Tongue twisters

[æ]

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

A fat cat sat on a mat and ate a fat rat.

Ann has a hat in her handbag,

Dan has a cap in his backpack.

If Ann didn’t have the hat in her handbag,

Would Dan have the cap in his backpack?

[α:]       

Smart Bart baked an apple tart and put it into his farmer’s market cart.

Mark parks his car in a car park,

Bart parks his car in a dark park.

If Mark didn’t park his car in the car park,

Would Bart park his car in the dark park?

[ Λ ]

Sometimes for a Monday lunch

Someone cuts one onion and some cucumbers.

Sometimes for a Sunday lunch

Someone cuts one onion and some mushrooms.

A funny puppy runs in front of a pub,

A fluffy puppy runs in front of a club.

If the funny puppy didn’t run in front of the pub,

Would the fluffy puppy run in front of the club?

Uncle Douglas comes in pubs on Mondays,

Uncle Humphry comes in clubs on Sundays.

If Uncle Douglas didn’t come in pubs on Mondays,

Would Uncle Humphry come in clubs on Sundays?

[ e ]

Ten men mend seven hedges,

Seven men mend ten hedges.

If ten men didn’t mend seven hedges,

Would seven men mend ten hedges?

Jen spent ten pence on a dress,

Jem spent seven pence on a sweater.

Can Jen spend seven pence on a dress?

Can Jem spend ten pence on a sweater?

[ ə ]

Canada is colder than Korea,

Korea is hotter than Canada.

If Canada wasn’t colder than Korea,

Would Korea be hotter than Canada?

Amazon is longer than Volga,

Volga is shorter than Amazon.

If Amazon wasn’t longer than Volga,

Would Volga be shorter than Amazon?

[ I ]

Nik babysits with Kit’s sister.

If Kit didn’t babysit with Nik’s sister,

Would Nik babysit with Kit’s sister?

Mister Twister daily visits a busy city

With many office buildings.

Is it easy to live in a busy city

With many office buildings?

A pink sink is behind a big fridge,

The big fridge is in front of the pink sink.

If the pink sink wasn’t behind the big fridge,

Would the big fridge be in front of the pink sink?

A single singer drinks milk in the morning,

A single artist drinks coffee for his dinner.

If the single singer didn’t drink milk in the morning,

Would the single artist drink coffee for his dinner?

Village builders build bridges over rivers,

City builders build cinemas on hills.

If village builders didn’t build bridges over rivers,

Would city builders build cinemas on hills?

[ I: ]

Fifteen teens eat fifteen sweets,

Sixteen teens eat sixteen sweets.

If fifteen teens didn’t eat fifteen sweets,

Would sixteen teens eat sixteen sweets?

Greek teachers teach speaking Greek,

Sweden teachers teach speaking Sweden.

If Greek teachers didn’t teach speaking Greek,

Would Sweden teachers teach speaking Sweden?

Pete weekly leaves green field

To see the deep sea from a clean beach.

Does Pete feel sleepy on the clean beach

Seeing the deep sea each week?

Eastern people eat meals in the evening

With meat, cheese, cream, sweets and tea.

Is it easy for Eastern people to eat in the evening

Meat, cheese, cream, sweets and tea?

[Ʊ-Ʊ:]        Don’t pull this fool into the pool, it’s not cool.

[ Ʊ:]

Ruth views ruined Pluto’s statues,

                                 Luke views ruined Neptune’s statues.     

If Ruth didn’t view ruined Pluto’s statues,

Would Luke view ruined Neptune’s statues?

A school’s menu usually includes

Seafood soup, noodles and stewed fruit.

A university’s menu usually includes

Goose, cucumbers, mushrooms and fruit juice.

There are two blue suits in Lew’s suitcase,

There are two blue shoes in Sue’s suitcase.

If there weren’t two blue suits in Lew’s suitcase,

Would there be two blue shoes in Sue’s suitcase?

[ɔ-ɔ:]        Bob, don’t snore any more like you snored before, for Polly lock the door.

[ ɒ ]

Rock concerts shock pop icons,

Pop concerts shock rock icons.

If rock concerts didn’t shock pop icons,

Would pop concerts shock rock icons?

