# tongue twisters



## Sharon

Hello All!!
For anyone wanting to drive yourself crazy for a while, here are some of the best I know.

*Rubber baby buggy bumpers.

Three grey geese in green fields grazing.

The sixth sick Sheik's sixth sheep is sick.

We surely shall see the sun shine soon.

Swan swam over the pond.
Swim, swan, swim !
Swan swam back again.
Well swum, swan.*

What other ones do people know? - All languages, please!


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## Tormenta

Erre con erre carreta,  
erre con erre carril, 
que rápido ruedan las ruedas,
del ferrocarril


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## Tormenta

Trabalenguas

En un plato de trigo tres tigres comen trigo


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## dave

*I'm not the pheasant plucker
I'm the pheasant plucker's mate
I only pluck the pheasants
When the pheasant plucker's late*

Careful!


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## belén

how much wood would a woodchop chop if a woodchop could chop wood!
as much wood as a woodchop would if a woodchop could chop wood!

Uf, I even had a hard time writing it!!!


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## cuchuflete

If you are really daring, and in the privacy of your own home, try to say this very quickly a few times.  If you do it in front of your children, the odds are good that everyone will end up laughing a carcajadas.

Three smart men, they felt smart.


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## walnut

Quite difficult to write down and a total nonsense in Italian too!

Se l'arcivescovo di Costantinopoli 
si disarcivescoviscostantinopolizzasse
vi disarcivescoviscontantinopolizzereste voi?

Ciao   Walnut


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## zebedee

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,
How much pickled pepper did Peter Piper pick?


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## zebedee

she sells sea shells on the sea shore

red lorry yellow lorry (repeat several times)


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## jacinta

belen said:
			
		

> how much wood would a woodchop chop if a woodchop could chop wood!
> as much wood as a woodchop would if a woodchop could chop wood!
> 
> Uf, I even had a hard time writing it!!!


Here's how I learned this one:

how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
A woodchuck could chuck lots of wood if a woodchuck could chuck wood.


Otras en enspañol:

Compadre compreme un coco.  Compadre no compro coco.  Como poco coco como, poco coco compro.

Pepe Pecas pica papas con un pico.  Con un pico pica papas Pepe Pecas.


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## cuchuflete

zebedee said:
			
		

> Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,
> If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,
> How much pickled pepper did Peter Piper pick?



When my boys were little, we used to read a Spanish version, not a translation _per se_ of this nursery rhyme.  It went something like this:

Pepón era un perro sin par
que pedía pimientos sin parar
pero pedía por pedir
porque pedía
para ponerlos, poco a poco 
en una pila.

Papá Pacón prudente le preguntó,
¿Porqué pides pedigüeno?
Por qué no pidas pingüinos, 
pelícanos o palomas?

Pero no pidas pimientos 
que no son propios 
para tu paladar.


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## Silvia B

A famous italian one:

trentatre trentini transitavano per Trento trainando trentatre trattori.

and another one:

sopra la panca la capra campa sotto la panca la capra crepa.

Bye bye!


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## Rob625

Another italian one:
Te ti intrighi a dire "tre tigri contro tre tigri"?

And one I invented myself:
Tra la R e la L devi toglierglielo.

And a variant of the english one already given. I think this scans better:
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
If a woodchuck could chuck wood?
A woodchuck would chuck all-the-wood-'e-could-chuck
If a woodchuck could chuck wood.


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## DDT

Another Italian one:
Se l'arcivescovo di Costantinopoli si disarcivescovocostantinopolizzasse, ti disarcivescovocostantinopolizzeresti tu?

One more English tonguetwister I happened...to notice  :
If you notice this notice you'll notice this notice is not worth noticing.


DDT


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## belén

La que dice Zebedee un poquito más larga (¡¡para liarnos más!!)



			
				zebedee said:
			
		

> she sells sea shells on the sea shore
> 
> ...the sea shells that she sells are sea shells I am sure


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## Welshie

zebedee said:
			
		

> red lorry yellow lorry (repeat several times)



I always knew it as  red lolly yellow lorry  ,makes it even harder


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## Helene

Let's hear some in French !

Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont elles sèches archi sèches ?

Natacha n'attacha pas son chat Pacha qui s'échappa ce qui facha Sacha qui chassa Natacha

or just try say fast : panier, piano, panier, piano...


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## niña

*Los cojines de la Reina.
Los cajones del Sultán.
¡Qué cojines!
¡Qué cajones!
¿En qué cajonera van?*

Note: Take care that you pronounce "a" in "cajones" and "cajonera" and not "o"   


*En Pinto, Juan Ponte el quinto, por la pintura despunta, y el puente de punta a punta pinta al punto Ponte en Pinto. *


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## belén

El perro de San Roque no tiene rabo, porque Ramón Rodríguez se lo ha cortado.

Un limón, medio limón, dos limones, medio limón, tres limones, medio limón, cuatro limones, medio limón...

y uno en catalán...

setze jutges d'un jutjat, menjen fetge d'un penjat


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## Ladydean

Just try and say "toy boat" ten times fast (or at any speed... it is about impossible)


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## smallwiedy

One more in spanish

El cielo esta enladrillado
quien lo desenladrillara
el desenladrillador que lo desenladrille
buen desenladrillador sera


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## Learning

DDT and WALNUT the one you wrote "Se l'arcivescovo di Costantinopoli si disarcivescovocostantinopolizzasse, ti disarcivescovocostantinopolizzeresti tu?" exists also in Spanish lol. It would be:
"El arzobispo de Constantinopla está arzobispoconstantinoplinizado, el desarzobispoconstantinoplador que lo desarzobispeconstantinople, buen desarzobispoconstantinoplador será
Saludos


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## Silvia

Silvia B said:
			
		

> trentatre trentini transitavano per Trento trainando trentatre trattori.


 I never ever heard that one!

The actual saying is:

"Trentatre trentini entrarono a Trento tutti e trentatre trotterellando"


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## walnut

Learning said:
			
		

> "El arzobispo de Constantinopla está arzobispoconstantinoplinizado, el desarzobispoconstantinoplador que lo desarzobispeconstantinople, buen desarzobispoconstantinoplador será
> Saludos


     Can't stop laughing, El Arzobispo sounds fantastic in italian... haaaahhaaaa!
I swear, I'll learn it by heart! 
Ciao, Walnut (aka El Arzobispo)


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## Silvia

Now one in Milanese, try it! :

Ti che te tachet i tacc
tachem i tacc a mi, che mi ti attachi a ti,
ti che te tachet i tacc.
Mi tacatt i tacc a ti?
tachete ti i tò tacc!
Ti che te tachet i tacc!


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## walnut

silviap said:
			
		

> Now one in Milanese, try it! :
> Ti che te tachet i tacc
> tachem i tacc a mi, che mi ti attachi a ti,
> ti che te tachet i tacc.
> Mi tacatt i tacc a ti?
> tachete ti i tò tacc!
> Ti che te tachet i tacc!


   Io la so diversa!
Ti che te tachet i tacc
tachem i tacc!
Mi tacàrti i tacc a ti che tachi i tacc???
tàchete ti i to tacc,
ti che te tàchet i tacc!

Gran dialetto, il milanese! 
 Ciao! Walnut


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## DDT

Learning said:
			
		

> DDT and WALNUT the one you wrote "Se l'arcivescovo di Costantinopoli si disarcivescovocostantinopolizzasse, ti disarcivescovocostantinopolizzeresti tu?" exists also in Spanish lol. It would be:
> "El arzobispo de Constantinopla está arzobispoconstantinoplinizado, el desarzobispoconstantinoplador que lo desarzobispeconstantinople, buen desarzobispoconstantinoplador será
> Saludos



Great! Latin cultures share tongue twisters even! 

DDT


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## fetchezlavache

six jeunes filles juchées sur six chaises chuchotèrent ceci : jeune chasseur peu soucieux sois chanceux, sache chasser ce chat caché sous ces souches sèches...


