Tongue twisters are phrases which have similar sounding words in a repetitive sequence. They challenge language development, boost vocabulary and are a lot of fun to recite.

Benefits of tongue twisters

• They strength and stretch the muscles involved in speech – The muscle exercise leads to a clearer pronunciation, clearer speech patterns and helps to rectify the hard sounds.
• They bring into notice the difficult sounds – Depending on the native language and one’s strengths and weaknesses some sounds may be harder than the others. Tongue twisters highlight which sounds to work upon.
• They are a great warming up – They are a great warm up exercise before a presentation, meeting, act etc. and help to reduce stress.

Read More: 21 Tricky and Funny Spanish Tongue Twisters

Tongue twisters for speech development

Tongue twisters generally rely on alliteration with a phrase which is very easy to slip. They can be used to improve one’s accent and are often recommended by speech pathologists to people with speech difficulties. First, one should read the tongue twister and should be able to recite it clearly. Next step would be to know it by heart. And finally, the person should start repeating it a little fast each time till he/she has mastered it.

21 Best Tongue Twisters for Kids

• Peter piper

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers

A peck of picked peppers Peter Piper picked

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers

Where’s the peck of pickled peppers that Peter Piper picked?

Read More: 19 Effective Speech Therapy Activities for Kids

• Betty botter

Betty Botter bought some butter

But the butter was bitter

So Betty Botter bought some better butter

To make the bitter butter better.

• Susie shine

I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop

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

• Fuzzy wuzzy

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear

Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair,

Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t very fuzzy, was he?

• She sells

She sells sea shells by the sea shore

And the shells she sells by the sea shore are sea shells for sure.

• Woodchuck

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if the woodchuck could chuck wood?

He would chuck, he would, as much as he could,

And chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would,

If a woodchuck could chuck wood.

• Doctor doctor

If one doctor doctors another doctor

Then which doctor is doctoring the doctored doctor?

Does the doctor who doctors the doctor doctor the doctor way the doctor he is doctoring doctors?

Or does he doctor the doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors?

• Thought a thought

I thought a thought,

But the thought I thought wasn’t the thought I thought I thought.

If the thought I thought I thought had been the thought I thought,

I wouldn’t have thought so much.

Read More: 39 Developmental Activities for Toddlers

• Pheasant plucker

I am not the pheasant plucker,

I am the pheasant plucker’s mate.

I am only plucking pheasants

Cause the pheasant plucker’s running late.

• Bleeding boys

Brave, bleeding boys battle bald, biting babies

Biting babies ride battle toys while bumbling boys brave blade biting babies.

• Denise sees

Denise sees the fleece,

Denise sees the fleas.

At least Denise could sneeze

And feed and freeze the fleas.

• Dark dock

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!

• Lucky luck

Luke luck likes lakes

Luke’s duck likes lakes

Duck takes licks in lake Luke luck likes

Luke luck takes licks in lake duck likes.

• Cheese trees

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.

• Why willy?

Why do you cry, Willy?

Why, Willy?

Why, why, why?

Why do you cry?

Willy, Willy!

Willy cry, why you cry, Willy?

• Rubber balls and liquor

What did you have for breakfast?

Rubber balls and liquor!

What did you have for snack?

Rubber balls and liquor!

What did you have for lunch?

Rubber balls and liquor!

What do you do when mom comes homes?

Rubber balls and liquor!

• Butter and Jelly

Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.

Spread it thick, say it quick!

Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.

Spread it thicker, say it quicker!

Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.

Don’t eat until you are spreading it like a spread!

• Chester cheetah

Chester cheetah chews a chunk of cheap cheddar cheese

If the chunk of cheese chunked Chester cheetah

What would Chester cheetah chew and chunk on?

• Black and brown background

Black background, brown background,

Brown background, black background,

Background background, black, black, brown, brown.

• Can you

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

• I scream

I scream, you scream, let’s all scream for ice cream.