List of tongue-twisters

Table of contents

1 List of tongue-twisters in English
2 Tongue twisters in languages other than English

2.1 Albanian
2.2 Bulgarian
2.3 Chinese (Cantonese)
2.4 Chinese (Mandarin)
2.5 Czech
2.6 Dutch
2.7 Esperanto
2.8 Estonian
2.9 Finnish
2.10 French
2.11 German
2.12 Greek
2.13 Hebrew
2.14 Hungarian
2.15 Korean
2.16 Latin
2.17 Marathi
2.18 Norwegian
2.19 Polish
2.20 Portuguese
2.21 Russian
2.22 Spanish
2.23 Swedish
2.24 Serbian
2.25 Xhosa

3 External links

List of tongue-twisters in English

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, how many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick? \n:Or, Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers where's the peck of pickled peppers Piper Piper picked?\n* A black bug's blood [repeated]\n* Toy boat [repeated]\n* Unique New York [repeated]\n* A box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer. [repeated]\n* I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon a slitted sheet I sit. (used in Steve Martin's The Jerk)\n* She sells sea shells by the sea shore; the sea-shells that she sells are sea-shells I'm sure. or the hackers' version, She sells cshells by the cshore\n* How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?\n** A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.\n* He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts\n* I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's mate, and I'm only plucking pheasants 'cause the pheasant plucker's late. I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son, and I'm only plucking pheasants till the pheasant pluckers come.
(The most common mistake here involves a spoonerism of pheasant plucker and derivative phrases)\n* Rubber baby buggy bumpers [repeated] (used in the song "Fire Water Burn" by the Bloodhound Gang, and an episode of The Simpsons)\n* The black bloke's back brake block broke.\n* Red lorry, yellow lorry [repeated] Variants: Red leather, yellow leather; Red welly, yellow welly\n* Betty Botter bought a bit of butter. / "But," she said, "this butter's bitter! / If I put it in my batter, / It will make my batter bitter!" / So she bought a bit of butter / Better than her bitter butter, / And she put it in her batter, / And her batter was not bitter. / So 'twas better Betty Botter / Bought a bit of better butter.\n:or: Betty bought a bit of butter, but the bit of butter Betty bought was bitter, so Betty bought a better bit of butter than the bit of butter Betty bought before.\n* The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick\n* Road-roller [repeated]\n* Liril [repeated fast]\n* A cricket critic [repeated]\n* Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.\n* The Leith police dismisseth us.\n* We reweave rips. (A sign in the window of a taylor's shop.)\n* One smart fellow, he felt smart / Two smart fellows, they felt smart / Three smart fellows, they all felt smart [fast]\n* Legend tripping\n* The winkle ship sank and the shrimp ship swam\n* Irish wristwatch [repeated]\n* A canner can can anything that he can, but a canner can't can a can, can he?\n* A tutor who tooted the flute / Tried to tutor two tooters to toot / Said the two to the tutor / "Is it tougher to toot / Or to tutor two tooters to toot?"\n* A certain young fellow named Beebee / Wished to marry a lady named Phoebe / "But," he said. " I must see / What the minister's fee be / Before Phoebe be Phoebe Beebee"

Tongue twisters in languages other than English

Albanian

\n* Karikaturisti karikaturon karikatura karakteristike (listen)\n*:translation: The caricaturist caricaturates characteristic caricatures (Note: coincidentally kari is the definitive form of a vulgar term for penis)\n* Kupa me kapak kupa pa kapak (listen)\n*:translation: The cup with a lid the cup without a lid\n* Polli pula e Lleshit n� ka�ile t'leshit (listen)\n*:translation: The hen of Lleshi laid an egg in a wool basket

施氏食獅史\n:石室詩士施氏，嗜獅，誓食十獅。氏時時適市視獅。十時，適十獅適市。是時，適施氏適是市。氏視十獅，恃矢勢，使是十獅逝世。氏拾是十獅屍，適石室。食時，始識十獅實十石獅屍。試釋是事。
shī sh� sh� shī shǐ\n: Sh� sh� shī sh� shī sh�, sh� shī, sh� sh� sh� shī. Sh� sh� sh� sh� sh� sh� shī. Sh� sh�, sh� sh� shī sh� sh�. Sh� sh�, sh� shī sh� sh� sh�. Sh� sh� sh� sh� shī, sh� shǐ sh�, shǐ sh� sh� shī sh� sh�. Sh� sh� sh� sh� shī shī, sh� sh� sh�. Sh� sh� shī, sh� shǐ sh� sh� sh� sh�. Sh� sh� sh�, sh� shǐ sh� sh� sh� shī shī. Sh� sh�, shǐ sh� sh� sh� shī shī, sh� sh� sh� shī shī. Sh� sh� sh� sh�.