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## lauranazario

Este es parecido al del arzobispo....

El cielo está encancaranublado
¿quién lo encancaranublaría?
Aquel que lo encancaranubló,
buen encancaranublador sería.


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## lauranazario

Acabo de acordarme de otro...

"Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal".


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## DDT

lauranazario said:
			
		

> Acabo de acordarme de otro...
> 
> "Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal".



"Tre tigri contro tre tigri" in Italian!  

DDT


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## mjscott

How many sheets could a sheet-slitter slit
If a sheet-slitter could slit sheets?
He'd slit all the sheets that a sheet-slitter could,
If a sheet-slitter could slit sheets.


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## mjscott

Betty Botter bought some butter.
"But," she said, "This butter's bitter!"
"If I use this bitter butter
It will make my batter bitter."
Before baking bitter batter,
Betty Botter bought some better butter.


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## JeSuisChristyna

several sleepy sweepers swept several sooty streets. the sleepy sweepers swept the streets but soon the sweepers fell asleep.


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## badger

Hi sharon 

this not a tongue twister but if you repeat out loud a few 
times the meaning changes.

"Polish it behind the door" 

 he he he   

badger.


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## badger

I'm not a pheasant plucker i'm a pheasant plucker's son

I'm only plucking pheasant's til the pheasant plucker comes.

badg.


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## Leopold

Éste es homicida:

"Pablito clavó un clavito, ¿qué clavito clavó Pablito?"

L.


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## libertylover

zebedee said:
			
		

> Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,
> If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,
> How much pickled pepper did Peter Piper pick?



Actually it is harder if you recite it like this:  
Peter Piper the pickled pepper picker picked a peck of pickled peppers
If Peter Piper the pickled pepper picker, picked a peck of pickled pepper,
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper the pickled pepper picker pick?

 You know you want to try it!    
Do it while NO ONE is watching


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## Artrella

Este me lo decía mi Yaya, nunca le encontré sentido hasTA hace muy poquito tiempo.....

*"Si porque te quiero mucho, quieres que te quiera más; te quiero más que a mi vida. ¿Qué más quieres?, ¿quieres más?. Te amo tanto que si el salvarte fuera la muerte, y el perderte tener vida; prefiero la muerte y salvarte, a perderte y tener vida". * 



ArT


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## Leopold

Yo me sabía este: ¿Cómo quieres que te quiera si el que quiero que me quiera no me quiere como quiero que me quiera?

L.


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## Jonegy

Try these :-

'O pe do Pedro é preto'

and an English one :-

I chased a bug
around a tree.
I'll have his blood,
he knows I will.

My ex wife (carioca) and I taught these to our children when they were very small. Then waited until they were old enough to understand what they were saying. The adults of the family were of course in stitches of laughter.


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## Emperorjojo

how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
a woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

its not really a tounge twister, its just a play on words, wood, would, woodchuck, would chuck


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## lsp

short, sweet, and still very tough to say 10 times fast...even 3!

UNIQUE NEW YORK


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## Whodunit

Die Katze tritt die Treppe krumm.

Bei der Post wird gepackt, gekullert und geschmissen.
(Repeating a lot: You'd say: Bei der Post wird gekackt (shit/shat), gepullert (pissed) und geschissen (shit).)

Der Cottbuser Postkutscher putzt den Cottbuser Postkutschkasten.
Den Cottbuser Postkutschkasten putzt der Cottbuser Postkutscher.

Fischers Fritze fischt frische Fische. Frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritze.

Warum heißen Teigwaren Teigwaren? Teigwaren heißen Teigwaren, weil Teigwaren mal Teig waren.


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## beigatti

Perhaps it is too late to add to this thread.

Essig esse ich nicht.  Aber wenn ich Essig esse, esse ich Essig im Salat.

Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut und Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid.

Jo-Ann


as always...correct any mistakes.


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## mjscott

Portuguese:
Can someone help me with a tongue-twister my grandmother from the Azores taught my dad when he was little and he tried to teach me (I was unteachable at the time, and neither are here to learn it from, now.) The translation into English is somewhat of the following:
Beneath a pipe
There was a chick.
While the pipe steamed,
The chick cheeped.

Thanks-
mjscott


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## Jessuki

belen said:
			
		

> y uno en catalán...
> 
> setze jutges d'un jutjat, men*g*en fetge d'un penjat



Sólo una cosa, menjen va con g


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## vachecow

Does anyone know a French twister that involves a worm?


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## ling0127

Here's one from the Philippine Islands...

Menikaniko ni Monico ang makina ng manika ni Monica


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## supachatty

"D'Chuechli sin im Chuchichaeschtli! " 

Swiss-German is hell on the throat!  

chatty


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## Doina

Here's an easy one from Romania:

"Capra crapa piatra-n patru" 

And another one for... "professional" twisters:

"Capra a sarit pe piatra
Si piatra a crapat in patru
Crapa-i-ar capul caprei in patru
Cum a crapat si piatra-n patru"

Do you think we should also add their translation, just for fun?


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## camry jewel richardson

HELLO  ........

here's another one .......

betty butter bought a bit of butter
but she said this butter is bitter
if i put it in my battery
it will make my bitter butter better
so she bought a bit of butter
better than betty butter.

ENJOY READING ........

cj


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## flurk

One in Dutch:
De koetsier poetst de postkoets met postkoetspoets.

And one in French:
Un chasseur sachant chasser sans son chien de chasse est un excellent chasseur.


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## nahash

hi there! 

I can share with you  a tongue twister which is tagalog,the native language of Philippines,but i'll just translate it into english.


Ang Relo ni Leroy ay Rolex...repeat  as much as you can.
-The watch of leroy is rolex.


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## mari.kit

here are some Spanish tongue twisters:

@Poquito a poquito Paquito empaca poquitas copitas en pocos paquetes. 

**(Little by little, Paquito packs a few tiny  glasses in a few packages.) 

@Pepe puso un peso en el piso del pozo. En el piso del pozo Pepe puso un peso. 

**(Pepe put a peso on the floor of the well. On  the floor of the well Pepe put a   peso.) 

@Una cacatrepa trepa tiene tres cacatrepitos. Cuando la cacatrepa trepa trepan los tres cacatrepitos. 

**(A climbing caterpillar has three baby caterpillars. When the climbing  caterpillar climbs the three baby caterpillars climb.)


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## LanceKitty

Here's one from Stephen King's horror novel, *IT*. 

He thrusts his fist
Against the post
And still insists
He sees the ghost

 Is it true that tongue twisters can help with stutters?


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## Pato

Mi madre me contaba esas cosas siendo yo pequeña, rimas con una sola letra al comienzo, a modo de juego, hay una toda con p pero no la recuerdo entera.

Peperepinto pobre pintor portugues pinta paredes puertas persianas puliendo pisos para poder pasear por Paris pasando primero por Puerto Principe  pequeña poblacion posteriormente por ...... y creo que seguia ¿alguno la recuerda?

o tres tigres comen un plato de trigo
   un plato de trigo comen tres tigres
Hay muchos de esos trabalenguas como tambien estan los colmos, refranes, y demas cosas a mi simpre me gustaron.


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## caoimhe

this one isn't really a toungue twister as to teach little children how to pronounce

les poules couvent souvent au couvent (because you don't pronounce the first nt whereas you do on the latter two)

Here is an irish one
Bhí Joe ag bean Joe agus bhí banjo ag Joe.
B'fhearr go deo Joe ar an mbanjo ná bean Joe ar an mbanjo go deo. 
(Joe's wife had Joe and Joe had a banjo. Joe was far better on the banjo than his wife.)

I have loads more but I have found a site which does them in all different languages but i can't post its name here. But trust me there is a site.


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## Inara

zebedee said:
			
		

> she sells sea shells on the sea shore *of the Seyshell*


I don't remember to spell it well, sorry


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## Ahlex

she sells sea shells on the sea shore,on the sea shore she sells sea shells,sea shell she sells on the sea shore........


