English Tongue Twisters

1st International Collection of Tongue Twisters © 1996-2007 by Michael Reck

www.uebersetzung.at

1

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,

Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

2

A quick witted cricket critic.

3

IF IF = THEN THEN THEN = ELSE ELSE ELSE = IF;

(programming language PL/I by Bruce Walker)       

- Rough Translation:

Hard for PL/I compilers to understand. The key to understanding this is that there is no lexical distinction between keywords (IF, THEN, and ELSE) and variables, which can also be IF, THEN, and ELSE. Likewise, there is no lexical distinction between testing for equality ('=') and assignment ('='). So, this means: If the variable IF is equal to the variable THEN, assign the variable ELSE to the variable THEN, otherwise, assign the variable IF to the variable ELSE. As with many tongue twisters in natural languages, this is NOT good style.

4

I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop.

Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits.

5

How many boards

Could the Mongols hoard

If the Mongol hordes got bored?

 (from the comic Calvin & Hobbes, by Bill Waterson)

6

How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?

7

Send toast to ten tense stout saints' ten tall tents. (by Raymond Weisling)

8

Denise sees the fleece,

Denise sees the fleas.

At least Denise could sneeze

and feed and freeze the fleas.

9

Coy knows pseudonoise codes. (by Pierre Abbat)

10

Sheena leads, Sheila needs.

11

The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.

12

Something in a thirty-acre thermal thicket of thorns and thistles thumped and thundered threatening the three-D thoughts of Matthew the thug - although, theatrically, it was only the thirteen-thousand thistles and thorns through the underneath of his thigh that the thirty year old thug thought of that morning.

(by Meaghan Desbiens)

13

Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?

14

Seth at Sainsbury's sells thick socks.

15

You cuss, I cuss, we all cuss, for asparagus! (From a Far Side cartoon by Gary Larson)

16

Roberta ran rings around the Roman ruins.

17

Clean clams crammed in clean cans.

18

Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.

19

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.

20

Stupid superstition!

21

There was a fisherman named Fisher

who fished for some fish in a fissure.

Till a fish with a grin, pulled the fisherman in.

Now they're fishing the fissure for Fisher.

22

World Wide Web

23

To sit in solemn silence in a dull dark dock

In a pestilential prison with a life long lock

Awaiting the sensation of a short sharp shock

From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block.

(by W.S. Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan from The Mikado)

24

Picky people pick Peter Pan Peanut-Butter, 'tis the peanut-butter picky people pick.

(from a commercial)

25

If Stu chews shoes, should Stu choose the shoes he chews?

26

Luke's duck likes lakes. Luke Luck licks lakes. Luke's duck licks lakes. Duck takes licks in lakes Luke Luck likes. Luke Luck takes licks in lakes duck likes.

 (from Dr. Seuss' Fox in Socks)

27

Seventy seven benevolent elephants (harder than it seems)

28

There those thousand thinkers were thinking how the other three thieves did go through.

29

Santa's Short Suit Shrunk (name of a children's book)

30

I was born on a pirate ship (Hold your tounge while saying it.)

31

I scream, you scream, we all scream for icecream!

32

Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses.

33

In 'ertford, 'ereford and 'ampshire, 'urricanes 'ardly Hever 'appen. (From the film ""My Fair Lady"")

34

One-one was a race horse.

Two-two was one too.

One-one won one race.

Two-two won one too.

35

Eleven benevolent elephants

36

Celibate celebrant, celibate celebrant, celibate celebrant, ...

37

Willy's real rear wheel    (David Bowser in Harrisburg, PA)

38

If Pickford's packers packed a packet of crisps would the packet of crisps that Pickford's packers packed survive for two and a half years?

(from Naomi Fletcher's real life)

39

Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards

40

Gobbling gorgoyles gobbled gobbling goblins.

41

Did Dick Pickens prick his pinkie pickling cheap cling peaches in an inch of Pinch or framing his famed French finch photos?

42

Pirates Private Property

43

What a terrible tongue twister,

what a terrible tongue twister,

what a terrible tongue twister...

44

When you write copy you have the right to copyright the copy you write. ...

45

A big black bug bit a big black dog on his big black nose! (by Kitty Morrow)

46

Elizabeth's birthday is on the third Thursday of this month.

47

Ann and Andy's anniversary is in April.

48

Flash message!

49

Frogfeet, flippers, swimfins.

50

Hassock hassock, black spotted hassock. Black spot on a black back of a black spotted hassock.

51

How many cookies could a good cook cook If a good cook could cook cookies? A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.

