English Topics – English Tongue Twisters

Alisha: Hi everybody. Welcome back.

My name is Alisha.

And today we're going to be talking about some English tongue twisters.

I'm joined again by…

Michael: Michael. Hey, everybody.

Alisha: So, today we're going to be talking about some things in English that are difficult

to say.

That may be difficult for you and they're probably going to be difficult for us to explain.

So, let's get right into it.

Michael, what is your first tongue twister?

Michael: My first tongue twister is, “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck

could chuck wood?”

One more time, a little bit faster.

“How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”

Alisha: Excellent.

And there is a traditional response to this one.

Are you familiar with the response?

Michael: Once you tell me.

I don’t know.

Alisha: So, it's a question right?

This ends in a question mark on your card.

And the traditional response is, “It would chuck all the wood that a woodchuck could

if a woodchuck could chuck wood.”

Michael: Ah, I didn't know that.

Alisha: Yeah.

I have it on one of my cards, actually, I think too.

This was totally unplanned, I would like to point out.

Yeah, here it is.

“It would chuck all the wood that a woodchuck could if a woodchuck could chuck wood.”

So, you can use this with your friends if you want.

Michael: Alright.

Let's do it real quick.

Ready?

Alisha: Ok.

Michael: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Alisha: It would chuck all the wood that a woodchuck could if a woodchuck could chuck

wood.

Michael: Ah.

Alisha: Hey.

Alright, that was one down.

Okay, let's see, we've talked about that one already so I guess I'll go with another classic

one that I've known since I was little.

This one used the P sound a lot.

“Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.”

Lots of P sounds in this one.

Can you speed it up for us?

Michael: Well, I don't know if I can say it in the first place.

Peter Piper picked up—Jimenaminama.

Alisha: Have you not heard this one before?

Michael: I haven't.

Okay.

“Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.”

Hold on, one more time.

“Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.”

For me, it helps if you snap.

Okay.

“Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.

Peter Piper picked a pack—“ Oh, my God.

I can't do it.

Alisha: Maybe it's better if you don't read it.

Michael: Does it?

Peter—No, no, I can't do it.

Alisha: Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.

Michael: Oh.

Alisha: I wasn't very good.

I wasn't perfect.

Michael: One more time.

One more time.

Alisha: Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.

Michael: What?

One more, three more time.

Alisha: Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.

Michael: Peter Piper picked—Oh, did I?

I can't do it.

Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.

There we go.

Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers.

Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled—Oh, man, that's tough.

The Ps man I can't do the Ps.

Oh, wow.

Alisha: Ps can't do you either.

Okay.

Go to your next one.

What's your next one?

Michael: Okay.

The, I'm my brain is frazzled now.

Okay.

I just like this one I've actually never heard this before but I like it because there's

a lot of “THs” in it and a lot of foreign people who are learning English.

Let me say that, a lot of non-native English speakers have trouble with “TH.”

That's been true for a lot of my students regardless where they're from, what their

native language is.

So, “the 33 thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.”

Alisha: Well, I've never seen this one.

Michael: Yeah, me either.

But I just thought it was good because of “TH.”

Remember, “TH.”

So, the 33 thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.

You want to give it a try?

Alisha: Yeah, I'm going to try.

The 33 thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.

Michael: Hmm.

Alisha: That's a good one.

That's a really good one for “TH” sounds, I think.

I think the consonant sounds, the hard consonant sounds like the P sound or-- well maybe even

the W sound a little bit like it's easy to say that quickly.

But this one's really tough to say quickly I think and clearly.

The 33 thieves thought that they throw the--It doesn't come out as smoothly maybe.

Michael: Spitting a lot, maybe that is.

Alisha: Maybe, so.

I guess I'll go to my next one.

I really have no faith that I'm going to be able to say this at all.

This is like the hardest thing that I think I was able to find.

I'm going to have to read it slowly.

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

Yeah.

Michael: What?

Okay.

Alisha: Yeah.

Michael: The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

Alisha: Yeah.

Michael: The sixth--sicks oh the.

Alisha: Like the second word you can't even say it.

It's really hard.

Michael: One more time alright.

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

Alisha: Oh

Michael: The sixth--

Alisha: That was good.

That was good.

That's way better.

Michael: Yeah.

We'll just leave it on that one.

Alisha: The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

That's really hard.

It's really.

I don't think I can say it any faster than that.

Michael: The sixth sick sheik's sixth—Oh!

I can't.

I'm at the loss for words.

I can't.

Argh.

Okay.

One more time, alright.

Alisha: Okay.

Michael: The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

The sixth sick--oh.

More than once is too tough.

Alisha: You got it out one time.

Michael: One time is that's all.

I give up.

I give up.

Alisha: Okay, good.

What's your next one?

Michael: My next one is, “the soldier’s shoulder surely hurts.”

Another one I've actually never heard but I like it because everyone knows how to “Sally

seashells down the by the seashore.”

The “S” and the “SH” is confusing.

And, many times in English, like “surely,” there is no “SH” but it makes that that

“SH” sound.

So, it's a fun one.

The soldier's shoulder surely hurts.

The soldier’s shoulder surely hurts.

You want to give it a try?

Alisha: The soldier's shoulder surely hurts.

This is the tough part for me anyways.

This this “soldier's shoulder,” making that sound was really is tough.

The soldier's shoulder surely hurts.

Michael: Yeah.

You make it sound so easy.

Wow, professional.

Alisha: Not really.

Okay.

On to the last one.

This one is really short actually it's only two words but it's tricky.

It's really tricky.

I can't say this fast.

“Irish wrist—” Okay.

“Irish” by itself is fine, “wristwatch” is fine.

But together, they're really hard to say.

Irish wrish--

Michael: Oh, what?

Alisha: I can't say it.

“Irish wristwatch.”

It's really hard.

Michael: Irish wristwatch.

Alisha: Yeah.

Michael: That's very slow.

Okay.

Irish—Oh, wow.

Alisha: It's really hard.

Michael: It doesn't--it seems easier than it is.

Alisha: Yeah.

Michael: But saying it--come on.

Okay.

Irish wristwatch.

Irish wri--Irish wristwatch.

Irish wristwatch.

Irish wristwatch.

Alisha: Nice.

Michael: Okay.

There we go.

Alisha: Irish wrish--I can't say this one.

Irish wrish--I can't try it.

This one's hard.

This was really hard for me.

But, yeah, only two words.

It's just that combination of the “SH” and the “WR.”

That’s just--I can't.

I got nothing on that one.

Alright.

Do you have any more?

Michael: No, I think that's it.

Alisha: Oh, wow.

That was a good one.

That was really tough.

That was really tough.

Okay.

Well, give them a try.

Please give them a try.

And if you have any tongue twisters, preferably in English.

Please share them with us in the comments.

They are great ways to practice your pronunciation and you can impress your friends if you can

do them quickly.

Thank you again for joining us and we'll see you again soon.

Bye.