[Diction Training] A Collection of Tongue Twisters to Improve Articulation
Tongue twisters are phrases that you repeat as fast as you can, even though they’re hard to say.
Many of you may have played with them when you were kids.
Tongue twisters aren’t just a fun pastime—they’re also effective for improving your articulation.
In this article, we’ll introduce tongue twisters that help you speak more clearly!
They’re great not only for articulation practice if you’re aiming to become an announcer or voice actor, but also useful when you’re asked to give a wedding speech or have to present in front of your class.
Practice hard and use them to achieve your dreams and goals!
- A collection of long tongue twisters. Also recommended for practicing announcements and narration.
- Tongue twisters that will make you laugh out loud! Super funny
- Challenging tongue twisters: Introducing high-difficulty phrases and sentences!
- [Recreation] Challenge! A roundup of tongue twisters recommended for elementary school students
- [Diction Training] A Collection of Tongue Twisters to Improve Articulation
- Perfect for pronunciation practice! A collection of English tongue twisters.
- Can you say them? A collection of Hakata-dialect tongue twisters
- Nagoya dialect tongue twisters are exquisite! A fun collection where your tongue gets tied in knots with regional dialects
- “Chau chau, anta” — a Kansai-dialect tongue twister. A phrase only Kansai folks can say.
- [For Seniors] Boost Oral Function with Tongue Twisters! Recommended Picks to Try
- Chinese tongue twisters: A collection of rao kou ling helpful for learning Chinese
- Challenge together! A roundup of word games for adults
- [Rec] Interesting! A roundup of wordplay games
[Diction Training] A Collection of Tongue Twisters to Improve Articulation (21–30)
Art room, technology room, operating room, art preparation room, technology preparation room, operating preparation roomNEW!
Because the words for “room” and “preparation room” keep popping up, the moment you read it aloud your mouth can’t keep up and you can’t help but laugh.
Both kids and adults can enjoy it playfully while picturing familiar school classrooms and hospital rooms.
Each time you read it, the rhythm and the timing of your pauses shifts a little, so the more you repeat it, the more fun it becomes to use your voice.
If you read while conjuring different images for “art,” “technology,” and “surgery,” it feels like more than mere diction practice—you can savor a sense of story, too.
Once you read it, it’s addictive, so definitely give it a try.
red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepperNEW!
At first glance, this tongue twister looks easy if you’re just reading the words.
But the final “yellow paprika” is a surprisingly tough opponent.
Up to that point, every word starts with “a,” then it suddenly switches to “ki,” and you’re almost guaranteed to bite your tongue.
Still, if you can get past that spot, you should be able to link it all together smoothly.
The key to success is to focus on the “ki” and pronounce it clearly! By the way, all three colors of paprika actually exist.
The blue paprika refers to the green variety, and despite its appearance, it’s said to be less bitter and quite tasty.
Red Myakumyaku, Blue Myakumyaku, Yellow MyakumyakuNEW!
A tongue-twister so fiendishly hard it’ll tie your tongue in knots, bursting with playful rhythms of color and sound.
Because the repeated “Myaku-Myaku” appears over and over, saying it aloud naturally tangles your mouth and sparks laughter.
The key is that both kids and adults can enjoy it like a game.
Images of red, blue, and yellow pop into your head, letting you imagine a little story just by reading, which makes speaking it out loud even more fun.
Each repetition shifts the rhythm and timing, so every attempt brings new laughs and fresh discoveries.
Try it once and you’ll be hooked—this is a notoriously tricky tongue-twister.
Symphony, songs, concerto
As a tongue twister, it’s a short sentence, but it seems quite hard to say.
Right at the start with “symphony,” you might almost bite your tongue.
Picture the hiragana for “kōkyōkyoku” in your head and articulate it clearly.
The next word, “kakyoku” (art song), is easy to say on its own, but saying it right after “kōkyōkyoku” is much more challenging! Many people probably stumble when moving from the “ku” to the “ka” sound.
However, the final word, “kyōsōkyoku” (concerto), is easier to pronounce, so if you can make it through “kakyoku,” you can surely master the whole thing.
Do some mouth exercises first, then give it a try.
As a result of consultations among the instructors for each subject this semester in the Mechanical Department of the Naval Engineering School, the following have been finalized: science, geometry, mechanics, national language, foreign languages, drawing, civics.
With so many K-sound words, your speech might start to get choppy.
Even the first half is filled with words that could break your spirit, and the second half offers no mercy with its difficulty either.
Since it’s hard to tell where one word ends and the next begins when they’re just strung together, I recommend first separating and writing them out word by word.
Because there are so many words using the K consonant, once you can say them clearly, your overall K-sound pronunciation should improve as well.
The difficulty is high, but it’s a perfect prompt for articulation practice, so be sure to make use of it!
Ultimate luxury aircraft at a deserted Kyushu airport
This passage contains many words starting with the K sound, so many people might stumble over the latter half with “kyūkyoku kōkyū kōkūki” (ultimate luxury aircraft).
The first half, “kūkyona Kyūshū kūkō” (empty Kyushu airport), is still easier to say, but the shift from kōkyū to kōkūki is particularly tricky.
If you try to rush through it, your mouth won’t keep up, so be mindful of your speed and deliberately shape each word with your lips and tongue.
There’s a “no” in the middle of the sentence, so it’s helpful to imagine taking a brief pause there.
Once you can do that, practice saying the whole thing in one breath.
Director of the Tokyo Patent Approval Bureau suddenly had his leave request denied today.
This is a more difficult version of the classic tongue twister “Tokyo Patent Approval Office.” Even just the commonly played first half is quite challenging, but after that, many words using kya, kyu, and kyo appear, making it harder and harder to keep your tongue moving.
To avoid getting tripped up by these palatalized sounds, try emphasizing the words that don’t contain them.
It’s also recommended to practice by breaking the passage into a few parts.
Once you can pronounce each word cleanly, try saying the whole thing quickly.
Frogs go pyoko-pyoko, three pyoko-pyoko; together pyoko-pyoko, six pyoko-pyoko.
If you can say it clearly, it sounds cool—this is one of the classic tongue twisters.
“Pyoko-pyoko” is just so hard to say! Quite a few people end up turning “pyo” into “po.” To deliver this one quickly and stylishly, start by pronouncing it slowly and make sure “pyo” doesn’t become “po.” Even after you can say it slowly, don’t speed up all at once—gradually pick up the pace.
Practice until you can say it well enough to show off with confidence.
export car export hot water export vinegar
It’s a tongue twister that depicts various things being exported, and the fact that, aside from export cars, the other terms aren’t very familiar is part of what makes it amusing.
You might even find yourself wondering whether hot water or vinegar would ever actually be exported.
What matters first is pronouncing “yushutsu” (export) accurately—especially getting “shutsu” right—so you don’t get thrown off by what comes before and after it.
Start by pronouncing each word separately, then gradually increase your speed; that’s the recommended approach.
Victory in an osteoporosis lawsuit
There are probably many people who don’t feel confident they can clearly say even just “osteoporosis” quickly.
Even if you break it into parts, each one is hard to pronounce, right? Since “so” and “shō” share the same vowel, it’s only natural that they get mixed up.
That’s exactly why it looks super cool if you can link each part smoothly and pronounce it without stumbling! Start by separating it, making each word crisp and clear, then connect them all, gradually increasing your speed as you practice.