A tongue-twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly, and can be used as a type of spoken (or sung) word

game. Some tongue-twisters produce results which are humorous (or humorously vulgar) when they are mispronounced, while others simply rely on the confusion and mistakes of the speaker for their amusement value. I slit the sheet, The sheet I slit and on the slitted sheet I sit. Sister Suzie's sewing socks for soldiers Sock for soldiers sister Suzie sews, If sister Suzie's sewing socks for soldiers, Where're the socks for soldiers sister Suzie sews? Sarah, Sarah, sits in her Chevy; When she shifts she sips her Schlitz, and when she sips her Schlitz she shifts.

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.

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"

How much Zen would a Zen master master if Zen master could master all the Zen? A Zen master would master all the Zen he could master if a Zen master should master all the Zen 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 How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

English Tongue-Twisters
Rhymes and poems
NEW! A canner can can anything that he can, But a canner can't can a can, can he?

To sit in solemn silence on a dull dark dock In a pestilential prison with a lifelong lock Awaiting the sensation of a short sharp shock From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck If a woodchuck would chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck If a woodchuck would chuck wood.

One smart fellow, he felt smart Two smart fellows, they felt smart Three smart fellows, they all felt smart

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?" A mother to her son did utter "Go, my son, and shut the shutter" "The shutter's shut" the son did utter "I cannot shut it any shutter!"

Tongue-Twister Limericks!
A flea and fly in a flue, Were imprisoned so what could they do? Said the flea let us fly. Said the fly let us flee. So they flew through a flaw in the flue. Contributed by Paul Ogden, Israel A tutor who tooted a flute, Tried to tutor two tooters to toot. Said the two to the tutor, "Is it harder to toot, or To tutor two tooters to toot?" Submitted by Chris DeSantis More G-Rated Limericks

Phrases to be repeated rapidly

o o
A cricket critic A black bug's blood Irish wristwatch Legend tripping Liril Red lorry, yellow lorry Variants Red leather, yellow leather Red welly, yellow welly Road-roller Upper roller, lower roller Rubber baby buggy bumpers Toy boat Unique New York Stupid Superstition

Other phrases

(NEW!) A Kentukian named Knott could not knit, so Knott invented a knitter called the Knott Knitter, but the Knott Knitter would not knit knots. One day while Knott was not knitting on the Knott Knitter, Knott invented an attachment for the Knott Knitter called the Knott Knitter Knotter. When Knott attached the Knott Knitter Knotter to the Knott Knitter, no man could knit knots like Knott knit on the Knott Knitter. Thank you Vicki Hobbs Ken Dodd's dad's dog's dead.

"Are you copper-bottoming 'em my man?" "No, I'm aluminuming 'em ma'am." The black bloke's back brake block broke. A box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts. Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie. I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon a slitted sheet I sit. The Leith police dismisseth thee. The Leith police dismisseth us. A proper cup of coffee from a copper coffee pot Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran. The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick. "We reweave rips" (A sign in the window of a tailor's shop.) The winkle ship sank and the shrimp ship swam. An old seabear sits on the pier and drinks a pint of beer. Three sweet switched Swiss witches watch three washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switches. Which sweet switched Swiss witch watches which washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switch? One was a racehorse, Two was one too. One won a race, Two won one too. She sells sea shells on the sea shore. The shells she sells are sea shells, I'm sure.

1. She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore. The shells she sells are sea-shells, I'm sure. For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore Then I'm sure she sells sea-shore shells.

2. Betty Botter bought a bit of butter. The butter Betty Botter bought was a bit bitter And made her batter bitter. But a bit of better butter makes better batter. So Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter Making Betty Botter's bitter batter better

3. A Proper Copper Coffee Pot. Betty bopper's battering batton made bertie bopper bite her. The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick. Cecily thought Sicily less thistly than Thessaly. Irish Wristwatch, Swiss Wristwatch. Peggy Babcock. The bog above Bob Gorman's bog. Pleasant mother pheasant plucker. Red Leather, Yellow Leather. Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry. Rubber Baby Buggy Bumper. Smiley shlug with Shloer. Mad Man.

Toy Boat Unique New York.

4. Idiomatic expression - an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up.

List of Examples of Idiomatic Expressions The following is a list of Idiomatic Expressions used in the English and American language: Back To Square One - To start again Ball and chain: To be burdened with a task that that cannot be left or abandoned Beat a dead horse: To engage in pointless and repetitive discussion. Between the Devil and the deep blue sea. - In a very difficult situation when any resolution will be unpleasant. Bushed - Tired, completely exhausted Caught With Your Pants Down - Found out! Can't see your nose in front of your face: Being oblivious to something obvious, in clear view. Crash: To go to sleep Don't look a Gift Horse in the Mouth - To reject something that has been freely given Elbow Grease - A great deal of effort Flea Market - An open-air market Get out of hand - A situation which has resulted in chaos Hit the hay: To go to bed In your face - An aggressive manner Junk Mail - Unsolicited communications Kick the bucket: To die Let sleeping dogs lie - Not to interfere Mum's the word - To keep a secret New kid on the block - A newcomer Over the hill: To be past your prime Prick up your ears - To listen intently

Rub someone up the wrong way - To annoy someone Spinning a yarn: To lie or exaggerate Tie the knot - To get married Under the weather - Feeling ill