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, unfamiliar constructs in loanwords, or other features of a language. Many tongue-twisters use a combination of alliteration and rhyme. They have two or three sequences of sounds, then the same sequences of sounds with some sounds exchanged. For example, She sells sea shells on the sea shore. The shells that she sells are sea shells I'm sure.


1. 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!

2. 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.

3. Sounding by sound is a sound method of sounding sounds.

4. A sailor went to sea to see, what he could see. And all he could see was sea, sea, sea.

5. Purple Paper People, Purple Paper People, Purple Paper People.

6. If two witches were watching two watches, which witch would watch which watch?

7. I thought a thought but the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thought. I thought if the thought I thought had been the thought I thought, I wouldn't have thought so much.

8. Once a fellow met a fellow in a field of beans, said a fellow to a fellow. If a fellow asks a fellow, Can a fellow tell a fellow what a fellow means?

9. Mr. Inside went over to see Mr. Outside. Mr. Inside stood outside and called to Mr. Outside inside.

10. Mr. Outside answered Mr. Inside from inside and Told Mr. Inside to come inside. Mr. Inside said "NO", and told Mr. Outside to come outside.

11. Mr. Outside and Mr. Inside argued from inside and outside about going outside or coming inside. Finally, Mr. Outside coaxed Mr. Inside to come inside then both Mr. Outside and Mr. Inside went outside to the riverside.

12. She sells sea shells on the sea shore. The shells that she sells are sea shells I'm sure.

13. The owner of the inside inn was inside his inside inn with his inside outside his inside inn.

14. If one doctor doctors another doctor does the doctor who doctors the doctor, doctors the doctor the way the doctor he is doctoring doctors? Or does the doctor doctors the way the doctor who doctors doctor?

15. When a doctor falls ill another doctor doctors the doctor. Does the doctor doctoring the doctor doctors the doctor in his own way or does the doctor doctoring the doctor doctors the doctor in the doctor's way.

16. We surely shall see the sun shine shortly. Whether the weather be fine, or whether the weather be not, Whether the weather be cold Or whether the weather be hot, We'll weather the weather Whatever the weather, Whether we like it or not.

17. Whether the weather is hot or whether the weather is cold. Whether the weather is either or not, It is whether we like it or not.

18. Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.

19. A flea and a fly in a flue Said the fly "Oh what should we do", said the flea. “Let us fly”, said the fly to the flea. So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

20. If you tell Tom to tell a tongue-twister his tongue will be twisted as tongue-twister twists tongues.

21. 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.