Famous Tongue Twisters

Famous Tongue Twisters

Table of contents

1 In English 2 In French 3 In Dutch 4 In Spanish 5 In Finnish 6 In German 7 In Hebrew - בעברית 8 In Japanese 9 In Persian 10 In Polish 11 In Czech 12 In Portuguese 13 In Indonesian 14 In Russian 15 In Esperanto 16 In Bulgarian

In English

• How many cans can a canner can if a canner can can cans? A canner can can that many cans as a canner can can cans.

• "Toy Boat, Toy Boat"

• "Red Leather, Yellow Letter"

• "Red Lolly, yellow lorry"

• "Upper roller, lower roller"

• "She sells sea shells by the seashore.
  The shells she sells are surely seashells.
  So if she sells shells on the seashore,
  I'm sure she sells seashore shells."

• "Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear
  Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair
  If Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair
  then Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?"

• "Big Black Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers"

• "Black Bugs Blood"

• "Mamma Made Me Mash My M & M's"

• The Leith police dismisseth us

• He had "had". Had he had "had had", he'd have passed the examination.

• "Betty Botter bought some butter but she said the butter's bitter. If I put it in my batter it will make my batter bitter. So, she bought some better butter, better than the bitter butter and she put it in her batter and her batter was not bitter. So 'twas good that Betty Botter bought some better butter."

• "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
  How many pecks of pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?
  If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
  Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?"

• "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 as a woodchuck would
  If a woodchuck could chuck wood."

• "Moses supposes his toeses are roses,
  but Moses supposes erroneously;
  for nobody's toeses are posies of roses,
  as Moses supposes his toeses to be."

• "Theophilus Thistle, the Thistle Sifter,
  Sifted a sieve of unsifted thistles.
  If Theophilus Thistle, the Thistle Sifter,
  Sifted a sieve of unsifted thistles,
  Where is the sieve of un-sifted thistles
  Theophilus Thistle, the Thistle Sifter, sifted?"

• "The sixth Sikh sheik's sixth sheep's sick."

• "Six shiny sea shells lay shimmering on the shore."

• "Amidst the mists and coldest frosts
  With barest wrists and stoutest boasts
  He thrusts his fists against the posts
  And still insists he sees the ghosts."
    (The "S-T-S" consonant combination is very difficult for speakers of many other languages)

• "I'm a sheet-slitter
  I slit sheets
  I'm the slickest little sheet-slitter
  That ever slit sheets."

• "I am a mother pheasant plucker.
  I pluck mother pheasants.
  I am the most pleasant mother pheasant plucker
  who ever plucked a mother pheasant."

• "I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son.
  I'm only plucking pheasants 'til the pheasant plucker comes."

• "Toy boat, or Troy boat?"

• "If you keep a lot of liquor in your locker
  It is wise to put a lock upon your stock
  Or some fellow who is quicker
  Will trick you of your liquor
  If you fail to lock your liquor with a lock."

• "A skunk sat on a stump. The stump thunk the skunk stunk, but the skunk thunk the stump stunk."

• A Tutor who tooted a flute, tried to tutor two tooters to toot, said the two to the Tutor, "Is it tougher to toot, or to tutor two tooters to toot?"

• If you don't understand, tell me that you don't understand. If you don't tell me that you don't understand, how can I understand that you don't understand?

• One One was a race horse, One Two was one too; One One won one race, One Two won one too!

• Swiss wristwatch

• A proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot.

• Imagine an imaginary menagerie managing an imaginary menagerie.

• Shut the shutters and sit in the shop. (repeat until expletion ... chortle, chortle).

• One smart fellow, he felt smart. Two smart fellows, they felt smart. Three smart fellows... (repeat until expletion ... chortle, chortle).

• I'm a fig plucker, and a fig plucker's son, and I'l pluck figs 'till the fig-plucking's done.

• The sheep's sick said the sixth son of the shepherd.

• Red linoleum, yellow linoleum

• I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.

• Real weird right rear wheel.

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I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son I've come to pluck the pheasant, 'cos the pheasant plucker could'nt come

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A Rose, A Rose, A Rose A Rose, is a Rose a Rose? A Rose is a Rose...

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In French

• A chaque instant un savant chasseur doit savoir chasser sans son chien.
  • At any time a clever hunter has to know how to go hunting without his dog.

• Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont elles sèches, archi-sèches ?
  • Are the archduchess's socks they dry, very dry?