52

How much ground would a groundhog hog, if a groundhog could hog ground? A groundhog would hog all the ground he could hog, if a groundhog could hog ground.

53

How much pot, could a pot roast roast, if a pot roast could roast pot.

54

How much wood could Chuck Woods' woodchuck chuck, if Chuck Woods' woodchuck could and would chuck wood? If Chuck Woods' woodchuck could and would chuck wood, how much wood could and would Chuck Woods' woodchuck chuck? Chuck Woods' woodchuck would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood as any woodchuck would, if a woodchuck could and would chuck wood.

55

Mary Mac's mother's making Mary Mac marry me.

My mother's making me marry Mary Mac.

Will I always be so Merry when Mary's taking care of me?

Will I always be so merry when I marry Mary Mac?

(from a song by Carbon Leaf)

56

Mr. Tongue Twister tried to train his tongue to twist and turn, and twit an twat, to learn the letter ""T"".

57

Pete's pa pete poked to the pea patch to pick a peck of peas for the poor pink pig in the pine hole pig-pen.

58

She saw Sherif's shoes on the sofa. But was she so sure she saw Sherif's shoes on the sofa?

59

Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew.

While these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew.

Freezy breeze made these three trees freeze.

Freezy trees made these trees' cheese freeze.

That's what made these three free fleas sneeze.

(from Fox in Sox by Dr. Seuss)

60

Two tried and true tridents

61

rudder valve reversals the cause of some plane crashes

62

Birdie birdie in the sky laid a turdie in my eye.

If cows could fly I'd have a cow pie in my eye.

63

How many cans can a cannibal nibble if a cannibal can nibble cans?

As many cans as a cannibal can nibble if a cannibal can nibble cans.

64

A twister of twists once twisted a twist;

A twist that he twisted was a three-twisted twist;

If in twisting a twist one twist should untwist,

The untwisted twist would untwist the twist.

65

Thirty-three thirsty, thundering thoroughbreds thumped Mr. Thurber on Thursday.

66

Four furious friends fought for the phone.

67

Plymouth sleuths thwart Luther's slithering.

68

Bobby Bippy bought a bat.

Bobby Bippy bought a ball.

With his bat Bob banged the ball

Banged it bump against the wall

But so boldly Bobby banged it

That he burst his rubber ball

""Boo!"" cried Bobby

Bad luck ball

Bad luck Bobby, bad luck ball

Now to drown his many troubles

Bobby Bippy's blowing bubbles.

(from mid-Willamette Valley theater)

69

Black background, brown background.

70

Why do you cry, Willy?

Why do you cry?

Why, Willy?

Why, Willy?

Why, Willy? Why?

71

Very well, very well, very well ...

72

Tie twine to three tree twigs.

73

Rory the warrior and Roger the worrier were reared wrongly in a rural brewery.

74

Mares eat oats and does eat oats,

and little lambs eat ivy.

A Kid will eat ivy too, wouldn't you?

75

Three short sword sheaths.

76

Caution: Wide Right Turns           (Seen on semi-tractor trailers)

77

Rolling red wagons

78

Green glass globes glow greenly.

79

Robert Wayne Rutter          (personal name)

80

I stood sadly on the silver steps of Burgess's fish sauce shop, mimicking him hiccuping, and wildly welcoming him within.

81

When I was in Arkansas I saw a saw that could outsaw any other saw I ever saw, saw. If you've got a saw that can outsaw the saw I saw saw then I'd like to see your saw saw.

82

black back bat

83

The queen in green screamed.

84

How many berries could a bare berry carry, if a bare berry could carry berries?

Well they can't carry berries (which could make you very wary) but a bare berry carried is more scary!

85

What did you have for breakfast?

- rubber balls and liquor!

What did you have for lunch?

- rubber balls and liquor!

What did you have for dinner?

- rubber balls and liquor!

- rubber balls and liquor!

86

Snap Crackel pop,

Snap Crackel pop,

Snap Crackel pop

87

Six slimy snails sailed silently.

88

I thought, I thought of thinking of thanking you.

89

Seven slick slimey snakes slowly sliding southward.

90

Red Buick, blue Buick

91

Roofs of mushrooms rarely mush too much.  (by Matt Duchnowski)

92

He threw three balls.

93

The great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes.

94

Singing Sammy sung songs on sinking sand.

95

We're real rear wheels.

96

Rhys watched Ross switch his Irish wristwatch for a Swiss wristwatch.

97

I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.

98

Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear.

99

On a lazy laser raiser lies a laser ray eraser.

100

Scissors sizzle, thistles sizzle.