The Tongue Twister Database

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?

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 Botter 
bought 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.

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 Tudor who tooted a flute 
tried to tutor two tooters to toot. 
Said the two to their tutor, 
"Is it harder to toot 
or to tutor two tooters to toot?"

Shy Shelly 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.

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

Inchworms itching.

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 seesaw 
Before Soar saw See, 
Which made Soar sore. 
Had Soar seen See's saw 
Before See sawed Soar's seesaw, 
See's saw would not have sawed 
Soar's seesaw. 
So See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw. 
But it was sad to see Soar so sore 
Just because See's saw sawed 
Soar's seesaw!

Friendly Frank flips fine flapjacks.

Vincent vowed vengeance very vehemently.

Cheap ship trip.

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

Lovely lemon liniment.

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 chuck 
if a woodchuck could chuck wood? 
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, 
and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would 
if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

We surely shall see the sun shine soon.

Moose noshing much mush.

Ruby Rugby's brother bought and brought her 
back 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-toad 
Who lived up in a tree. 
He was a two-toed tree toad 
But a three-toed toad was she. 
The two-toed tree toad tried to win 
The three-toed she-toad's heart, 
For the two-toed tree toad loved the ground 
That 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 bower 
With her three-toed power 
The she-toad vetoed him.

Which witch wished which wicked wish?

Old oily Ollie oils old oily autos.

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

Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep. 
The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooed 
shilly-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-light 
On 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 right 
To light night-lights with their slight lights 
On a light night like tonight.

Black bug's blood.

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 Stu 
choose 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 sash 
should such shabby stitches show.

Sure the ship's shipshape, sir.

Betty better butter Brad's bread.

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.

Sixish.

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

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

Six shimmering sharks sharply striking shins.

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

Brad's big black bath brush broke.

Thieves seize skis.

Chop shops stock chops.

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

Strict strong stringy Stephen Stretch 
slickly 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.

The Leith 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? Or 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.

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 washers 
wash Washington's windows with warm washing water.

Freshly fried fresh flesh.

Pacific Lithograph.

Six twin screwed steel steam cruisers.

The crow flew over the river 
with 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 place 
where 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.

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 posts 
and 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 manager 
imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?

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

The epitome of femininity.

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

Kris Kringle carefully crunched on candy canes.

Please pay promptly.

On mules we find two legs behind 
and two we find before. 
We stand behind before we find 
what 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.

Once 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 
Of 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 tot 
To talk ere the tot could totter, 
Ought the Hottenton tot 
Be taught to say aught, or naught, 
Or what ought to be taught her? 
If to hoot and to toot a Hottentot tot 
Be taught by her Hottentot tutor, 
Ought the tutor get hot 
If the Hottentot tot 
Hoot and toot at her Hottentot tutor?

Will you, William?

Mix, Miss Mix!

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

Two toads, totally tired.

Freshly-fried flying fish.

The sawingest saw I ever saw saw 
was 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.

Six slippery snails, slid slowly seaward.

Three twigs twined tightly.

There was a young fisher named Fischer 
Who 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 swans 
Swam silently southward, 
Seeing six swift sailboats 
Sailing 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 slicker 
Will stick you of your liquor 
If you fail to lock your liquor 
With a lock!

Shredded Swiss chesse.

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.

Tragedy strategy.

Selfish 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 zag de zon zakken in de Zuiderzee.

Hoor de kleine klompjes klepperen op de klinkers.

To en Tom aten tomaten; To at en Tom vrat.

Soldatententententoonstelling.

These are in French and might show up incorrectly on your browser.

Un chasseur sachant chasser chassait sans son chien de chasse.

Ton thé, t'a-t-il ôté  ta toux?

Étant sorti sans parapluie, il m'eût plus plu qu'il plût plus tôt.

These are in Pinoy

Minimekaniko ni Monico ang makina ng Minica ni Monica.

Botica, Bituka, Butiki.

This one is in Hebrew.

Sara shara shir sameyach.

This one is Japanese.

Namamugi, Namagome, Namatamago.

For more non-English tongue twisters, I highly recommend Michael Reck's page of International Tongue Twisters. He has tongue twisters in many different languages and it is very impressive. I highly recommend it.