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## amikama

For Hebrew readers: Rubik Rosental has recently listed many Hebrew tongue-twisters in his weekly column (Part I - Part II).


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## laulop

Hi!
I need to know some tongue twisters in foreign languages. Could you help me, please?


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## sismint

The first one I learnt in English:

"She sells sea shells on the sea shore"


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## Whodunit

I bet this should satisfy your expectations.


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## Outsider

And, if not, you always have the Internet Collection of International Tongue-Twisters, or you can google for more.


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## Javiergonrol

Hello! 
Nice topic! I learnt one in Chinese at lecture last month ...

si4 shi4 si4   (4 is 4)
shi2 shi4 shi2   (10 is 10)
shi2 si4 shi4 shi2 si4   (14 is 14)
si4 shi2 si4 shi4 si4 shi2 si4   (44 is 44)


Hope you like it!!  Ahh! an Spanish one of course:

"EL cielo está enladrillado,
¿quién lo desenladrillará?
el buen desenladrillador que lo desenladrille,
¡buen desenladrillador será!"

("The sky is covered by bricks,
who will remove them?
the good person who makes it,
well bricks-remover will be!")

My apologies about the last translation, too literally, corrections welcome!
There is another Chinese tongue twister about a tiger, but I can't remember it, can anyone help me as well?

JavierGonRol
​


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## KingSix

A classic tongue twister in Dutch: "De kat krabt de krollen van de trap."
Or even harder: "De koetsier poetst de postkoets met postkoetspoetsmiddel."


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## MingRaymond

Mandarin:
西施死時四十四 (xi1 shi1 si3 shi2 si4 shi2 si4) (Xishi was 44 when she died).
Xishi was a legendary beauty of the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) in
ancient China.


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## Ilmo

Finnish:
*Vesihiisi se sihisi hississä* (to train pronouncing "s")
*Mustan kissan paksut posket* (they often mix the consonant combinations "ks" and "sk" and pronounce "paskut pokset", that, of course, means nothing.
*Appilan pappilan apupapin papupata pankolla kiehuu ja kuohuu.* The dificulty lies in word "apupapin papupata".
The following is a dialog:
*-Kokoo koko kokko kokoon.*
*-Koko kokkoko?*
*-Koko kokko.*
As a "twister" for foreigners I use to give the Finnish word for "night work". It is in Finnish *yötyö.*
Note: y is pronounced like e in "new" and "ö" like i in "girl". Happy pronouncing!


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## amikama

Please translate all the Finnish sentences into English so that non-Finns (like me) can enjoy them


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## Ilmo

Sorry, amikama, for neglecting the translations into English.
Finnish:
*Vesihiisi se sihisi hississä* (to train pronouncing "s")
_The Water Devil was hissing in an elevator (in a lift)._
*Mustan kissan paksut posket* (they often mix the consonant combinations "ks" and "sk" and pronounce "paskut pokset", that, of course, means nothing.
_The thick cheeks of the black cat._
*Appilan pappilan apupapin papupata pankolla kiehuu ja kuohuu.* The dificulty lies in word "apupapin papupata".
_The bean pot of the deacon of Appila (=a name) vicarage is boiling and poppling on the top of the oven._
The following is a dialog:
*-Kokoo koko kokko kokoon.
-Koko kokkoko?
-Koko kokko.*
_- Gather the whole bonfire together.
- All the bonfire?
- Entire bonfire._

*I wish that now you can enjoy it better!*


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## moira

A sample in Catalan of tongue twisters (embarbussaments in Catalan):

_*Una gallina xica tica mica camacurta i ballarica va tenir tres fills xic tic mics camacurts i ballarics, si la gallina no fos xica mica tica camacurta i ballarica els fills no serien xics tics mics camacurts i ballarics.*

Source: http://www.arrakis.es/~francesc/jocs.html
_


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## lacharme

a sample spanish of tongue twisters  

( tres tristes tigres comen trigo en tres tristes platos de trigo ) - (El cielo esta desengaravintintaculado, quien lo desengaravintintaculara?, aquel que lo desengaravintintaculase, un buen desengaravintintaculador sera.) -(pablito clavo un clavito en la cabeza de un calvito que clavito clavo pablito en la cabeza del calvito)


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## tigger_uhuhu

1. Pedro Pablo, perito, pintor pachucho, pinta cuadros preciosos para poder pagar el pasaje a París, pasando por portugal.

2. (Repítelo varias veces seguidas lo más rápido que puedas, verás lo divertido) Camarón-caramelo, caramelo-camarón, camarón-caramelo, caramelo-camarón...

3. En el monte de parangaricutirimícuaro hay un parangaricutirimicualizador, el que logre desemparangaricutirimicualizarlo será un excelente desparangaricutirimicualizador.

4. Pepe pecas pica papas con un pico, con un pico Pepe pecas pica papas.

5. (Repítelo varias veces seguidas lo más rápido que puedas, verás lo divertido) Tira la piedra y esconde el codo, esconde el codo y tira la piedra. Tira la piedra y esconde el codo, esconde el codo y tira la piedra.

6. Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal en tres tristes trastos...

** Ahora no recuerdo más pero me has tenido un buen rato pensando


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## lingon

Swedish classic:
Packa pappas kappsäck!
Pronounciation: Pakka pappas kappsekk!
Translation: Pack up daddy's suit-case!
Mode: Repeat fast. Packa pappas kappsäck!Packa pappas kappsäck!Packa pappas kappsäck!Packa pappas kappsäck!Packa pappas kappsäck!
 And well - trying the translation I find that quite hard too...


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## Tino_no

Here's a VERY complete list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tongue-twisters


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## Elieri

The one to rule them all in swedish must be "*Typiskt västkustskt*". It means "typically westcoastish" and take note that ALL consonants are to be pronounced.


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## GipSy AnNy

El cielo está desengarabintintaculado, 
quién lo desengarabintintaculará? 
Aquel que lo desengarabintintaculace,
el mejor desengarabintintaculador será.

ºººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº

Pablito clavó un clavito,
¿Qué clavito clavó Pablito?

ºººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº


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## Alberto77

i know this one:
tre tigri contro tre tigri
try to say it fast... ;-P

and this:

trentatre trentini entrarono a trento tutti e trentatre trotterellando

ciao
alb


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## Hakro

Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cent scies scient six cent cyprès.


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## GO SENS GO

Has anyone heard this one, althought i think i made it up(by accident)

5 times fast: Shwarma Shop in Shanghai


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## MonsieurAquilone

What noise annoys an oyster?  A noisy noise annoys an oyster!


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## frenchtranslater

Try this:

Un chasseur sachant chasser sans son chien de chasse est un bon chasseur


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## Saoul

German:

Zehn Ziegen zogen zehn Zetner Zucker zum Zoo.

Italian
Apelle figlio d'Apollo, fece una palla di pelle di pollo, tutti i pesci vennero a galla per vedere la palla di pelle di pollo fatta da Apelle figlio d'Apollo.


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## oscarlami

Here´s an old Galician one that my father used to tell me when I was a child.

Eu ben vin estar o moucho
enriba daquel penedo,
non che teño medo moucho,
moucho non che teño medo.

And also:

Perixel comín, 
perixel xantei
de tanto perixel 
enperexilei.

__


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## optimistique

Some funny Dutch tongue twisters:

"Knappe kappers kappen knap, maar de knecht van de knappe kapper kapt nog knapper dan de knappe kapper kappen kan."

"Als een potvis in een pispot pist, heb je een pispot vol potvispis."

"Ping en Pong speelden Pingpong. Ping speelde de pingpongbal naar Pong en Pong speelde de pingpongbal naar Ping."


You can find many more here: www.uebersetzung.at/twister/nl.htm


----------



## Ralf

Saoul said:
			
		

> German:
> 
> Zehn Ziegen zogen zehn Zetner Zucker zum Zoo.
> ...pollo.


Don't miss the fun of the extended version:

Am Zehnten Zehnten Zehn Uhr Zehn zogen zehn zahme Ziegen zehn Zentner Zucker zum Zittauer Zug.

