Tongue twisters are short phrases that repeat similar sounds, so they make your mouth practise one difficult contrast again and again. They help most when you choose a twister for the sound you need, start slowly and clearly, and speed up only while every sound stays accurate.
Why tongue twisters help
A tongue twister puts the same sounds close together. Normal speech spreads a hard sound across many words, so you meet it only now and then. A twister gives you ten chances in one sentence. That is why it is a good exercise for the muscles of your tongue, lips and jaw, and for your ears.
Remember one thing. Twisters are for training, not for talking. They are deliberately awkward, and even native speakers make mistakes in them. The aim is to say each sound clearly, not to be fast.
One short twister each day, for about two minutes, is enough. Use a different one the next day, and come back to the first after a week to see how it feels.
How to practise a tongue twister
Choose one for the sound you want to improve. Read it, then say it very slowly, and check each hard sound against the mouth steps. Say it three times slowly, then a little faster, and stop when you start to make mistakes.
- Say it slowly three times, with every sound clear.
- Say it at a medium speed three times.
- Say it at normal speed once. If you make a mistake, slow down.
- Record yourself and listen for the target sound.
- Finish by saying a normal sentence with the same sound.
s and sh
For the tongue tip is close to the ridge behind your top teeth and your lips are spread. For the tongue is a little further back and your lips are rounded.
- Sam's short shop sells six shiny shirts.
- The shy sailor shared his sandwich on the sunny shore.
- Sue sees seven sheep sitting on the ship's steps.
th, t and s
For and touch the back of your top front teeth with the tip of your tongue. Blow air for and add voice for . Do not turn them into or .
- Beth thanked three thin thieves.
- That brother of theirs gathers these other feathers.
- Thirty thoughtful thinkers thought through the third theory.
r and l
For the tongue is pulled back and up, with the tip near the roof of the mouth but not touching it. For the tongue tip touches the ridge behind your top teeth. Check that the tip touches for l and does not touch for r.
- Larry's lorry rolled lazily along the long, rainy road.
- Red lorry, yellow lorry. (traditional)
- Round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran. (traditional)
p and b, v and w
For and press your lips together and release. For the top teeth touch the bottom lip. For the lips are rounded and do not touch your teeth.
- Bob's big brown bag banged on the bench.
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. (traditional)
- Vera's very wet vest was west of the window.
ch, j and h
For start with a and release into . For do the same with voice. For push soft air from the throat with no tongue movement.
- Charlie chose cheap cheese, but Jane judged the jam jar.
- Harry helps his happy horse hop home.
Clusters, ng and vowels
Use these to practise blending without extra , the sound at the end of -ing words, and the difference between short and long vowels.
- Strong spring storms strip scrubby streets.
- Singing kings bring strong, long songs.
- Phil will fill six big bins with thick, sticky figs.
- Keep the green beans clean, please.
Make your own tongue twister
The best twister is one that uses your own words. Choose the sound you find hard and write a sentence with five or six words that contain it. Use words you really need, such as words from your studies, your job or your hometown.
For example, a student who finds and hard could write: 'Wendy visited Venice and wrote very warm words.' Say it slowly, check each and , and then speed up a little. Change the words when it becomes easy.
How to make the sound
- For : tongue tip near the ridge, lips spread, air hissing.
- For : pull the tongue back a little and round your lips, like asking someone to be quiet.
- For : pull the tongue back and up, and keep the tip from touching the roof of your mouth.
- For : touch the tongue tip to the ridge behind your top teeth and let the voice pass round it.
IELTS tip
Do not use tongue twisters in the test. Use them in practice to train a sound, then say a normal sentence with the same sound. Aim for clear sounds at a steady speed in your Part 2 answer: fast speech is not the goal.
Frequently asked questions
Do tongue twisters improve pronunciation?
They give focused practice on one sound or contrast, so they help when you choose the right twister and keep the sounds accurate.
Should I say tongue twisters fast?
No. Start slowly. Speed is useful only if every sound stays clear.
Which tongue twister should I choose?
Choose one for the sound you find hardest, such as r and l, th or v and w, and learn the mouth steps for it first.
Are tongue twisters used in IELTS?
No. They are a training tool only. Use them to practise a sound and then say a normal sentence with the same sound.
Sources
- Roach, P. (2009). English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Levis, J. (2018). Intelligibility, Oral Communication, and the Teaching of Pronunciation. Cambridge University Press.