• Suis-je bien chez ce cher Serge?
  • Am I really at this dear Serge's?

• La roue sur la rue roule; la rue sous la roue reste.
  • The wheel rolls on the road; the road stays under the wheel.

• Tas de riz, tas de rats. Tas de riz tentant, tas de rats tentés. Tas de riz tentant tenta tas de rats tentés. Tas de rats tentés tâta tas de riz tentant.
  • Rice heap, rat heap. Tempting rice heap, tempted rat heap. Tempting rice heap tempted tempted rat heap. Tempted rat heap tasted tempting rice heap.

• Si mon tonton tond ton tonton, ton tonton est tondu par mon tonton; si ma tata tâte ta tata, ta tata est tâtée par ma tata.
  • If my uncle shears your uncle, your uncle is sheared by my uncle. If my aunt tastes your aunt, your aunt is tasted by my aunt.

• Chez les Papous il y a des Papous papas, des Papous pas papas, des Papous à poux et des Papous pas à poux.
  Donc chez les Papous il y a :
  - des Papous papas à poux
  - des Papous papas pas à poux
  - des Papous pas papas à poux
  - et des Papous pas papas pas à poux.
  Il y a aussi des poux papas et des poux pas papa...
  Ce qui fait donc :
  -des Papous papas à poux papas
  -des Papous papas à poux pas papas
  -des Papoux papas pas à poux papas
  -des Papoux papas pas à poux pas papas
  -des Papoux pas papas à poux papas
  -des Papoux pas papas à poux pas papas
  -des Papoux pas papas pas à poux papas
  -des Papoux pas papas pas à poux pas papas

There are papous who are fathers and papous who are not, papous who have lice and papous who have no lice. So there are:

- Papous with lice who are fathers

- Papous without lice who are fathers

- Papous with lice who are not fathers

- Papous without lice who are not fathers

And there are some lice who are fathers and some who are not: [...] (I'm sure you have understood the idea.)

• Si six scies scient six cyprès, Six cent six scies scient six cent six cyprès.
  • If six saws saw six cypresses, six hundred six saws saw six hundred six cypresses.

• Un chasseur sachant chasser sans son chien est un bon chasseur.
  • A hunter who can hunt without his dog is a good hunter.

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In Dutch

• Lientje leerde Lotje lopen langs de lange lindelaan.
  • Along the long lime-tree lane, Lientje taught Lotje how to walk.
• Zeven zwarte zwanen zwemmen in de Zuiderzee.
  • Seven black swans swim in the South sea.
• Ik heb driemaal schuin op 't schip gezeten.
  • I sat crookedly on the ship thrice.
• De meid van de bakker snijdt recht en de knecht van de bakker snijdt scheef.
  • The maid of the baker cuts straight and the aid of the baker cuts non-straight
• De kat krabt de krullen van de trap.
  • The cat scratches the curls off the stairs
• Nat gras is glad gras.
  • Wet grass is slippery grass
• De postkoetsier poetst zijn postkoets met postkoetspoets.
  • The carriagedriver polishes the carriage with carriagepolish
• Knaap, de knappe kapper knipt en kapt heel knap. Maar de knecht van Knaap de knappe kapper, knipt en kapt veel knapper dan Knaap de knappe kapper zelf knipt en kapt.
  • Knaap the handsome barber cuts and curls very good. But Knaap the Handsome Barber's aid cuts and curls much better than Knaap the Handsome Barber cuts and curls.
• Wat was was eer was was was? Eer was was was was was is.
  • What was was before was was was? Before was was was was was is.
• Zeven scheve negers sneden zeven scheve sneden brood.
• 'Frans' zei Frans tegen Frans int Frans. 'Is Frans int Frans ook Frans' vroeg Frans aan Frans int Frans 'Nee' zei Frans tegen Frans int Frans, 'Frans int Frans is François'
• Zeven Zaventemse zotten zullen zes zomerse zondagen zwemmen zonder zwembroek. Zware Julien zuster's zaliger zei: zo'n zeveraars. Ze zijn zeker zot zeg! Ze zullen zinken! (Urbanus)

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In Spanish

• Cómo como ? Como como como
  • How do I eat ? I eat as I eat

A play on the challenging double "rr" trill in Spanish:

• Erre con Erre Cigarro
  Erre con Erre Barril
  Rapido corren los carros
  Sobre los rieles del ferrocarril
  
  "R with R" cigar
  "R with R" barrel
  Quickly run the cars,
  Over the rails of the railroad.