Ralf


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## Saoul

Ralf said:
			
		

> Don't miss the fun of the extended version:
> 
> Am Zehnten Zehnten Zehn Uhr Zehn zogen zehn zahme Ziegen zehn Zentner Zucker zum Zittauer Zug.
> 
> Ralf


 
Das ist prima! Danke Ralf!


----------



## badgrammar

I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.

I use this one sometimes in advanced English seminars, because it is often hard for native FRench speakers to differentiate the short "i" and long "e" sounds in English. Very useful and quite funny when repeated....


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## Just_Wil

Uno facilito:
Pancha aplancha con cuatro planchas,
con cuántas planchas aplancha Pancha?


----------



## alisone

one i learned in french...

Le ver vert va vers le verre vert


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## Thomas1

A few in Polish:
Chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie w Szczebrzeszynie z tego słynie

stół z powyłamywanymi nogami

Król Karol kupił królowej Karolinie korale, koloru kralowego.

To coż że ze Szwecji.

Leży Jerzy na wieży i nie wierzy, że na drugiej wieży leży drugi Jerzy.


----------



## Pivra

In Thai

Ranong Rayong Yala ...... try saying it fast with a strong R


----------



## Chozak

In Czech:

Plh zdrh skrs drn plv zhlt hrst zrn.
Strč prst skrz krk.
Nejkulaťoulinkatější.
Třista třicet tři stříbrných stříkaček stříkalo přes třista třicet tři stříbrných střech.


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## Pumpkin72

De éste parece que hay más versiones:

_Si tu gusto gustara del gusto que gusta a mi gusto,
mi gusto también gustaría del gusto que gusta a tu gusto.
Pero como tu gusto no gusta del gusto que gusta a mi gusto,
mi gusto no gusta del gusto que gusta a tu gusto._

This one is not really tongue twisting, just sounds stupid. Two guys see a sign saying "Fruit and.....vegetables", so one of them tells the other:

- The distance between _fruit_ and _and_, and _and_ and _vegetables_ is not the same.

Now read that ^


----------



## lizzeymac

Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat

Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.

Moses supposes his toeses are roses,
        but Moses supposes erroneously.
        For Moses, he knowses his toeses aren't roses,
        as Moses supposes his toeses to be.
("knowses" & "toeses" are not standard English)


        If you're keen on stunning 
        kites and cunning stunts,
        buy a cunning stunning stunt kite.

Careful, this one can get ugly.


----------



## shaloo

Hi there!

I would like to put in my contribution too...

All of us have learnt mathematical tables (2 one's 2, 2 two's 4....) when we were kids. Right??
Well now, lets go back a few years but with a little change.

liril one's liril
liril two's liril liril
liril three's liril liril liril
liril four's liril liril liril liril
liril five's liril liril liril liril liril
liril six's liril liril liril liril liril liril
liril seven's liril liril liril liril liril liril liril
liril eight's liril liril liril liril liril liril liril liril
liril nine's liril liril liril liril liril liril liril liril liril
liril ten's liril liril liril liril liril liril liril liril liril liril

Try out naah!! 
Shalu


----------



## linguist786

Sorry to spoil this lol, but here are some great ones.


----------



## Sofia29

María Chucena techaba su choza 
y un techador que por ahí pasaba le dijo:
"¿María Chucena, tú techas tu choza o techas la ajena?"
"No techo mi choza ni techo la ajena, yo techo la choza de María Chucena".


----------



## gato2

Otro en catalan,

En Pinxo va dir a en Panxo, vols que et punxi amb un punxó?,
En Panxo va dir a en Pinxo, si però a la panxa no.


----------



## gato2

Me han dicho que he dicho un dicho, pero ese dicho no lo he dicho y si lo hubiera dicho estaria muy bien dicho por haberlo dicho yo.


----------



## nokeeffe99

One in Gaelic (Irish version)

D'ith dath dubh ubh leamh i Neamh!

(a black ox ate a stale egg in heaven)


----------



## maxiogee

nokeeffe99 said:
			
		

> One in Gaelic (Irish version)
> 
> D'ith dath dubh ubh leamh i Neamh!
> 
> (a black ox ate a stale egg in heaven)



*Tá sé fear!*     

The "dath" is redundant, it is only used in describing the colour black, it means colour…
and the "dubh" is before the egg, not the ox…
and anyway Irish adjectives are placed after their nouns, ubh dubh - a black egg…
and is not an ox _damh_? (_leamh_ is soft, weak, impotent!)


----------



## nokeeffe99

Freudian slip with the dath! 

It should have been damh, i.e. "ox"

D'ith damh dubh ubh leamh i neamh. 

My dictionary says leamh for stale - at least in the context of "stale air".


----------



## maxiogee

My sincere apologies.
I really overdid the mockery there and I'm sorry.

I was in bed this morning when I realised that a typo had been the problem. Also, I think the egg is a "soft egg".

*Is asal mór mé!*


----------



## Little_Me

Polish is difficult anyway, but here are the most difficult, I guess, phrases to reapeat, especially said loudly and quickly (some alraedy provided by Thomas):
*- Chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie w Szczebrzeszynie i Szczebrzeszyn z tego słynie! *(are you brave enough to at least read it?)

*- Król Karol kupił królowej Karolinie korale koloru koralowego.

- Wróbelek Walerek miał mały werbelek. Werbelek wróbelka miał mały felerek. Felerek werbelka naprawił wróbelek. Wróbelek Walerek na werbelku swym gra!

- Stół w powyłamywanymi nogami.

- W czasie suszy szosa sucha.

*Wow, even writing it is difficult... Have fun with it! 
Greetings 

*
*


----------



## kriumif

in Maltese:

Toni tani tina talli tajtu tuta tajba

(translation in English - Tony gave me a fig cos i gave him a good blackberry)


----------



## moura

Three Portuguese tongue twisters (in Portuguese trava-línguas)
The first one is special do mjscott (from Azores) - the most similar I found:

Atrás da pia havia um prato, 
um pinto 
e um gato. 
Pinga a pia, 
apara o prato, 
pia o pinto 
e mia o gato.

(Beneath a pipe/There was a chick/While the pipe steamed/The chick cheeped).


Era um ninho de mafagafos
Com quatro mafagafinhos
Quando a mafagafa sai
Sem os quatro mafagafinhos
Fica tudo mafagafado

mafagafo = bird


Esta burra torta trota
Trota, trota, a burra torta.
Trinca a murta, a murta brota
Brota a murta ao pé da porta.

burra = female donkey


----------



## marinp

Aqui esta uno que usualmente se encuentra en los libros de texto gratuitos que se dan en las escuelas publicaas de México:

"Guerra tenia una parra y Parra tenia una perra
Pero la perra de Parra rompio la parra de Guerra.
Guerra pego con la porra a la perra de Parra.
Oiga usted señor Guerra, Porque ha pegado con la porra a la perra de Parra?
Porque si la perra de Parra no hubiera roto la parra de Guerra,
Guerra no hubiera pegado con la porra a la perra de Parra."


----------



## charlyboy81

frenchtranslater said:
			
		

> Try this:
> 
> Un chasseur sachant chasser sans son chien de chasse est un bon chasseur


 
Elle est un peu simplifiée là  Normalement c'est:

Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien! (ouf)


----------



## MariBR

*In Portuguese:*
 
Casa suja, chão sujo
 
O rato roeu a roupa do rei do Roma.
Rainha raivosa rasgou o resto.
 
O doce perguntou pro doce qual é o doce mais doce.
O doce respondeu pro doce que o doce mais doce é o doce da batata-doce.
 
 
*And in Spanish:*
 
Si Pancha plancha con cuatro planchas, ¿cón cuántas planchas Pancha plancha?
 
El perrito de Rita me irrita.
Si el perrito de Rita te irrita, dile a Rita que cambie el perrito por una perrita.​


----------



## french4beth

My father sells ships in the shipyard.
Molasses on the table.
(say these while holding your tongue between your thumb & your index finger - I remember these from my childhood, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth - now I've taught them to my brood!)


