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Paola Pascual

45 Tongue Twisters in English to Test Your Pronunciation Skills


A woman in a blue dress shirt practicing speaking in front of a mirror holding papers and a pen

Ever stumbled over your words during a presentation? You're not alone! Whether you pitch to clients, lead team meetings, or network at corporate events, clear English pronunciation can make or break your professional impact.


Tongue twisters in English are an excellent way to sharpen your speaking skills and add a bit of fun to your language-learning journey. So, grab your coffee, clear your throat, and let’s master these career-boosting tongue twisters together!


Why Use Tongue Twisters for Pronunciation Practice?

Tongue twisters in English force you to pronounce sounds accurately and quickly. Think of it as exercise, but for your mouth. Just as athletes train specific muscles, these clever phrases target the exact sounds that make English challenging for professionals like you.


As you practice tongue twisters for pronunciation, you develop muscle memory in your mouth, making it easier to pronounce tricky sounds in real conversations. This can help boost confidence during presentations, meetings, or client calls. 


The best part? You can practice these anywhere: during your commute, before a meeting, or while waiting for your morning coffee to brew. It's the most efficient way to upgrade your English pronunciation without adding extra hours to your busy schedule.


A male employee practicing pronunciation while reading from a paper

Image Source: Shutterstock


Easy Tongue Twisters in English

Let's start with some simple tongue twisters in English to warm up your mouth muscles:


  1. She sells seashells by the seashore.

  2. Red lorry, yellow lorry.

  3. Unique New York.

  4. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

  5. Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.

  6. Six Czech cricket critics.

  7. Green glass globes glow greenly.

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

  9. Please place the proper paperwork promptly.

  10. Six sticky skeletons.

  11. Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.

  12. Tie twine to three tree twigs.

  13. A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.

  14. A happy hippo hopped and hiccuped.

  15. Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.


Tip: These student tongue twisters in English focus on specific sounds non-native speakers often find challenging. Use them to loosen up your speech muscles before an important meeting or presentation.


Funny Tongue Twisters in English

Who said language learning can't be entertaining? Here are some funny tongue twisters in English that will bring a smile to your face:


  1. A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

  2. Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t very fuzzy, was he?

  3. If you must cross a course cross cow across a crowded cow crossing, cross the cross coarse cow across the crowded cow crossing carefully.

  4. I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines, she sits, and where she sits, she shines.

  5. 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.

  6. If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?

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

  8. Four furious friends fought for the phone.

  9. A big black bear sat on a big black rug.

  10. Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

  11. To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, in a pestilential prison with a lifelong lock.

  12. I thought a thought, but the thought I thought wasn’t the thought I thought I thought.

  13. The great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes.

  14. Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.


Tip: Next time you have a team meeting or training session, try the funniest tongue twisters English has to offer as a fun icebreaker or energizer. It works for both virtual and face-to-face interactions!


Happy business people in a meeting

Image Source: Shutterstock


Hard Tongue Twisters in English

Ready for a challenge? Let’s look at the hardest tongue twisters English has to offer:


  1. The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

  2. How much ground would a groundhog hog, if a groundhog could hog ground?

  3. Pad kid poured curd pulled cod.

  4. The seething sea ceaseth and thus the seething sea sufficeth us.

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

  6. Send toast to ten tense stout saints’ ten tall tents.

  7. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

  8. Brisk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades, blunderbusses, and bludgeons—balancing them badly.

  9. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?

  10. Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.

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

  12. Thirty-three thieves thought they could steal the three thousand three hundred thirty-three thousand three hundred thirty-three treasures.

  13. Six thick thistle sticks stuck through six thick sticks.

  14. Truly rural rural rulers rarely rule rural areas.

  15. Whether the weather is warm, whether the weather is hot, we must weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.


Tip: If you're working on reducing your accent, tongue twisters in English can help you focus on problematic sounds. Try them out!


Take Your English from Tongue Twisters to Client Meetings With Talaera

Mastering tongue twisters in English is a great way to improve your pronunciation, but to excel in business communications, you need more personalized practice. At Talaera, we offer Online English Courses and 1:1 lessons tailored to your professional needs. Plus, you can join our Weekly Speaking Practice sessions, where you’ll connect with international learners and build your confidence in real-world conversations.

  • Learn with an expert English teacher

  • Practice with peers from around the world

  • Boost your pronunciation and communication skills

Ready to transform your newfound pronunciation skills into real business success? Sign up to Talaera now and start speaking with confidence!



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