Tongue Twisters for Kids

You know what I loved a lot in school? In the last period of every Saturday, when about 20 minutes were left for the final bell to ring, our teacher made us narrate tongue twisters which were really funny. Every one of us individually tried to narrate one particular twister and anybody who could blurt out one particular twister 5 times, without any glitches and really fast, always got a cookie from the class cookie jar! But mind you, we could not repeat the same tongue twister again. As a kid, I used to love the session as I was commendably good at such things and besides the cookie, also got a chance to gloat a little in front of friends. But today, after teaching quite a few people, I understand that it is the job of tongue twisters to sharpen one's pronunciation skills. They exercise your tongue to an extent that your diction and phonetics both attain near perfection.

Many people, if you've noted closely, have a problem in the enunciation of the syllables 'sss' and 'shh' in the sense that they usually mix up their pronunciation when they have to use both these sounds in a single phrase. Like instead of 'she slept' they'll end up saying 'see shlept'! It may be funny, but if you do not check it early on, this can potentially persist for a lifetime. For instance, I have a friend who just cannot pronounce 'trick photography' as it should be said but always ends up with an embarrassed 'trick phRo-tRo-graphy', as some people have a problem with words which have 't' and 'r' in some combination. Naturally, both the types would shirk away from coinages like "truly rural" and "selfish shellfish". So, you must make an effort to correct such flaws in speech and nip the bud at an early age. They make for one of the best speech therapy games and activities as tongue twisters are very effective remedies for lisps, stammers and, believe it or not, diffidence! Try the following easy tongue twisters for kids at first and then move on to the harder ones and see your children evolve as perfect speakers!

Funny Tongue Twisters for Kids
Remember to start with the short ones first. Teach your child the proper pronunciation of the phrase slowly and then encourage him to gather speed. Make sure that he repeats them continually for some time and you shall gradually see a rise in his voice. That is actually the manifestation of his pride as he becomes the master of his tongue! Have a lot of fun and clap during such sessions. Tongue twisters are excellent tools to be employed for speech therapy for toddlers. Do not make them boring and tedious or your child will not like it. It's like Mark Twain had said in Tom Sawyer,

"Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do and play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do."

So, let us begin.

Short Tongue Twisters for Kids

A pack of pesky pixies. Poor pure Pierre. A box of mixed biscuits, a mixed biscuit box. Sixth sick sheik's sixth sick sheep. The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick. Six slippery snails, slid slowly seaward. You know you need unique New York. Shave a single shingle thin. Smelly shoes and socks shock sisters. Bad money, mad bunny. Ken Dodd's dad's dog's dead. Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks. Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can? I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon a slitted sheet I sit. Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran. Stick strictly six stick stumps. Barbara Babcock blushes brilliantly. She should shun the shining sun. Each Easter Eddie eats eighty Easter eggs. A fat-free fruit float. Twelve twins twirled twelve twigs. And then slowly move on to tongue twisters like, Crisp crusts crackle crunchily. Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup. Did Dick Pickens prick his pinkie pickling cheap cling peaches in an inch of Pinch or framing his famed French finch photos? The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday. Picky people pick Peter pan peanut butter, 'tis the peanut butter picky people pick. I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits. If you notice this notice, you will notice that this notice is not worth noticing. Who washed Washington's white woolen underwear when Washington's washer woman went West? Send toast to ten tense stout saints' ten tall tents. Gertie's great-grandma grew aghast at Gertie's grammar. In 'ertford, 'ereford and 'ampshire, 'urricanes 'ardly Hever 'appen. (From "My Fair Lady")

Here, you have to make sure that your children do not miss out on pronouncing the dentals, i.e. 't' and 'd', that are usually at the end of some words, in their bid to rattle on. Like in 'Six slippery snails, slid slowly seaward', make sure that they clearly enunciate the 'd' when they say 'slid' and 'seaward'. Often, even while talking normally we tend to ignore the last letter. But English should not be treated like French and one must stress on the last letter for a bit, except if it's an 'r' in certain cases. Those who are ardent 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' watchers must know that Ross was bullied for this by his friends, when Chandler had pointed out that "Ross with his over pronouncing every single word" has a flaw, in the third episode of the first season. But, I stand by Ross's "There's nothing wrong with speaking correctly" and strongly advocate it!