----------



## KaRiNe_Fr

charlyboy81 said:
			
		

> Elle est un peu simplifiée là  Normalement c'est:
> 
> Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien! (ouf)


Dans le même genre, il y a encore pire (ou mieux ?) :
"Il faut qu'un sage garde chasse sache chasser tous les chats qui chassent dans sa chasse."

Et le tout simple : 
"Suis-je chez ce cher Serge ? "


----------



## robbie_SWE

Romanian tongue twisters: 

*Bucura-te cum s-a bucurat Bucuroaia de bucuria lui Bucurel care s-a intors bucuros de la Bucuresti. 
*
_*Oaia aia e a ei, eu i-o iau.*_ 

Swedish tongue twister (totally impossible to say even for a native  ): 

*Herbstskts* eek: )

_*Sju sjuka sjuksköterskor tvättade sina skitiga stjärtar i rosa champagne.  
*_
* *robbie


----------



## maxiogee

Reputedly the Duke of Edinburgh's favourite tongue twister - 

The Leith police dismisseth us!


----------



## dassin

Here's the most celebrated and famous Spanish twister. There are several versions, but this is ok:

*Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en tres tristes trastos en un trigal.
*(Three sad tigers were eating wheat from three sad containers in a wheat field)

Enjoy.


----------



## deGerlaise

*Soldier's shoulders. *

Say it 3 or 4 times


----------



## gato2

En Catalan;


En cap cap cap el que cap en aquest cap.


----------



## ireney

hmmm I don't remember many Greek ones but here's some:

A as in apple
S as double ss
O as in omnibus
e as in pen
i as in ink
h as the german ch or a rather strong h in hotel
g is gamma sort of like the very first sound in You or Was or Yeah

O papas o pahis efage pahia faki.Giati papa pahi efages pahia faki?
Aspri petra xexaspri ki ap'ton ilio xexaskproteri
Mia papia ma pia papia?

Try the last one; it _seems_ easier.


----------



## nada-top

dave said:
			
		

> *I'm not the pheasant plucker
> I'm the pheasant plucker's mate
> I only pluck the pheasants
> When the pheasant plucker's late*
> 
> Careful!


 
 can you explain the meaning in Frensh


----------



## aleCcowaN

Another version of the Archibishop's in Spanish

"Al arzobispo de Constantinopla lo quieren desconstantinopolizar. Aquel desconstantinopolizador que lo desconstantinopolice, buen desconstantinopolizador será"

A Catalan one (it seemed to be triggered each time someone said 16)

"Sitse jutjes dun jutjat mengen fetje dun penjat, si es setse jutjes des jutjat no mengen fetje des penjat, es penjat es menjera es setse fetjes des setse jutjes des jutjat"

And finally, Ozzie Osbourne and Sylvester Stallone speeches.


----------



## amelesperanza

Here is one in spanish, if well i remember:
Pablito clavó un clavito, ¿qué clavo clavó pablito?


----------



## ablazza

Rob625 said:
			
		

> Another italian one:
> Te ti intrighi a dire "tre tigri contro tre tigri"?
> 
> And one I invented myself:
> Tra la R e la L devi toglierglielo.
> 
> And a variant of the english one already given. I think this scans better:
> How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
> If a woodchuck could chuck wood?
> A woodchuck would chuck all-the-wood-'e-could-chuck
> If a woodchuck could chuck wood.


----------



## ablazza

Here's my version :
'How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?
He'd chuck as much wood as a wood chuck could chuck if a wood chuck would chuck wood'.

Also : 'Round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran'.

How about this great one from an old music hall song:

'What I want is a proper cup of coffee, made in a proper copper coffee pot.  
I must be off my top, but I want a cup of coffee from a proper coffee pot.
Tin coffee pots, iron coffee pots; they're no use to me.
If I can't have a proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot, I'll have a cup of tea'.


----------



## amelesperanza

I just remember one from mary poppins in the spanish version: supercalifragilisticoespialidoso


----------



## ShOoK

jacinta said:
			
		

> Here's how I learned this one:
> 
> how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
> A woodchuck could chuck lots of wood if a woodchuck could chuck wood.


There seem to be many different versions. Here's the one I know:
"How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood? It'd chuck all the wood that a woodchuck could, if a woodchuck could chuck wood"


----------



## Aleco

Are there any tongue twister sin your language?
Here are some Norwegian tongue twisters (included dialects)

Veggpapp, takpapp, veggpapp, takpapp
Ibsens russiske ripsbusker og andre buskevekster - try this
Russiske ripsbusker og andre russiske ripsbusksvekster - another variant
Æ e i a! Æ e i a æ å -  Means lit. "I am in a! I am in a I too"...
Å er'e for vær hærræ været her er æ? Bli vær og vær hærræ været her, jo! - my dialect


----------



## Javier Criguel

Voy por la Carretera de rosas con un carro cargado de rocas y piedras.
-I think this twister is supposed to confuse to speaker in saying the strongly trilled 'r' sound and the lightly trilled 'r' sound


----------



## natasha2000

I found this in my e-mail in-box this morning:


> 1 - Módulo básico:
> En español: Tres brujas miran tres relojes Swatch. ¿Qué bruja mira qué reloj?
> En inglés: *Three witches watch three Swatch watches. Which witch watches which Swatch watch?*
> 
> 2 - Módulo avanzado:
> En español: Tres brujas "travestis" miran los botones de tres relojes Swatch. ¿Qué bruja travesti mira los botones de qué reloj Swatch?
> En inglés: *Three switched witches watch three Swatch watch switches. Which switched witch watches which Swatch watch switch? *
> 
> 3 - ...Y éste ya es para masters:
> En español: Tres brujas suecas transexuales miran los botones de tres relojes "Swatch" suizos. ¿Qué bruja sueca transexual mira a qué botón de qué reloj "Swatch" suizo?
> En inglés: *Three Swedish switched witches watch three Swiss Swatch watch switches. Which Swedish switched witch watches which Swiss Swatch watch switch?*


----------



## Mei

belen said:


> y uno en catalán...
> 
> setze jutges d'un jutjat, menjen fetge d'un penjat



Hace poco leí esta versión de la escritora Empar Moliner: 

Setze jutges tolerants mengen plats vegetarians. (16 jueces tolerantes comen platos vegetarianos... la original, como ya han puesto antes es "16 jueces de un juzgado comen higado de un colgado")

 Me gusta más que la original.

Mei


----------



## jonquiliser

*Mod note:*
*This is was a new thread that I merged with the older one.*

I hope this isn't outside the scope of this forum, but hopefully not because I'm so curious: could you please tell me tongue-twisters in other languages, and also how to say the word "tongue twister" in those languages!

In Swedish they are "tungvrickare", and here's one: Sjuhundrasjuttiosju sjösjuka sjömän sköljde sju skjortor på skeppet Shanghai.

(And a lovely one in English, preferably Cockney : Bettie bought a bit of butter, but the bit of butter Bettie bought was bitter, so Bettie bought a better bit of butter.) 

Thank you!


----------



## dn88

Hello jonquiliser,

In Polish it's "łamaniec językowy" (plural - "łamańce językowe").

Here you've got the most popular Polish tongue twisters:

"W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie i Szczebrzeszyn z tego słynie, że chrząszcz wlaśnie brzęczał w trzcinie."

"W czasie suszy suchą szosą Sasza szedł."

And not so pupular, however, it's a nice one in my opinion:

"W trzęsawisku trzeszczą trzciny, trzmiel trze w Trzciance trzy trzmieliny a trzy byczki znad Trzebyczki z trzaskiem trzepią trzy trzewiczki."

Cheers


----------



## Nander

The most common ones in Swedish:

_Sex laxar i en laxask.

Sju sjösjuka sjömän sköttes av tjugosju skönsjungande sjuksköterskor på det sjunkande skeppet Shanghai.