Rob often drops his wallet in shops,

Tom often drops his wallet at stops.

If Rob didn’t often drop his wallet in shops,

Would Tom often drop his wallet at stops?

[ ɔ: ]

All Paul’s daughters were born in Cork,

All Walt’s daughters were born in York.

Why were all Paul’s daughters born in Cork?

Why were all Walt’s daughters were born in York?

Four explorers explore forty waterfalls,

Forty explorers explore four waterfalls.

If four explorers didn’t explore forty waterfalls,

Would forty explorers explore four waterfalls?

[o Ʊ]        Oh no, don’t go home alone! Nobody knows how lonely the road is.

[ə:]                                It’s your turn to learn German next term with Bert Turner.

What a hurly-burly (взбалмошная) girl Urse is!

[ ɜ: ]

German learners learn German words,

Turkish learners learn Turkish words.

If German learners didn’t learn German words,

Would Turkish learners learn Turkish words?

The first skirt is dirtier than the third shirt,

The first shirt is dirtier than the third skirt.

If the first skirt wasn’t dirtier than the third shirt,

Would the first shirt be dirtier than the third skirt?

Bert’s servant served for his thirty-first birthday

Thirty burgers and thirteen desserts.

Is it early for Bert’s servant to serve for his thirty-third birthday

Thirteen burgers and thirty desserts?

[b]

Betty Botter bought some butter
But, said she, the butter's bitter.
If I put it in my batter,
it will make my batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter
will make my bitter batter better.
So she bought some better butter,
better than the bitter butter,
put it in her bitter batter,
made her bitter batter better.
So it was better
Betty Botter bought some better butter.

[ d ]

Dolly Dale dances with Davy Dail,

Davy Dail dates to Dolly Dale.

If Dolly Dale didn’t dance with Davy Dail,

Would Davy Dail date to Dolly Dale?

Daisy’s Dad doesn’t have a driver,

So he drives his daughter daily to downtown.

If Daisy’s Dad had a driver,

Would he drive Daisy daily to downtown?

Doris Draft designed a dark dress in December,

Today Doris Draft is designing a red dress.

Does Doris Draft understand

How it’s difficult to design different dresses?

[ʤ]

Jean jellies ginger jam in June,

Jess jellies ginger jam in July.

If Jean didn’t jelly ginger jam in June,

Could Jess jelly ginger jam in July?

Judy Jones jigs with Jim James,

Jozy James jives with Job Jones.

If Judy Jones didn’t jig with Jim James,

Could Jozy James jive with Job Jones?

A German jockey gentles a Gipsy gee-gee,

A Gipsy jockey gentles a German gee-gee.

If the German jockey didn’t gentle the Gipsy gee-gee,

Could the Gipsy jockey gentle the German gee-gee

[f]

Four furious friends fought for the phone.

Five fat friars frying flat fish.

The first fly flies forty-four feet,

The fourth fly flies forty-five feet,

The fifth fly flies fifty-four feet.

What fly flies fifty-five feet?

The first flat is on the fifty-first floor,

The fourth flat is on the fifty-fourth floor,

The fifth flat is on the fifty-fifth floor.

Which flat is furnished finer, in fact?

[f]    [w]

Fuzzy Wazzy was a bear, Fuzzy Wazzy had no hair, Fuzzy Wazzy wasn’t very fuzzy, was he?

[ g ]

Grace Gordon got a grey garlic and green gherkins

From a greengrocer to garnish a greasy grilled goose.

Are the grey garlic and the green gherkins

A good garnish for a greasy grilled goose?

A grey gardener is going to go through a green gate

On green grass of a gorgeous garden, by a grey garage,

By garden-beds with gales to a glasshouse

To get some greenery for a glamour garden-party.

Grey goats graze on green grass growing in a gorge,

Grey geese graze on green grass growing in a garden.

Which grass is greener: growing in the gorge

Or growing in the garden where the grey geese graze?

[ h ]

Hugo Hall’s hobbyhorse is handball,

Harry Hill’s hobbyhorse is hockey.

If Hugo Hall’s hobbyhorse wasn’t handball,

How could Harry Hill’s hobbyhorse be hockey?

A housewife who holds her house by herself,

Has a home help who helps her.

