Tongue-twisters are phrases designed to trip up even the most skilled orator. As we already reported in an earlier article, “Pad kid poured curd pulled cod” is said by speech experts to be the hardest tongue-twister to say, but there are plenty of other examples of phrases that can mess with your speech.
Demosthenes was said to have overcome his stammering by repeating difficult phrases while his mouth was filled with pebbles. In My Fair Lady, Eliza Doolittle tried the same thing while using marbles. Before you go to that extreme, see how you do in saying the following phrases without pebbles, marbles, or anything else you might choke on:
- Brisk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades, blunderbusses, and bludgeons—balancing them badly.
- If you must cross a course cross cow across a crowded cow crossing, cross the cross coarse cow across the crowded cow crossing carefully.
- How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
- Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.
- Send toast to ten tense stout saints’ ten tall tents.
- Rory the warrior and Roger the worrier were reared wrongly in a rural brewery.
- Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.
- 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.
- The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.
- The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.
- Can you can a canned can into an un-canned can like a canner can can a canned can into an un-canned can?
- Thirty-three thirsty, thundering thoroughbreds thumped Mr. Thurber on Thursday.
- Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards.
How did you do? Do you know of any other examples that others might find challenging? Share them in the comments section below.