Far, får får får? Nej, får får lamm.
_


----------



## Honour

frenchtranslater said:


> Try this:
> 
> Un chasseur sachant chasser sans son chien de chasse est un bon chasseur


 
I used to know this as:
Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien.


----------



## Chazzwozzer

A German tongue twister I've learned recently (thanks to Whodunit  )

_*der Cottbuser Postkutscher putzt den Cottbuser Postkutschkasten, den Cottbuser Postkutschkasten putzt der Cottbuser Postkutscher.

*_My favorites in Turkish include* 
Kartal kalkar dal sarkar, dal sarkar kartal kalkar. *_(The branch rises the eagle sinks, the eagle sinks the branch rises.)_
and
*Şemsipaşa Pasajı'nda sesi büzüşesiceler.*_ [I take my hat off to those who can say it so quickly. ]_


----------



## lizzeymac

I believe it goes like this:

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood.


----------



## dn88

Once I saw it somewhere (hope it goes the following way):

"She was surprised to see such a strange shell on the seashore."

Maybe it is supposed to be hard to pronounce, but I don't think it actually is.


----------



## deine

Lithuanian one:

šešios žąsys su šešiais žąsyčiais (six geese with six goslings)

My favorite one:  
Geri vyrai geroj girioj gerą girą gerai gėrė gerdami gyrė (good men in good wood drank good kwass, while dranking they praise it)

French:

Je suis un originale, que ne ce desoriginaliserai jamais.


----------



## Eáránë

In Dutch:

'Ik mix wisky met een wisky mixer'
'De meid snijdt recht en de knecht snijdt scheef'
'De postkoetsier poetst de postkoets met postkoetspoets'


----------



## Thomas1

dn88 said:


> Once I saw it somewhere (hope it goes the following way):
> 
> "She was surprised to see such a strange shell on the seashore."
> 
> Maybe it is supposed to be hard to pronounce, but I don't think it actually is.


 I guess our equivalents would drive English-speakers (and not only) furious:


			
				me said:
			
		

> Chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie w Szczebrzeszynie z tego słynie





Little_Me said:


> [...]
> *- W czasie suszy szosa sucha.*
> [...]


----------



## dn88

Hi Tom, I thought to myself:

"She was surprised to see such strange a shell on the seashore."

- the word order changed and thus harder to pronounce.


----------



## Lello4ever

I found some very funny

In english

A twister of twists once twisted a twist;
A twist that he twisted was a three-twisted twist;
If in twisting a twist one twist should untwist,
The untwisted twist would untwist the twist.

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

How many cans can a cannibal nibble
if a cannibal can nibble cans?
As many cans as a cannibal can nibble
if a cannibal can nibble cans.

I thought a thought.
But the thought I thought wasn't the thought
I thought I thought.

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

Once upon a barren moor
There dwelt a bear, also a boar.
The bear could not bear the boar.
The boar thought the bear a bore.
At last the bear could bear no more
Of that boar that bored him on the moor,
And so one morn he bored the boar
That boar will bore the bear no more

In Italian

Chi ama chiama chi ama, 
chiamami tu che chi ami chiami. 
Chi amo chiamero’ se tu non chiami

Peppe dà la pappa al pupo, 
il pupo dà la pappa a Peppe: 
tanta pappa pappa il pupo 
quanta pappa pappa Peppe

Se la serva non ti serve,
a che serve che ti serva
di una serva che non serve?
Serviti di una serva che serve,
e se questa non ti serve,
serviti dei miei servi.

Sa chi sa se sa chi sa
che se sa non sa se sa,
sol chi sa che nulla sa
ne sa più di chi ne sa


----------



## Venezuelan_sweetie

One from Venezuela:

Pepe Paco pica piedras poco a poco con su pico
Paquita por poco le presta su pico
Porque el pico de Paco pica poca piedra
Pero Pepe Paco prefiere lo propio
Y le pide a Paquita que guarde su pico

I love hearing English natives trying to say it, as well as the typical "Tu tía tiene tos, etc". It's just too much fun!


----------



## tanzhang

Here are some in Tagalog ^ ^

Minikaniko ni Monico ang makina ni Monica.
~~~{Monico fixed Monica's sewing machine. Minikaniko = fixed, makina = sewing machine}

Minimikaniko ni Monico ang makina ng Minica ni Monica. 
~~~{Monico is fixing the engine of Monica's Minica (a small model Honda from the 1970s).

Notebook at aklat. (say this several times)
~~~{Notebook and a book}

Kakakanan lang sa kangkungan sa may kakahuyan si Ken Ken habang kumakain ng kakaibang kakanin kahapon. 
~~~{Ken Ken has just turned left where they grow kangkong where the woods are at while he's eating a different type of ricecake yesterday}