This phrase can be used to tell if someone is drunk or not:

四十四头死的石狮子\n: Shuiu2 shi2 shuiu shi\n:(Forty-four dead stone lions)

Czech

\n* Strč prst skrz krk.
Translation: Stick a finger through your throat.
Note that this sentence has no vowels!\n* Nesnese se se sestrou.
Translation: He doesn't get on with his sister.\n* Roli lorda Rolfa hr�l Vladim�r Leraus.
Translation: The role of lord Rolf was played by VL.\n* Nenaolejuje-li koleje Julie, naolejuji je j�.
Translation: If Julie doesn't oil rails, I will oil them.

Dutch

\n* De koetsier poetst de postkoets met postkoetspoets.
Translation: The coachman cleans the stagecoach with stagecoach cleaner.\n* De kat krabt de krullen van de trap met drie droge doeken.
Translation: The cat scratches the woodcurls of the stairs with three dry cloths\n* De knappe kapper kapt knap, maar de knappe knecht van de knappe kapper kapt knapper dan de knappe kapper kappen kan.
Translation: the clever barber cuts hair well, but the clever helper of the clever barber cuts hair more clever that the clever barber can cut it.

Esperanto

\n* Ĉu ŝi scias se ĉi-scene la sklavo ŝtelas la sceptron?
Translation: Does she know if the slave steals the sceptre during this scene?

Estonian

\n* Pagari piparkook (repeated).
Translation: Baker's ginger biscuit.\n* Musta lehma saba valge lehma taga, valge lehma saba musta lehma taga (repeated).
Translation: Black cow's tail behind a white cow, white cow's tail behind a black cow.\n* Kabli klubi (repeated).
Translation: Club of Kabli.\n* Asjaajaja ja jaama�lem (repeated, sobriety test).
Translation: Procurator and stationmaster.\n* J�ri�� lest�us (jokingly used to determine if a non-native speaker has mastered the difficult accented vowels)
Translation: the J�ri�� upraisal, in the night of April 23, 1343 peasants in Northern Estonia rebelled against their Danish overlords and cleansed much of the country of the foreign rulers.\n* Kuulilennuteetunneliluuk.
Translation: The hatch of the tunnel of ballistic trajectory.

Finnish

\n*Alavilla mailla hallan vaaraa.
Translation: Risk of frost on low-lying lands.\n*Appilan pappilan apupapin paksuposkipiski pisti poskeensa paksun papupurkin.
Translation: The thick-cheeked dog of the deacon of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) ate a thick bean can.\n*Appilan pappilan apupapin papupata pankolla kiehuu ja kuohuu.
Translation: Bean casserole of the deacon of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) boils and bubbles on the oven.\n*Appilan pappilan piski paksuposki pakkas kaps�kin ja pinkaisi juoksuun.
Translation: The thick-cheeked dog of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) packed up a travelling-bag and started running.\n*Hieno piano. (repeated)
Translation: Fine piano.\n*Kokoo kokoon koko kokko! Koko kokkoko? Koko kokko.
Translation: Gather up a full bonfire! A full bonfire? A full bonfire.\n*Mustan kissan paksut posket. (repeated)
Translation: Black cat's thick cheeks.\n*Pappilan apupapin papupata pankolla kiehuu.
Translation: The rectory's deacon's bean casserole boils on the oven.\n*Vesihiisi sihisi hississ�.
Translation: The water pixie hissed in an elevator.\n*�rr�n kierr�n orren ymp�ri.
Translation: I twine an 'R' around a purline.\n*��li�, �l� ly�, ��li� l�ikkyy!
Translation: Idiot, don't hit, beer spills!

