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 email. I do read every email 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
atcraigstaley!yahoo.com and I will consider it.
"isit the Tongue Twister #ookstore for books on $nglish language resources.
%heck out the credits page to see my sources. I hope that I have mentioned everyone.
&i' sick slick slim sycamore saplings.
A bo' of biscuits, a batch of mi'ed biscuits
A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk,
but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
(eter (iper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Did (eter (iper pick a peck of pickled peppers)
If (eter (iper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
where*s the peck of pickled peppers (eter (iper picked)
+ed lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.
,nique -ew .ork.
#etty #otter had some butter,
/#ut,/ she said, /this butter*s bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter,
it would make my batter bitter.
#ut a bit of better butter
that would make my batter better./
&o she bought a bit of butter,
better than her bitter butter,
and she baked it in her batter,
and the batter was not bitter.
&o *twas better #etty #otter
bought a bit of better butter.
&i' thick thistle sticks. &i' thick thistles stick.
Is this your sister*s si'th 0ither, sir)
A big black bug bit a big black bear,
made the big black bear bleed blood.
The si'th sick sheik*s si'th sheep*s sick.
Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.
1ne smart fellow, he felt smart.
Two smart fellows, they felt smart.
Three smart fellows, they all felt smart.
(ope &i'tus "I*s si' te'ts.
I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.
&he sells sea shells by the sea shore.
The shells she sells are surely seashells.
&o if she sells shells on the seashore,
I*m sure she sells seashore shells.
2rs. &mith*s 3ish &auce &hop.
/&urely &ylvia swims4/ shrieked &ammy, surprised.
/&omeone should show &ylvia some strokes so she shall not sink./
A Tudor who tooted a flute
tried to tutor two tooters to toot.
&aid the two to their tutor,
/Is it harder to toot
or to tutor two tooters to toot)/
&hy &helly says she shall sew sheets.
Three free throws.
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.
&am*s shop stocks short spotted socks.
A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.
&aid the flea, /5et us fly4/
&aid the fly, /5et us flee4/
&o they flew through a flaw in the flue.
6napsack straps.
7hich wristwatches are &wiss wristwatches)
5esser leather never weathered wetter weather better.
A bitter biting bittern
#it a better brother bittern,
And the bitter better bittern
#it the bitter biter back.
And the bitter bittern, bitten,
#y the better bitten bittern,
&aid8 /I*m a bitter biter bit, alack4/
Inchworms itching.
A noisy noise annoys an oyster.
The myth of 2iss 2uffet.
2r. &ee owned a saw.
And 2r. &oar owned a seesaw.
-ow &ee*s saw sawed &oar*s seesaw
#efore &oar saw &ee,
7hich made &oar sore.
9ad &oar seen &ee*s saw
#efore &ee sawed &oar*s seesaw,
&ee*s saw would not have sawed
&oar*s seesaw.
&o &ee*s saw sawed &oar*s seesaw.
#ut it was sad to see &oar so sore
:ust because &ee*s saw sawed
&oar*s seesaw4
3riendly 3rank flips fine flapjacks.
"incent vowed vengeance very vehemently.
%heap ship trip.
I cannot bear to see a bear
#ear down upon a hare.
7hen bare of hair he strips the hare,
+ight there I cry, /3orbear4/
5ovely lemon liniment.
;ertie*s greatgrandma grew aghast at ;ertie*s grammar.
Tim, the thin twin tinsmith
3at frogs flying past fast.
I need not your needles, they*re needless to me<
3or kneading of noodles, *twere needless, you see<
#ut did my neat knickers but need to be kneed,
I then should have need of your needles indeed.
3lee from fog to fight flu fast4
;reek grapes.
The boot black bought the black boot back.
9ow much wood would a woodchuck chuck
if a woodchuck could chuck wood)
9e would chuck, he would, as much as he could,
and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would
if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
7e surely shall see the sun shine soon.
2oose noshing much mush.
+uby +ugby*s brother bought and brought her
back some rubber babybuggy bumpers.
&ly &am slurps &ally*s soup.
2y dame hath a lame tame crane,
2y dame hath a crane that is lame.
&i' short slow shepherds.
A tree toad loved a shetoad
7ho lived up in a tree.
9e was a twotoed tree toad
#ut a threetoed toad was she.
The twotoed tree toad tried to win
The threetoed shetoad*s heart,
3or the twotoed tree toad loved the ground
That the threetoed tree toad trod.