Makati sa Makati, may pari sa Aparri, mahihilo sa Iloilo at may bagio sa Baguio. 
~~~{It's itchy in Makati (city), there's a priest in Aparri (city), you'll get dizzy in Iloilo (city) and there's a storm in Baguio (city).}


----------



## TheWonderfulShoe

zebedee said:


> Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,
> If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,
> How much pickled pepper did Peter Piper pick?



I learned this one with a phrase left in the middle and a little different at the end:

"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 Peter Piper picked?"

I also learned the woodchuck one as:
"How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?  A wood chuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck COULD chuck--if a woodchuck could chuck wood."

In Spanish I learned the one to do the trilled double-"R".  Keep in mind that "rr" is pronounced "erre" with a trilled letter "R", as well as if there's a letter "R" at the beginning of a word, and a short sort of flick-ish semi-trill if it's just the letter "R".  Not a full trill, but not a flat consonant, either.  A kind French teacher who took on a Spanish class way back when I was in Freshman year in high school because it was overbooked (she was born in Cuba) taught us this for fun since some of the lower-level kids couldn't pronounce it...she said all Cuban children had to do it to learn it when she was little--she said "the teachers TORTURED us with it...we don't just know it--we have to learn it, too, you know..."  =P  A very kind woman.  ...anyhow, here goes:

"R con R 'cigarro'.
R con R 'barril'.
Rapido corren los carros
por la linea de ferrocarril."

In English:
"R with R 'cigar'.
R with R 'barrel'
The cars race(run) quickly
down(on/by) the train tracks(lines)"

...the more literal translation is there for people who use these sorts of examples to learn.  =P

Let's see...

"She sells sea shells by the sea shore" is one I know too...

"Sheena leads, Sheila needs."

"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream."

"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."
(My Uncle taught me that one, though it apparently came from something else...)

"Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards"

Here are a few one should not say unless in privacy because of the danger of inadvertent words:

"Sharen Sharpe sits in a shoe shine shop,
All day long she sit and shines,
All day long she shines and sits,
Sharen Sharpe sitting and shining in a shoe shine shop."

"I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon the slitted sheet I sit."
 "Shut the shutters and sit in the shop."

Well...that's all for now.  =P


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## Anatoli

I like this one best, the tongue-twister of tongue-twisters:

 "Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den" by Zhao Yuanren, the creator of Gwoyeu Romatzyh romanisation schema (before Hanyu Pinyin)

Some linguists see the text as a demonstration of how absurd it could be when the Chinese language is romanised. Note this only applies to the classical Chinese. Modern Chinese Mandarin can be understood without characters, just by the sound and context but for the classical Chinese you need characters.


> *Modern Mandarin pronunciation (Hanyu Pinyin):*
> « Shī Shì shí shī shǐ »
> 
> Shíshì shīshì Shī Shì, shì shī, shì shí shí shī.
> Shì shíshí shì shì shì shī.
> Shí shí, shì shí shī shì shì.
> Shì shí, shì Shī Shì shì shì.
> Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shǐ shì, shǐ shì shí shī shìshì.
> Shì shí shì shí shī shī, shì shíshì.
> Shíshì shī, Shì shǐ shì shì shíshì.
> Shíshì shì, Shì shǐ shì shí shì shí shī.
> Shí shí, shǐ shí shì shí shī, shí shí shí shī shī.
> Shì shì shì shì.
> 
> 
> * Chinese characters:*
> 
> 
> 《施氏食獅史》
> 
> 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, 適施氏適市。
> 氏視是十獅, 恃矢勢, 使是十獅逝世。
> 氏拾是十獅屍, 適石室。
> 石室濕, 氏使侍拭石室。
> 石室拭, 氏始試食是十獅。
> 食時, 始識是十獅, 實十石獅屍。
> 試釋是事。
> 
> 
> * Translation into English:*
> 
> In a stone den was a poet Shi, who loved to eat lions, and decided to eat ten.
> He often went to the market to look for lions.
> One day at ten o'clock, ten lions just arrived at the market.
> At that time, Shi just arrived at the market too.
> Seeing those ten lions, he killed them with arrows.
> He brought the corpses of the ten lions to the stone den.
> The stone den was damp. He asked his servants to wipe it.
> After the stone den was wiped, he tried to eat those ten lions.
> When he ate, he realized that those ten lions were in fact ten stone lion corpses.
> Try to explain this.


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## Forero

zebedee said:


> Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,
> If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper,
> How much pickled pepper did Peter Piper pick?



I've heard this one as:

_Peter Piper picked a peck o' pickle peppers.
But if Peter Piper picked a peck o' pickle peppers,
Where's the peck o' pickle peppers Peter Piper picked?_

A similar one in Spanish:

_Pedro Pérez Pereira, pobre pintor portugués, pinta pocos pero preciosos paisajes por poco precio, pero pidiendo pan._

Another one much harder than it looks is "toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boat".  Not much meaning to it though.

This one is not a tongue twister for what I can tell, but it looks like one: "fat free fig cakes".

And here's a rather "dangerous" one with the pattern of the woodchuck one and sounds similar to the sheik's one:

_How many sheets could a sheet slitter slit if a sheet slitter could slit sheets?_

This next is a whole tongue-twisting story:

_Esau Wood sawed wood.  All the wood Esau saw, he sought to saw.

Oh the wood Wood would saw!

And what a woodsaw Wood would saw with!

Once Esau Wood's woodsaw would saw no wood, so he sought a saw that would.  Then, one winter in the woods, Esau saw a saw saw wood like no other woodsaw Wood saw would saw wood.

So now Esau saws wood with the woodsaw he saw saw wood in the woods._


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## AkErBeLtZ

Aho-korapiloak (tongue twisters) in Basque:
- Matxin okerraren akerraren adar okerrak baino okerragorik ez dut ikusi nik!
- Otso itsu itsusiak ezin etsi etxean.


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## nhv1121

belén said:


> y uno en catalán...
> 
> setze jutges d'un jutjat, menjen fetge d'un penjat


Could you please give a translation? Thank You!


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## suslik

in Estonian:
musta lehma saba valge lehma taga, valge lehma saba musta lehma taga

You have to try to say it several times and fast

oh...I forgot the translation:
black cow's tail behind the white cow, white cow's tail behind the black cow


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## ccile_18

Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches, archi sèches?


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## badgrammar

Here's a new one, try it out three times in a row, tell me what you think!!! : 

A general generation of gender neutral genetics.


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## Athaulf

I'm noticing an interesting phenomenon: difficult tongue twisters can be easier to pronounce for non-native speakers. Most of these examples in English and Spanish are pretty easy for me to pronounce very fast and without errors. Of course, the reverse is also true -- an ordinary phrase for native speakers can be a nightmarish tongue-twister for language learners. I don't think I could ever quickly pronounce, say, _"sixth thought"_ without stuttering or spitting on my collocutors.


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## dn88

Athaulf said:


> I'm noticing an interesting phenomenon: difficult tongue twisters can be easier to pronounce for non-native speakers. Most of these examples in English and Spanish are pretty easy for me to pronounce very fast and without errors. Of course, the reverse is also true -- an ordinary phrase for native speakers can be a nightmarish tongue-twister for language learners. I don't think I could ever quickly pronounce, say, _"sixth thought"_ without stuttering or spitting on my collocutors.



Yes, that's true (at least in my humble opinion). Sometimes the most difficult tongue twisters for native speakers can be pronounced with the greatest of ease by non-native speakers, while even a single word in a foreign language can make them break out in a cold sweat. Quite frankly, I used to have problems with pronouncing the word "irreplaceable", but fortunately, now they seem to have worn off.


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## Arrius

I have a slightly different version from *Dave*:
I'm not a pheasant plucker but a pheasant plucker's son. I pick up all the feathers when the pheasant plucking's done. (It is difficult not to say pleasant f***er by mistake).
Another English one, to be said to prove you are not drunk, goes: The Leith police dismisseth us. (_Leith_ is the name of a town and_ dismisseth_ an archaic form of the 3rd person singular).
And two French ones: 
Deux dodus dindons dînaient à Dijon dit on (two plump turkeys used to dine in Dijon, they say). Six cent saucissons à six cent francs sont trop chères (six hundred sausages at six hundred francs are too expensive).


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## Chicuitina

Maybe someone wrote this tongue twisters before, I haven't read all of them.

El cielo esta enladrillado
quien lo desenladrillará
el desenladrillador
que lo desenladrille
buen desenladrillador será.


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## kusurija

In Czech:
Naolejuje-li Julie koleje, či nenaolejuje-li je Julie? Nenaolejuje-li je Julie, naolejuju je já! (Will Julie oil the rails or not? If Julie will not, I'll do!)
