[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.
- Bursting into laughter! A roundup 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)
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.
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!
Tongue Twister Training: A Collection of Tongue Twisters to Improve Enunciation (31–40)
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.
The Director of the Tokyo Patent Approval Bureau suddenly refused to grant leave today.
Even just the first part, “Tokyo Patent Approval Bureau,” is often used as a tongue-twister prompt.
It’s already challenging on its own, and then even more difficult words follow.
For many people, the sticking point is the “kyoka” (approval) portion.
Saying it as a single word isn’t too hard, but when it’s preceded by sounds like “ka,” “kyu,” or “kyo,” your tongue mysteriously stops cooperating.
Try breaking it into individual words and start by reading it slowly.
In conclusion
I introduced some tongue twisters to improve your articulation—how effective were they for you? For sentences you find difficult, start by speaking slowly and clearly. Also, focusing on lifting the corners of your mouth and pronouncing vowels distinctly will make them easier to say. Give it a try!