If the housewife didn’t hold her house by herself,

How could she have a home help who helps her?

A hard-headed hunter hunts with a hawk,

A hard-hearted hunter hunts with a hound.

If the hard-headed hunter didn’t hunt with a hawk,

How could the hard-hearted hunter hunts with a hound?

A heedful herd herds his herd on a hill,

A heedless herd herds his herd on a heath.

If the heedful herd didn’t herd his herd on the hill,

How could the heedless herd her herd on the heath?

A hirsute hippie hitchhikes on highways,

A homeless hippie hoboеs on Hollywood hills.

If the hirsute hippie didn’t hitchhike on highways,

How could the homeless hippie hobo on Hollywood hills?

[ j ]

US students are younger than UK junkers,

UK junkers are cuter than US students.

If US students weren’t younger than UK junkers,

Could UK junkers be cuter than US students?

New Year’s menu usually uses

Cukes, onion, yoghurt, Yorkshire and cucumbers.

How can New Year’s menu usually use

Cukes, onion, yoghurt, Yorkshire and cucumbers?

Yankee yachtsmen’s yachts yaw for one yard,

Yakut yachtsmen’s yachts yaw for two yards.

If Yankee yachtsmen’s yachts didn’t yaw for one yard,

Could Yakut yachtsmen’s yachts yaw for two yards?

 [ k ]

Kate can calculate calories in a cup of coffee,

Carol can calculate calories in a cup of cacao.

Can Kate calculate calories in a cup of cacao?

Can Carol calculate calories in a cup of coffee?

The café close to the chemist closes at one o’clock,

The café close to the castle closes at two o’clock,

The café close to the cathedral closes at three o’clock.

Can the café close to the cloister close at four o’clock?

[ l ]

A lass lays lacy lingerie up in lime,

A laundress lays lawny lingerie up in lily,

A lady-help lays linen lingerie up in lilac.

What lingerie does a landlady lay up in lavender?

A loyal lackey in a laky livery lights

Lamps in a lobby later than lamps in a library.

If the loyal lackey wasn’t in the laky livery,

Would he light lamps in the lobby later than in the library?

A limber lady-help laid lately in a little larder

Lots of lard, lamb, leek, liver, leaven, lentil,

Lettuce, limes, lemons, loaves and lobsters.

Does the lady-help like a lack of livelihood?

[ m ]

A mad maid mixed for a morning meal

Maize, milk, meat, mint, mash, merry,

Melon, mango, marrow, mutton and mustard.

May the mad maid’s mister get a malady?

A marine map-maker must mark on maps

Much more moles, mulls and marinas.

A martial map-maker must mark on maps

Much more marshes, meadows and massives.

A merry miller mills millet at midday,

A morose miller mills millet at midnight.

If the merry miller didn’t mill millet at midday,

Would the morose miller mill millet at midnight?

Mag’s mum may make marmalade of mango,

Mat’s mum may make marmalade of melon.

If Mag’s mum may not make marmalade of mango,

May Mat’s mum make marmalade of melon?

[n]

Ned nicknamed his nag Netty,

Net nicknamed her nag Neddy.

Is Ned’s nag nicknamed Netty?

Is Net’s nag nicknamed Neddy?

Neither a neat knitter needs to knit

By next November nine new knittings,

No a neat needlewoman needs to needle

By next November nine new neckties.

[w, ∫]

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.

[θ]

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

Thirty thousand thirsty thieves thundered through the thicket.

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

[ ð ]

This brother’s together with that brother,

That brother’s together with this brother.

If this brother wasn’t together with that brother,

Would that brother be together with this brother?

[ ŋ ]

A single singer is walking along the bank

Singing a languishing song

And bringing pink pinks for his darling.

Is anything wrong with the single singer’s song?

A young banker is thinking of giving

A thanking banquet at Thanksgiving.

Is the young banker thinking of something

For drinking at the Thanksgiving banquet?

[p]

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?

Pablo Picasso put off his palette, paintbox and paintbrushes

And painted with pen a picture of a peaceful place in Paris

With a pink palace and a paled park plenty of pretty plants.

What’s the possible picture’s price?

[r]

Red lorry, yellow lorry.