#ut the twotoed tree toad tried in vain.
9e couldn*t please her whim.
3rom her tree toad bower
7ith her threetoed power
The shetoad vetoed him.
7hich witch wished which wicked wish)
1ld oily 1llie oils old oily autos.
The twotwentytwo train tore through the tunnel.
&illy &ally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.
The seven silly sheep &illy &ally shooed
shillyshallied 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 gra0ing.
;ray were the geese and green was the grass.
2any an anemone sees an enemy anemone.
-ine nice night nurses nursing nicely.
(eggy #abcock.
.ou*ve no need to light a nightlight
1n a light night like tonight,
3or a nightlight*s light*s a slight light,
And tonight*s a night that*s light.
7hen a night*s light, like tonight*s light,
It is really not quite right
To light nightlights with their slight lights
1n a light night like tonight.
#lack bug*s blood.
3lash message4
&ay this sharply, say this sweetly,
&ay this shortly, say this softly.
&ay this si'teen times in succession.
&i' sticky sucker sticks.
If &tu chews shoes, should &tu
choose the shoes he chews)
%risp crusts crackle crunchily.
;ive papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.
&i' sharp smart sharks.
7hat a shame such a shapely sash
should such shabby stitches show.
&ure the ship*s shipshape, sir.
#etty better butter #rad*s bread.
1f 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.
&i'ish.
Don*t pamper damp scamp tramps that camp under ramp lamps.
&wan swam over the sea,
&wim, swan, swim4
&wan swam back again
7ell swum, swan4
&i' shimmering sharks sharply striking shins.
I thought a thought.
#ut the thought I thought wasn*t the thought
I thought I thought.
#rad*s big black bath brush broke.
Thieves sei0e skis.
%hop shops stock chops.
&arah saw a shotsilk sash shop full of shotsilk sashes
as the sunshine shone on the side of the shotsilk sash shop.
&trict strong stringy &tephen &tretch
slickly snared si' sickly silky snakes.
&usan shineth shoes and socks<
socks and shoes shines &usan.
&he ceased shining shoes and socks,
for shoes and socks shock &usan.
Truly rural.
The blue bluebird blinks.
#etty and #ob brought back blue balloons from the big ba0aar.
7hen a twister atwisting will twist him a twist,
3or the twisting of his twist, he three twines doth intwist<
#ut if one of the twines of the twist do untwist,
The twine that untwisteth untwisteth the twist.
,ntwirling the twine that untwisteth between,
9e twirls, with his twister, the two in a twine<
Then twice having twisted the twines of the twine,
9e 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 intertwisting a twine more between,
9e, twirling his twister, makes a twist of the twine.
The 5eith police dismisseth us.
The seething seas ceaseth
and twiceth the seething seas sufficeth us.
If one doctor doctors another doctor, does the doctor
who doctors the doctor doctor the doctor the way the
doctor he is doctoring doctors) 1r does he doctor
the doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors)
Two Truckee truckers truculently truckling
to have truck to truck two trucks of truck.
(laguebearing prairie dogs.
$d had edited it.
&he sifted thistles through her thistlesifter.
;ive me the gift of a grip top sock8
a dripdrape, shipshape, tiptop sock.
7hile we were walking, we were watching window washers
wash 7ashington*s windows with warm washing water.
3reshly fried fresh flesh.
(acific 5ithograph.
&i' twin screwed steel steam cruisers.
The crow flew over the river
with a lump of raw liver.
(reshrunk silk shirts
A bloke*s back bike brake block broke.
A pleasant place to place a plaice is a place
where a plaice is pleased to be placed.
I correctly recollect +ebecca 2ac;regor*s reckoning.
;ood blood, bad blood.
=uick kiss. =uicker kiss.
I saw $sau kissing 6ate. I saw $sau,
he saw me, and she saw I saw $sau.
%edar shingles should be shaved and saved.
5ily ladles little 5etty*s lentil soup.
Amidst the mists and coldest frosts,
with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts,
he thrusts his fist against the posts
and still insists he sees the ghosts.
&helter for si' sick scenic sightseers.
5isten to the local yokel yodel.
;ive 2r. &nipa*s wife*s knife a swipe.
7hereat with blade,
with bloody, blameful blade,
he bravely broached his boiling bloody breast.
Are our oars oak)
%an you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager
imagining managing an imaginary menagerie)
A lusty lady loved a lawyer
and longed to lure him from his laboratory.
