoid the present perfect altogether by using:-

SIMPLE PAST + SPECIFIC TIME

eg: I have been to Tunisia. (Time unknown)

I went to Tunisia some time ago. (Exact time unknown)

I have just finished my homework. (Recent, but time unknown)

I finished my homework a short while ago (Recent, but exact time unknown)

English is such a rich and versatile language, it is possible to say what you want to say in more than one way.

IMPORTANT REGIONAL DIFFERENCES

In spoken American English, the use of the Simple Past and Present Perfect are often used contrary to the rules of grammar, particularly where the words 'yet' and 'yesterday' are concerned.

In South West England, the following regional errors can be heard: I be, he be, we be, they be, etc.

In Yorkshire, the definite article is often omitted in speech.

PRONUNCIATION

GENERAL

Non-native speakers of English experience different pronunciation problems according to their native language. This is due to:

1. Different pronunciation of some letters

2. No equivalent sound in their own language

If students cannot hear whether they are pronouncing a sound correctly, then the only alternative is to "feel" and "see" whether they are pronouncing it properly.

English is a language that depends upon: -

AIRFLOW, LIP SHAPE, TONGUE POSITION, TEETH POSITION, JAW MOVEMENT

COMMON DIFFICULT SOUNDS

TH: (long, soft, as in TEETH) Put the tip of your tongue between your teeth and blow gently. It is a long sound and should last about 5 seconds.

To test whether you are making this sound properly, place your hand approximately 12 cm from your mouth. If you can feel a good flow of cool air halfway down your arm and your teeth and lips are in the right position, your pronunciation of this sound will be OK. Do not forget to check the length of time you are allowing for the sound. You must produce this amount of air whenever you say a word with a soft TH in it.

TH: (short, hard, as in THE) Put the tip of your tongue between your teeth and make a voice sound from your throat. It is a short sound with a sudden burst of air.

To test whether you are making this sound properly, place your hand approximately 6 cm from your mouth. If you can feel a sudden burst of air on your hand, you are making the sound from your throat and your teeth and lips are in the right position, your pronunciation of this sound will be OK. You must produce this sound whenever you say a word with a hard TH in it.

V: Put your top front teeth onto your bottom lip and make a voice sound in your throat. Your lips should be more or less closed.

If you are making this sound correctly, you will feel an uncomfortable vibration. You must feel this vibration every time you say a word with V in it, otherwise you are not pronouncing it properly. The listener must hear the vibration to be sure of what you are saying.

ST: Make a long, soft 'S' sound like a snake, then suddenly add an abrupt 'T+schwa' sound by pushing your tongue against the back of your top front teeth, then suddenly taking it away. (Practice the 's' sound first, then the 'schwa' sound alone before adding the abrupt 'T' sound.)

PH: Pronounce PH as F (not P)

F: Put your top front teeth onto your bottom lip and blow gently. Your lips should be more or less closed.

To test whether you are making this sound properly, place your hand approximately 12 cm from your mouth. If you can feel a good flow of cool air onto your hand and your teeth and lips are in the right position, your pronunciation of this sound will be OK. You must produce this amount of air whenever you say a word with F in it.

H: To make this sound, you need a lot of air and your mouth should be open. Stand or sit up straight and take a deep breath, open your mouth, then let out the air quickly as if you are disappointed about something. Allow your body to slump at the same time.

To test whether you are making this sound properly, place your hand approximately 12 cm from your mouth. If you can feel a good flow of hot air onto your hand and your mouth and body are in the right positions, your pronunciation of this sound will be OK. You must produce this amount of air whenever you say a word with H in it.

L: When making the L sounds, you tongue must temporarily go up to the roof of your mouth and come down again. It must not touch your teeth unless the next sound is TH.

To check your tongue is in the right position, use a mirror. Practice saying La, La, La, so you can see what your tongue is doing.

R: When making the R sound, your tongue does very little; it just stays at the bottom of your mouth. However, your lower jaw quickly moves forward, down and back as you say the sound.

Use a mirror to check that your tongue is not moving up to the roof of your mouth and that your jaw is moving properly. If you do not have this sound in your language, you will need to practice moving your jaw. At first, it will be painful, because you will be flexing unused muscles just as you would if you attempting a new sport. If you persevere the discomfort will eventually subside.

W: When making the W sound, you must pucker your lips as if you are going to kiss your favorite film star. Use a mirror to achieve the correct lip shape. To make the sound, you must push a sound out through the lip 'funnel' as if you have hurt yourself a little BEFORE saying the word, then at the end of this strained sound you open your lips a little and make a different sound as if you are saying the number ONE (but stop before you stay the N sound). Only after all this can you say the rest of the word.

Therefore, for the word WAR, follow these instructions:-

* Decide which film star or singer you would enjoy kissing.
* Think of this film star or singer and pucker lips into a kissing shape (check in the mirror)
* Make a strained sound through puckered lips for 1-2 seconds
* Open your lips and begin to say the number ONE (without the N)
* Then complete the word by adding an OR sounds. Make it a long sound (3-4 seconds). Better to make the word too long than not long enough.
* by following these instructions, you should have completed the word WAR

Read the above instructions for L and R, then practice saying:- WAR, LAW, RAW

CONSONANTS

In order to speak English well you must make all your consonants (except silent ones) sound loud and clear. Many English parents reprimand their children with "Sound the ends of your words!", because many children swallow the last consonant sound in their words, particularly if the last consonant is a 'T' (as in the word 'BUT'). When English children do this, it is poor quality pronunciation, but when non-native speakers do this, it is often impossible to understand what they are saying.

LONG SOUNDS v SHORT SOUNDS

The long sounds in English are extremely important. Throughout England, Australia, Canada, America, there are fluent native speakers of English. The accents vary enormously, yet we are all capable of understanding each other. This is because the consonant sounds change very little and there is a uniformity of long and short sounds.

When studying English you may feel it is very strange to say long sounds, because they do not exist in your own language; however, unless you do use long sounds, your English will be difficult to understand. In fact, it is better to make your long sound too long, rather than not long enough.

INTONATION
Improve your intonation by listening to and singing along to songs. Most songs in English maintain similar intonation to normal speech. Rap songs are often close to normal intonation .

PLEASE NOTE: The following pop songs do not use the same intonation as normal speech.

BLUE by Eiffel 64

NEVER EVER by All Saints

Most/all songs by Destiny's Chil