A play on the challenging "bl" and "cl" trill in Spanish:

• Pablito clavo un clavito
  Que clavito clavo Pablito?
  
  • Pablito hammered in a little nail. What little nail did Pablito hammer?

A play on the challenging "tr" and "gr" trill in Spanish:

• Tres tristes tigres
  tragaron trigo en un trigal
  

Pedro Perez Pedroza Pintor Puertorriqueño Pinta Preciosos Paisajes Para Personas Pudientes Porque Pronto Piensa Partir Para Paris

• Pedro Pablo Pascual Perez Pinto pintor pobre perpetuo pinta pinturas preciosas para personas pudientes, pues piensa partir para Paris por proximo paquete, pero primero pide plata prestada para pagarla pronto

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• Pedro Pablo Perez Pereira pobre pintor Portugues pinta pequeños preciosos paisajes porteños para poder pasar por Paris.

In Finnish

• Vesihiisi sihisi hississä!
  • The watersprite hissed in the lift!
• Kokko, kokoo kokoon koko kokko! Koko kokkoko? Koko kokko.
  • Mr. Kokko, Build up the bonfire! The whole bonfire? The whole bonfire.

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In German

• Wenn hinter Fliegen Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen hinterher.
  • When flies fly behind flies, flies fly behind flies.
• Wenn hinter Robben Robben robben, robben Robben Robben nach.
  • If seals crawl behind seals, seals crawl after seals.
• Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid und Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut.
  • Bride's dress remains bride's dress and red cabbage remains red cabbage.
• Fischer's Fritze fischt frische Fische, frische Fische fischt Fischer's Fritze.
  • Fisherman Fritze fishes fresh fish, fresh fish does fisherman Fritze fish.
• Willis Whiskymixer mixt Whisky, Mixt Willis Whiskymixer Whisky?
  • Willis Whiskymixer mixes whisky, does Willis Whiskymixer mix whisky?
• Wir Wiener Waschweiber würden weisse Wäsche waschen, wenn wir wüssten wo warmes Wasser wär.
  • We Viennese washerwomen would wash white laundry if we knew where there were warm water.
• Wachsmaske, Messwechsel, Messwechsel, Wachsmaske.
  • Wax mask, measuring change, measuring change, wax mask.
• In Ulm , und um Ulm, und um Ulm herum.
  • In Ulm, around Ulm, and all around Ulm.
• Zwischen zwei Zwetschgenzweigen zwitschern zwei Schwalben.
  • Amidst two plum tree branches, two swallows chirp.
• 's leit a Klötzle Blei glei bei Blaubeura, glei bei Blaubeura 's leit a Klötzle Blei
  • There is a little piece of lead near Blaubeuren, near Blaubeuren there is a little piece of lead
• Die Jungs, die hinter Schokoladenladen Laden laden, laden Ladenmädchen ein.
  • The guys, who load behind the counters of chocolate shops, invite shopgirls out.
• Tschechische Gucci-Täschchen.
  • Czech Gucci-handbags.
• Die, die die, die die Gänse gestohlen haben, festnehmen, werden belohnt.
  • Those who arrest those who stole the geese will be rewarded.
• Dä Pabscht hät s'Späck Bschteck z'schpaat bschtellt
  • Swissgerman for: The pope ordered the cuttlery for the bacon too late

In Hebrew - בעברית

• שרה שרה שיר שמח, שיר שמח שרה שרה.
• גנן גידל דגן בגן, דגן גדול גדל בגן.
• נחש נשך נחש
• בקבוק בלי פקק
• שולה שולה שבלולים בשלולית. כל שבלול אשר שולה שולה הוא שלה.שלה כל שבלול אשר שולה שולה בשלולית שבה שולה שולה שבלולים.
• סשה שיסה שיניו בסנדוויץ'
• כמה חול חול יכול החול לאכול בכל ימות החול, אם בכלל יכול החול לאכול חול?
• סשה שסע סושי

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In Japanese

• バスガス爆発
  • bus gas explosion

In Persian

• کشتم شپش شپش کش شش پا را

I killed the louse-killing louse with the six feet.

• سربازی سر بازی سربازی سر سربازی را شکست

A soldier broke another soldier's head during a fight play.