Roberta ran rings around the Roman ruins.

Ray raises rams on Roy’s ranch,

Roy raises rams on Ray’s ranch.

If Ray didn’t raise rams on Roy’s ranch,

Would Roy raise rams on Ray’s ranch?

Rose Reed replants red roses,

And the red roses ramp around a rail.

If Rose Reed didn’t replant the red roses recently,

Would the red roses ramp around the rail?

[s]    [ʃ ]

She sells sea shells at the sea shore, the shells she sells are the sea-shore shells, I’m sure.

Sharon washed dishes in a dishwasher,

Next she washed shades in a washing machine.

Should she wash the dishes in the dishwasher

Before washing the shades in the washing machine?

A shifty shopkeeper shut the shop’s shutters

To show on a shelf shabby shammy shoes.

Should the shifty shopkeeper shut the shop’s shutters

To show on the shelf the shabby shammy shoes?

A shingly shore shelves to a shelly shelf,

A shelly shore shelves to a shingly shelf.

If the shingly shore didn’t shelve to the shelly shelf,

Would the shelly shore shelve to the shingly shelf?

[ t ]

Terry teaches Technology from two to ten,

Tilly teaches Tennis from ten to twelve.

Which teaching takes more time:

Terry’s Technology or Tilly’s Tennis?

Tim told Tom a true story about twenty-two tall trees

That Tim planted at a mountain top.

Is Tim’s story about twenty-two tall trees

At the mountain top totally true?

[ʧ]

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A woodchuck could chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

A cheetah chases chancy in a chilly chine

Сhinchillas, chipmucks and chaffinches.

Which chase of the cheetah in the chilly chine is chancier:

Сhinchillas, chipmucks or chaffinches?

Chanters in a church chant cheerier than chanters in a chapel,

Chanters in the chapel chant chillier than in the church.

If the chanters in the church didn’t chant cheerier,

Would the chanters in the chapel chant chillier?

[ v ]

A very versed valuer valued the value

Of the vanished Venetian vase in Vatican.

Why did the very versed valuer value the value

Of the Venetian vase vanished from Vatican?

A village vet visits villagers in the vicinity

To vaccinate village calves from a virulent virus.

If the village vet didn’t visit villagers in the vicinity,

Could he vaccinate the village calves from the virulent virus?

Vincent Voice vanquished Vivienne Vogue

With very vivid verses in a velvet valentine.

If did Vincent Voice versify his velleity in the velvet valentine,

To vanquish Vivienne Vogue?

A very virtuous violinist vanned in a van to Vancouver

A viatic valise with a viol, a viola and a violin.

Was a venture for the very virtuous violinist to van in the van

The viatic valise with the viol, the viola and the violin?

[w] 

A washwoman warms water on Wednesdays

To wash woolen wear from a wooden wardrobe.

Why does the washwoman warm water on Wednesdays

To wash the woolen wear from the wooden wardrobe?

We wear woolen wear in winter,

While we wear waterproofs in wet weather.

Why do we wear woolen wear in winter,

While we wear waterproofs in wet weather?

A wide-awake warden walks weekly

Along the westward wall of a wax works.

Why does the wide-awake warden walks weekly

Along the westward wall of the wax works?

[w]  [ð]

Whenever the weather is cold.
Whenever the weather is hot.
We'll whether the weather,
whatever the weather,
whether we like it or not.

[z]

Zebras zig and zebras zag.

Zizzi’s zippy zipper zips.

A zealous musician visits Museum of Music

To examine an exhibit of the Beatles’ possessions.

If the exhibit didn’t possess the Beatles’ possessions,

Would his examinations be so pleasant?

The Brazilian president always uses his position

To puzzle his wise opposition by refusing

Hesitating pauses as easy as praising phrases

And surprising examples in his presentations.

[ ʒ ]

Beige lingerie is more usual than azure bijou,

Azure bijou is less usual than beige lingerie.

If beige lingerie wasn’t more usual than azure bijou,

Would azure bijou be less usual than beige lingerie?

Leisured gigolos are as usual as casual concierges,

Casual gigolos are as unusual as leisured concierges.

If leisured gigolos were as unusual as casual concierges,

Would casual gigolos be as usual as leisured concierges?