At BSC, we’re always finding new and fun ways to help you learn or improve on your English Language skills! One of our favourite tasks is challenging students to pronounce some popular English tongue twisters, to practice their pronunciation and vocabulary skills.

 

What is a Tongue Twister?

A Tongue Twister is a sentence or series of words that is hard to say. Usually, they are made up of words beginning with the same letter, or sound, which is called alliteration. They are challenging, but they provide the perfect opportunity for you to practice your pronunciation and improve your fluency! Traditionally, they are meant to be said quickly, and it’s very funny to hear how the letters and words can be jumbled up. It is important to start these slowly and build up your confidence until you can say these correctly.

  1. Begin by saying the tongue twister slowly. Increase your speed as you gain confidence and clarity.
  2. Record yourself  – listening back helps you identify areas for improvement in pronunciation.
  3. Break it down into smaller parts. Master each segment before attempting the full phrase.
  4. Practice makes perfect!

 

Why English Tongue Twisters Are Perfect for Practice

Are you studying English or looking to improve your speaking skills? Tongue twisters are a must-try tool for mastering English. Here’s how they can help!

  1. Practicing tongue twisters forces you to focus on enunciating each syllable correctly. This improves your ability to pronounce tricky words in everyday conversations.
  2. Speaking clearly involves various facial muscles. Repeating tongue twisters helps exercise these muscles, making your speech more precise over time.
  3. Understanding the nuances of similar sounds is key to mastering English. Tongue twisters help you differentiate between challenging phonemes, such as “s” and “sh.”
  4. Successfully mastering a difficult tongue twister gives you a confidence boost. With time, you’ll notice a greater ease in speaking English fluently.
  5. Repetition of tongue twisters encourages smooth and quick transitions between words. This practice helps you speak naturally without unnecessary pauses.

 

What Are The Best English Tongue Twisters?

For an extra challenge, try and say the sentences 2 or 3 times in a row! Remember, practicing a few tongue twisters daily can significantly improve your speaking skills.
 

Easy English Tongue Twisters

  • “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?”
  • “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”
  • “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream”

 

Medium English Tongue Twisters

  • “A proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot.”
  • “Which witch is which?”
  • “Red lorry, yellow lorry.”

 

Difficult English Tongue Twisters

  • “She sells seashells by the seashore.”
  • “Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?”
  • “The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.” (According to The Guinness Book of World Records, this is the toughest tongue twister!)

Competing to say these English tongue twisters the fastest can be a fun game you can share with friends or classmates, and adding tongue twisters to your English-speaking routine is a powerful way to improve pronunciation, fluency, and confidence. You’ll be amazed at how much it can transform your speaking skills—and how much fun you’ll have along the way!

 

Vocabulary you may have learned from this article


 

English lessons in the UK and Malta

If you want to improve your English skills and improve your future opportunities, our friendly team of expert teachers can help. Learn more about our English language lessons in London, Brighton, Edinburgh, Manchester, York, or Sliema (Malta).