Long Tongue Twisters for Kids

The big black bug bit the big black bear, but the big black bear bit the big black bug back!	How many cookies could a good cook cook if a good cook could cook cookies? A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.	She sells seashells on the seashore, And the shells that she sells are seashells, you know!	A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
Pepe Pecas picks potatoes with a pick. With a pick picks potatoes Pepe Pecas.	When she shifts she sips her Schlitz, and when she sips her Schlitz she shifts.	Something in a thirty-acre thermal thicket of thorns and thistles thumped and thundered threatening the three-D thoughts of Matthew the thug - although, theatrically, it was only the thirteen-thousand thistles and thorns through the underneath of his thigh that the thirty year old thug thought of that morning.	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?
Swan swam over the sea, Swim, swan, swim! Swan swam back again Well swum, swan!	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!"	Betty Botter had some butter, "But," she said, "this butter's bitter. If I bake this bitter butter, it would make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter that would make my batter better." So she bought a bit of butter, better than her bitter butter, and she baked it in her batter, and the batter was not bitter. So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.	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.
Sister Suzie's sewing socks for soldiers Sock for soldiers sister Suzie sews, If sister Suzie's sewing socks for soldiers, Where are the socks for soldiers sister Suzie sews?	There was a fisherman named Fisher, who fished for some fish in a fissure. Till a fish with a grin, pulled the fisherman in. Now they're fishing the fissure for Fisher.	Pick a partner and practice passing, for if you pass proficiently, perhaps you'll play professionally.	I thought a thought, But the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thought I thought. If the thought I thought I thought had been the thought I thought, I wouldn't have thought so much.
You've no need to light a night-light, On a light night like tonight, For a night-light's light's a slight light, And tonight's a night that's light. When a night's light, like tonight's light, It is really not quite right, To light night-lights with their slight lights, On a light night like tonight.	If one doctor doctors another doctor, does the doctor who doctors the doctor doctor the doctor the way the doctor he is doctoring doctors? Or does he doctor the doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors?	Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers? If Peter Piper Picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?	Ned Nott was shot and Sam Shott was not. So, it is better to be Shott than Nott. Some say Nott was not shot. But Shott says he shot Nott. Either the shot Shott shot at Nott was not shot, or Nott was shot. If the shot Shott shot shot Nott, Nott was shot. But if the shot Shott shot shot Shott, then Shott was shot, not Nott. However, the shot Shott shot shot not Shott but Nott.
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck If a woodchuck could chuck wood? He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, And chuck as much as a woodchuck would If a woodchuck could chuck wood. Or.. How much ground would a groundhog hog, if a groundhog could hog ground? A groundhog would hog all the ground he could hog, if a groundhog could hog ground.	Theophiles Thistle, the successful thistle-sifter, in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles, thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb. Now, if Theophiles Thistle, the successful thistle-sifter, in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles, thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb, see that thou, in sifting a sieve full of un-sifted thistles, thrust not three thousand thistles through the thick of thy thumb. Success to the successful thistle-sifter.	I need not your needles, they're needless to me; For kneading of noodles, 'twere needless, you see; But did my neat knickers but need to be kneed, I then should have need of your needles indeed.	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.
One-one was a race horse. Two-two was one too. One-one won one race. Two-two won one too.	Amidst the mists and coldest frosts, with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts, he thrusts his fist against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.	Whether the weather be fine or whether the weather be not. Whether the weather be cold or whether the weather be hot. We'll weather the weather whether we like it or not.	Bobby Bippy bought a bat. Bobby Bippy bought a ball. With his bat Bob banged the ball Banged it bump against the wall But so boldly Bobby banged it That he burst his rubber ball "Boo!" cried Bobby Bad luck ball Bad luck Bobby, bad luck ball Now to drown his many troubles Bobby Bippy's blowing bubbles.
When I was in Arkansas I saw a saw that could outsaw any other saw I ever saw, saw. If you've got a saw that can outsaw the saw I saw saw then I'd like to see your saw saw.	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.	Mr. See owned a saw. And Mr. Soar owned a seesaw. Now See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw Before Soar saw See, Which made Soar sore. Had Soar seen See's saw Before See sawed Soar's seesaw, See's saw would not have sawed Soar's seesaw. So See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw. But it was sad to see Soar so sore Just because See's saw sawed Soar's seesaw!	Pretty Kitty Creighton had a cotton batten cat. The cotton batten cat was bitten by a rat. The kitten that was bitten had a button for an eye, And biting off the button made the cotton batten fly.

With these tongue twisters to exemplify with, you can actually teach your kids what alliteration is, the repetition of the same syllabic sound in one particular sentence. Some of the above are the best and the simplest examples of alliteration that you can lay your hands on. They might start penning beautiful limericks of their own! So, with these funny tongue twisters for kids, which can engross even adults for sometime, I shall say adieu today. Hope you succeed in your endeavor to create great speakers for tomorrow! After all, even "Mr. Tongue Twister tried to train his tongue to twist and turn, and twit an twat, to learn the letter "T"."