The epitome of femininity.
&he stood on the balcony
ine'plicably mimicing him hiccupping,
and amicably welcoming him home.
6ris 6ringle carefully crunched on candy canes.
(lease pay promptly.
1n mules we find two legs behind
and two we find before.
7e stand behind before we find
what those behind be for.
7hat time does the wristwatch strap shop shut)
1ne1ne was a racehorse.
TwoTwo was one, too.
7hen 1ne1ne won one race,
TwoTwo won one, too.
;irl gargoyle, guy gargoyle.
(ick a partner and practice passing,
for if you pass proficiently,
perhaps you*ll play professionally.
1nce upon a barren moor
There 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 more
1f 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 9ottentot taught a 9ottentot tot
To talk ere the tot could totter,
1ught the 9ottenton tot
#e taught to say aught, or naught,
1r what ought to be taught her)
If to hoot and to toot a 9ottentot tot
#e taught by her 9ottentot tutor,
1ught the tutor get hot
If the 9ottentot tot
9oot and toot at her 9ottentot tutor)
7ill you, 7illiam)
2i', 2iss 2i'4
7ho washed 7ashington*s white woolen underwear
when 7ashington*s washer woman went west)
Two toads, totally tired.
3reshlyfried flying fish.
The sawingest saw I ever saw saw
was the saw I saw saw in Arkansas.
:ust think, that sphin' has a sphincter that stinks4
&trange strategic statistics.
&arah sitting in her %hevrolet,
All she does is sits and shifts,
All she does is sits and shifts.
9iTech Traveling Tractor Trailor Truck Tracker
-ed -ott was shot
and &am &hott was not.
&o it is better to be &hott
than -ott.
&ome say -ott
was not shot.
#ut &hott says
he shot -ott.
$ither the shot &hott shot at -ott
was not shot,
or
-ott was shot.
If the shot &hott shot shot -ott,
-ott was shot.
#ut if the shot &hott shot shot &hott,
then &hott was shot,
not -ott.
9owever,
the shot &hott shot shot not &hott
but -ott.
&i' slippery snails, slid slowly seaward.
Three twigs twined tightly.
There was a young fisher named 3ischer
7ho fished for a fish in a fissure.
The fish with a grin,
(ulled the fisherman in<
-ow they*re fishing the fissure for 3ischer.
(retty 6itty %reighton 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.
&uddenly swerving, seven small swans
&wam silently southward,
&eeing si' swift sailboats
&ailing 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,
1r some stickler who is slicker
7ill stick you of your liquor
If you fail to lock your liquor
7ith a lock4
&hredded &wiss chesse.
The soldiers shouldered shooters on their shoulders.
Theophiles Thistle, the successful thistlesifter,
in sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles,
thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb.
-ow.....if Theophiles Thistle, the successful thistlesifter,
in sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles,
thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb,
see that thou, in sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles,
thrust not three thousand thistles through the thick of thy thumb.
&uccess to the successful thistlesifter4
Thank the other three brothers of their father*s mother*s brother*s side.
They both, though, have thirtythree thick thimbles to thaw.
Irish wristwatch.
3red fed Ted bread, and Ted fed 3red bread.
%ows gra0e in groves on grass which grows in grooves in groves.
#risk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades,
blunderbusses, and bludgeons balancing them badly.
Tragedy strategy.
&elfish shellfish.
They have left the thriftshop, and lost both their theatre tickets and the
volume of valuable licenses and coupons for free theatrical frills and thrills.
These are in Dutch
Ik 0ag de 0on 0akken in de >uider0ee.
9oor de kleine klompjes klepperen op de klinkers.
To en Tom aten tomaten< To at en Tom vrat.
&oldatententententoonstelling.
These are in French and might show up incorrectly on your browser.
,n chasseur sachant chasser chassait sans son chien de chasse.
Ton th?, t*atil @t? ta tou')
Atant sorti sans parapluie, il m*eBt plus plu qu*il plBt plus t@t.
These are in Pinoy
2inimekaniko ni 2onico ang makina ng 2inica ni 2onica.
#otica, #ituka, #utiki.
This one is in Hebrew.
&ara shara shir sameyach.
This one is Japanese.
-amamugi, -amagome, -amatamago.
3or more non$nglish tongue twisters, I highly recommend 2ichael +eck*s page
of International Tongue Twisters. 9e has tongue twisters in many different languages
and it is very impressive. I highly recommend it.