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In Polish

• Stół z powyłamywanymi nogami
• Soczewica, koło, miele, młyn
• Szedł Sasza suchą szosą
• W Szczebrzeszczynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie
• Z czeskich strzech szło Czechów trzech
• Król Karol kupił królowej Karolinie korale koloru koralowego
• Pojedziemy na Pomorze, jak Pomorze nie pomoże, to pomoże może morze, a jak morze nie pomoże to pomoże może Wolne Miasto Gdańsk
• Jola lojalna, Jola nielojalna
• I cóż z tego, że ze Szwecji
• Ząb zupa zębowa, dąb zupa dębowa
• Konstantynopolitańczykowianeczka
• Siedzi Jerzy na wieży i nie wierzy, że jeszcze jeden Jerzy na wieży siedzi
• Tracz tarł tarcicę tak takt w takt, jak takt w takt tarcicę tartak tarł

Głaszcz jeżdżcze rżącego źrebca! (bardzo prosze zeby ktos z polskimi czcionkami to poprawil; ja nie mam)

In Czech

• Nejkulaťoulinkatější
  • "most circle-like"

• Koza znezaneřáděná
  • insatiable goat

• Šel pštros s pštrosáčaty pštrosí ulicí
  • The ostrich went with its baby-ostrichs through the ostrich street

• Nejneobhospodařovávatelnější
  • The most uncultivatable

• Nenaolejuje-li tě Julie, naolejuji Julii já
  • If Julia doesn´t oil you, i will oil Julia

• Strč prst skrz krk
  • Put your finger through your throat

In Portuguese

• Num prato de trigo comeram três tigres.
  • Three tigers ate wheat from a plate.

• Um prato de trigo para três tigres tristes.
  • A plate of wheat for three sad tigers.

• O rato roeu a roupa do rei de Roma.
  • The rat chewed the clothes of the King of Rome.

• A aranha arranha o jarro, o jarro arranha a aranha.
  • The spider scratches the jar, the jar scratches the spider.

• Escuta o eco. O eco? Que eco é? É o eco que há cá. O quê, há cá eco? Há cá eco há !
  • Listen to the echo. The echo? What echo? The echo that we have here. Why? Is there an echo here? It's the echo that we have here!

• O tempo perguntou ao tempo quanto tempo o tempo tem. O tempo respondeu ao tempo que o tempo tem tanto tempo quanto o tempo o tempo tem.
  • Time asked time how much time does time has. Time answered time that time has as much time as the time time has.

• O rato roeu a rolha da garrafa do rei Rolando da Rússia.
  • The rat chewed the cork of the bottle of King Roland of Russia.

• Se cá nevasse fazia-se cá ski
  • If it snowed here we would have skiing here.

In Indonesian

• Tentara Timur Tengah tembak-tembakan; tett tet tet tettt tet tet tett tet tet tettt tet tet tett tet tet tettt tet tet ...
  • The Middle East Troops are shooting; tett tet tet tettt tet tet tett tet tet tettt tet tet tett tet tet tettt tet tet ...

• "Kak, Kak..., kok kuku kaki kakakku kiki kaku kaku kak"
  • "Sister, Sister.., why are all my brother's nail kiki toe nails so rigid?"

• Ular lari lurus
  • Snake runs straightforward

In Russian

• Корабли лавировали, лавировали, да не вылавировали.
  • (Korabli lavirovali, lavirovali, da ne vilavirovaly.)
  • The ships were maneuvering, maneuvering, but didn't manage to maneuver their way out.

• На дворе трава, на траве дрова.
  • (Na dvore trava, na trave drova.)
  • There is grass in the yard, there are logs on the grass.

• Шла Саша по шоссе и сосала сушку.
  • (Shla Sasha po shosse i sosala sushku.)
  • Sasha was walking on a highway and sucking a donut.

• Ехал Грека через реку,
  Видит Грека - в реке рак,
  Сунул Грека руку в реку,
  Рак за руку Греку цап!
  • A Greek was crossing a river
    When the Greek saw a lobster in the river;
    The Greek put his hand in the river
    And the lobster bit the Greek's hand.

In Esperanto

• Ĉu ŝi ĉiam ĉe ĉio ruĝiĝas?
  • (Chu shi chiam che chio rudzhidzhas?)
  • Does she always blush at everything?

• La oleoj el ajlo jam je junio junas.
  • The oil of garlic is ripe already in June.

In Bulgarian

• Непротивоконситуциоснователствувайте

• Чичковите червенотиквеничковчета