Třitisíce třista třicet tři stříbrných stříkaček stříkalo přes třitisíce třista třicet tři stříbrných střech. 
Strč prst skrz krk!
Smrž zvlhl z mlh.
Cukr pudr (many times repeat)
Drbu vrbu (many times repeat)
Takřka. Třtina.
Chrt pln skvrn zdrhl skrz drn chrp v čtvrť Krč, prv zhltl čtvrthrst zrn.
Šusta sušil šusťák. (many times repeat)
Roli krále Lávry zahrál Vladimír Leraus. (many times repeat)
Jeden Řek mi řek, abych mu řek, kolik je v Řecku řek.
Enjoy it!


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## Juri

Some Germans:
Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän

Fischer's Fritz fischt frische Fische.

Die Wienerweiberwäscherinnen wollen weisse Wäsche mit weichem warmen Wasser waschen.

Der Hottentottenstottertrottelmutterattentäter gesperrt im Beutelrattegitterkotter ist geflohen!


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## Arrius

Juri said:


> Some Germans:
> Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän
> 
> Fischer's Fritz fischt frische Fische.
> 
> Die Wienerweiberwäscherinnen wollen weisse Wäsche mit weichem warmen Wasser waschen.
> 
> Der Hottentottenstottertrottelmutterattentäter gesperrt im Beutelrattegitterkotter ist geflohen!


 
I am familiar with the first three which mean respectively:
_Captain of the Danube Steamer Navigation Company_, to which is usually added _-*switwe*_, so that it means the _widow_ of said official.

_Mr and Mrs Fischer's son Fritz catches fresh fish._

_The Viennese washerwomen want to wash white linen (underwear) with warm, soft_ (i.e. dissolves soap easily) _water._

However, two parts of the last one have me stumped and do not appear in the dictionary, not that the sentence would necessarily be very coherent if I knew them (not that it needs to be):
Der Hottentottens*totter*trottelmutterattentäter gesperrt im Beutelrattegitter*kotter* ist geflohen!
_(The assassin of the Hottentot ...*?...* idiot mother who was locked up in the opossum's cage...*?...* has escaped)._ 

_Kotter_ is an unusual German family name but that doesn't help; _totter_, which I only know in English as meaning _to stagger_ or a slang word for _rag-iron-and-bone merchant_, doesn't help either.

This last tongue-twister reminds me of the Afrikaans one:
_*Hottentottententententoonstelling *_which is an exhibition of Hottentot tents.
Finally,Another English one occurs to me:
_*Many an anemone has an enemy anemone*,_ which might make more sense if changed to the similar-sounding, _*Many a Yemeni has an enemy Yemeni*, _which, I trust, is only of historical significance, but is more difficult to say.


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## Juri

Thanks to the polyglot ARRIUS for the translation of the German tongue twisters, I learned during the WWII. My English would be too weak for such task.
About Hottentotten(right:Khoikhoi)
verb *stottern *is to stammer, or to stutter
noun *trottel *means imbecilic, idiotic.

*kotter* really doesn't exist; it's an invention of the authors Nizza & Morbelli in the pleasant parody of The 4 musketeers emitted by Italian radio (EIAR) in the late forties, and later published in book.On the whole page 101 the authors explain that German is a very easy language with the ex novo invented tongue twister, that I copy now from the book:
"Hottentottenstottertrottelmutterattentäterlattengitterkotterbeutelratte"

EVESUV


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## Arrius

Thanks for the explanation, *Juri.* 
_Trottel,_ often written (_alter)Troddel_, I had no problem with, but I took the S at the beginning of _*s*totter_ to be a genitive linking-S on the end the previous component. _Kotter,_ which you say is an invented word may be based on  _der Kot (_dirt or excrement). Tongue-twisters are of their very nature confusing things.
In the German officialese of WW II, which conflict you happily survived and lived to tell the tale, many everyday "tape-worm" neologisms were tongue-twisters in their own right. And even after the war there were new coinings like _* Kriegsgefangenenentschädigungsgesetzt*_, which was a law for the compensation of prisoners of war. No wonder Italian with its Latin background took the mickey out of the German.
Life is too short to re-read all the fore-going posts, but in case it has been missed, there is also the short but quite difficult English one: *Red lorry, yellow lorry -* try repeating that as fast as you can!


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## Juri

Grateful for the likeable answer, Arrius. 
Let me state first that I worked as journalist and newsreader in radio and TV and conducted more courses for announcers.
You sent the tongue twister _Red lorry,Yellow lorry_.It is similar to the italian Tigre contro tigre. 
I tried out promptly repeating it fast, with fairly success.
But must acknowledge:with great concentration and with eyes closed!


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## xymox

Petit pot de beurre,
Quand te dé-petit-pot-de-beurreriseras-tu?
Je me dé-petit-pot-de-beurreriserai
Quand tous les petits pots de beurre
Se seront dé-petit-pot-de-beurrerisés.

Ouffff, il y a peut-être même des fautes!!


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## 2PieRad

Here's a couple common ones in Mandarin, which I can't find in this thread yet...
Tongue twister [绕口令][rao4 kou3 ling4]

吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮，不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮。 [chi1 pu2 tao4 bu4 tu3 pu2 tao4 pi2, bu4 chi1 pu2 tao4 dao4 tu3 pu2 tao4 pi2]
(When you eat grapes, you don't spit out the grape skin, when you don't eat grapes, you spit out grape skins anyways.)

船比床长，床比船长 [chuan2 bi3 chuang2 chang2, chuang2 bi3 chuan2 chang2]
(Boats are longer than beds, beds are longer than boats.)


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## kusurija

kusurija said:


> In Czech:
> Naolejuje-li Julie koleje, či nenaolejuje-li je Julie? Nenaolejuje-li je Julie, naolejuju je já! (Will Julie oil the rails or not? If Julie will not, I'll do!)
> Třitisíce třista třicet tři stříbrných stříkaček stříkalo přes třitisíce třista třicet tři stříbrných střech.
> Strč prst skrz krk!
> Smrž zvlhl z mlh.
> Cukr pudr (many times repeat)
> Drbu vrbu (many times repeat)
> Takřka. Třtina.
> Chrt pln skvrn zdrhl skrz drn chrp v čtvrť Krč, prv zhltl čtvrthrst zrn.
> Šusta sušil šusťák. (many times repeat)
> Roli krále Lávry zahrál Vladimír Leraus. (many times repeat)
> Jeden Řek mi řek, abych mu řek, kolik je v Řecku řek.
> Enjoy it!


Some bit longer:
Chrt pln skvrn zdrhl z Brd. Vtrhl skrz strž v tvrz srn, v čtrvrť Krč. Blb! Prskl, zvrhl smrk, strhl drn, mrskl drn v trs chrp. Zhltl čtvrthrst zrn skrz krk, pln zrn vsrkl hlt z vln. Chrt brkl, mrkl, zmlkl. Zvlhls?
Enjoy it!


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
[this one plays with the iotacisms of modern pronunciation]
1/«Οι σπανοί Ισπανοί εις πανί εζωγράφισαν ισπανικόν στρατόν εις πανικόν»
transliteration:
"i spa'ni ispa'ni is pa'ni ezoɣ'rafisan ispani'kon stra'ton is pani'kon"
translation:
"The glabrous Spaniards on a cloth drew a Spanish army in panic"
2/«Eκκλησιά μολυβδωτή, μολυβδοκοντυλοπελεκητή ποιός τη μολυβδοκοντυλοπελέκησε; O γιός του μολυβδοκοντυλοπελεκητή. Nα'χα κι εγώ τα σύνεργα τα μύνεργα του γιού του μολυβδοκοντυλοπελεκητή να τη μολυβδοκοντυλοπελεκούσα καλύτερα απ΄το γιο του μολυβδοκοντυλοπελεκητή»
transiteration:
"Ekli'sça molivðo'ti, molivðokondilopeleci'ti pços ti molivðokondilope'lecise? o ʝos tu molivðokondilopeleci'ti. 'Naxa ci e'ɣo ta 'sinerɣa ta 'minerɣa tu ʝu tu molivðokondilopeleci'ti na ti molivðokondilopele'kusa ka'litera a'po to ʝo tu molivðokondilopeleci'ti"
translation:
....
3/«Άσπρη πέτρα ξέξασπρη απ'τον ήλιο ξεξασπρότερη»
transiteration:
"'aspri 'petra 'kseksaspri apton 'iʎo kseksas'proteri"
translation:
"a bright stone, brighter than the sun"


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## mataripis

_*Dumaget:"Tangketamdi nandediyos"(let's take a bath)/ "Ampamaloktong"(not yet well ripen)/ "Hale,magsoroteketamnepadumaget" (Ok,let's speak the dumagat way)*Tagalog: Bibig ng pipi bukahin man sa pilit ,himig man ay wala kahit tin-is ,tinig ay piit ,init ng pag giit kahit ilang ulit tiis na lang sa kakapilit.
_


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## Jabote

Combien sont ces six saucissons-ci ?
Ces six saucissons-ci sont six sous.
Si ces six saucissons-ci sont six sous, ces six saucissons-ci sont trop chers.

Trois tortues trottaient sur un toit très étroit (repeat fast several times).

Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien.

She sells six seashells on the seashore, so she sells six seashore shells.


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## Jabote

Not a tongue twister, rather a tour around the different ways of spelling the same word:

Il y avait une fois
Dans la ville de Foix
Une marchande de foie.
Elle se dit "Ma foi,
C'est la première fois
Et la dernière fois
Que je vends du foie
Dans la ville de Foix".


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## Septemberize

Here are Russian ones.

*Наши поездатые поезда самые поездатые поезда в мире. Ни одни поездатые поезда в мире не перепоездят наши поездатые поезда по поездатости* (It's very easy to stumble with the word "поездатые/поезда", so it may sound as an obscene word  )

*Корабли лавировали-лавировали, да не вылавировали* (To make it a little bit more difficult, I like to repeat the first part twice - Корабли лавировали-лавировали, лавировали-лавировали, да не вылавировали)

By the way, I came across a tongue-twister in Polish here (_stół z powyłamywanymi nogami_) that sounds very similar to its Russian variant:

*Стол с повыламыванными ногами*

and more:

*Сиреневенькая зубовыковыривательница* (one of my favourite )

*В недрах тундры выдры в гетрах тырят в гетры ядра кедров*

*Стаффордширский терьер и черношерстный ризеншнауцер*


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