French

\n*La roue sur la rue roule; la rue sous la roue reste.
Translation: The wheel on the road rolls; the road under the wheel stays.\n*Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien de chasse.
Translation: A hunter who knows how to hunt has to know how to hunt without its hunting dog.\n*Le pipe au papa de Pape Pie pue.
Translation: Pope Pius's dad's pipe stinks.\n*Si ces saucissons sont bons, ces saucissons-ci sont aussi bons.
Translation: If these sausages are good, these sausages here are also good.\n*Kiki �tait cocotte et Coco concasseur de cacao. Kiki la cocotte aimait beaucoup Coco le concasseur de cacao. Or un marquis caracolant, caduc et cacochyme, conquis par les coquins quinquets de Kiki la cocotte, offrit � Kiki la cocotte un coquet caraco kaki � col de caracul. Quand Coco le concasseur de cacao comprit qu'un marquis caracolant, caduc et cacochyme conquis par les coquins quinquets de Kiki la cocotte, avait offert � Kiki la cocotte un coquet caraco kaki � col de caracul, il conclut � Je clos mon caquet, je suis cocu ! �\n*Panier piano. [repeated]
Translation: Basket piano.\n*Les chausettes de l'archiduchesse sont s�ches, archi s�ches.
Translation: The archduchess's socks are dry, very dry.\n*Si mon tonton tonds ton tonton, ton tonton sera tondu.\n*Je veux et j'exige du jasmin et des jonquilles. \n*Natacha n'attacha pas son chat qui s'�chappa.\n*Un dragon grad� d�grade un grad� dragon.\n*Je suis un original qui ne se d�soriginalisera jamais.

German

\n*Es klapperten die Klapperschlangen, bis ihre Klappern schlapper klangen. (listen)
Translation: The rattlesnakes rattled until their rattles began to sound exhausted.\n*Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische. (listen)
Translation: The Fishers' boy Fritz is fishing for fresh fish.\n*Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid, und Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut. (listen)
Translation: bride's dress remains bride's dress, and red cabbage remains red cabbage.\n*Der Potsdamer Postkutscher putzt den Potsdamer Postkutschkasten. (listen)
Translation: The driver of the Potsdam stage coach cleans the case of the Potsdam stage coach.\n*Im Potsdamer Boxclub boxt der Potsdamer Postbusboss. (listen)
Translation: At the Potsdam boxing club, the boss of the Potsdam post bus is boxing. (Almost works in English too.)\n*Der Whiskeymixer mixt den Whiskey mit dem Whiskeymixer. (listen)
Translation: The whiskey mixer (barman) mixes whiskey with the whiskey mixer (device). (The fun here lies in the most probable mistake: wichsen is a vulgar German term for "to masturbate".)\n*Im dichten Fichtendickicht nicken dicke Fichten t�chtig. (listen)
Translation: In a dense thicket of spruces, thick spruces take a big nap. (Most probable mistake: German ficken means "to fuck").\n*Der Kaplan klebt Pappplakate an die Plakatwand. (listen)
Translation: The chaplain is sticking posters made of heavy card to the notice board.\n*Wenn hinter Fliegen Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen hinterher. (listen)
Translation: If flies fly behind flies, then flies fly after flies.

Dialects\n**A Mamaladaaama hamma daham aa. (Dialect of Franconia region)
Translation (High German): Ein Marmeladeneimerchen haben wir daheim auch.
Translation (English): A marmalade can, we have at home, too.

Greek

\n*Μια πάπια, μα ποια πάπια; Μια πάπια με παπιά!
Translation: A duck, but which duck? A duck with ducklings!

Hebrew

\n* גנן גידל דגן בגן, דגן גדול גדל בגן
Translation: A gardner grew a cereal in the garden, a large cereal grew in the garden.\n* שרה שרה שיר שמח
Translation: Sara sings a happy song.\n* נחש נשך נחש
Translation: A snake bit a snake\n* אישה נעלה נעלה נעלה נעלה את הדלת בפני בעלה
Translation: A nobel woman put on a shoe, shut the door in her husband's face.
This is a game with the conjugation rules that allow to construct identical words (in spelling and pronunciation) with different meanings. Such twisters exist in arabic too.

Hungarian

�t t�r�k �t g�r�g�t d�g�ny�z �r�k�s �r�m�k k�z�tt.
Translation: Five Turks are massaging five Greeks amid everlasting delights.\n* Mit s�tsz kis szűcs? S�s h�st s�tsz kis sz�cs.
Translation: What are you cooking little furrier? You are cooking salted meat, little furrier.\n* Te tetted e tettetett tettet, te! Te tettetett tettek tettese, te!
Translation: You! Did you do this false act? You! You are the doer of false acts!\n* K�t p�k k�t sz�p k�k k�pet k�r.
Translation: Two bakers are asking for two nice blue pictures.\n* Nem minden fajta szarka farka tarka csak a tarka fark� szarka farka tarka.
Translation: Not all kinds of magpies have medley tails, only the medley-tailed kind of magpie has medley tails.\n* Megszents�gtelen�thetetlens�gesked�seitek�rt.
(this is the longest hungarian word, kind of untranslatable) Aproximate translation: For the impossibility of you (plural) committing multiple acts of desecration.