[Recreation] Challenge! A roundup of tongue twisters recommended for elementary school students
Let’s all have fun and exercise our mouths!
We’ve put together some tongue twisters we definitely want elementary schoolers to try.
When you read them, you might think, “These aren’t hard at all,” but when you actually say them, you end up stumbling… Tongue twisters are such a curious kind of game!
You can compete with friends to see who can say them properly, or challenge yourself with harder ones to test your limits—there are lots of ways to play!
Even if you can’t say them smoothly at first, if you keep at it, your articulation might get better and better!
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[Rec] Challenge! A collection of tongue twisters recommended for elementary school students (11–20)
bread wallNEW!
This is a tongue twister packed with the fun of rhythm and repetition.
If you try to say “pan-kabe, pan-kabe, pan-kabe…” ten times in a row, your mouth will get tangled, and you can’t help but laugh—that’s the charm.
For kids, it becomes a playful exercise for the tongue and mouth, and for adults, it’s enjoyable as a tongue workout and pronunciation practice.
The slightly quirky pairing of “bread” (pan) and “wall” (kabe) creates a sense of rhythm, and it’s interesting that your voice and timing shift a little each time you read it.
Even with short words, the repetition makes your brain and mouth work at full speed, bringing laughter and new discoveries with every try—a tongue twister full of playfulness.
Parent turtle, child turtle, descendant turtle; parent duck, child duck, descendant duckNEW!
This is a charming tongue twister that rhythmically expresses the bond between parent and child in turtles and ducks.
Because the same sounds for “parent,” “child,” and “grandchild” repeat, reading it aloud naturally tangles your tongue and brings out laughter.
Children can take it on playfully while imagining the animals, and adults can enjoy it as an exercise for the tongue and mouth, as well as for pronunciation practice.
With turtles and ducks appearing alternately, the sense of rhythm and vocal tempo change, revealing something new each time you read it.
Through repetition, you develop a sense of rhythm and can enjoy both the fun of speaking out and a good laugh—so give it a try!
Ears, eyes, foreheadNEW!
These tongue twisters are packed with so much fun you can’t help but say them out loud.
For example: “Omimi momi-momi san momimi,” “Omemé pachi-pachi, panda no omemé,” and “Odeko deko-deko deko, detekoi!” The repeated sounds are rhythmic and cute.
Ears are for hearing, eyes are for seeing, and the forehead is the top of the face—they’re all important teammates in our hardworking bodies.
Turn them into tongue twisters, and the tricky bits become fun, spreading smiles.
Kids and adults alike, let’s all try them together and see who can say them without stumbling! As you play, your language skills will grow and grow.
Three loaches wiggle-wiggle; in total, wiggle-wiggle six wiggle-wiggles.NEW!
これは、オノマトペ「にょろにょろ」を使ったかわいい早口言葉です。「三」は「mi」、「六」は「mu」と読んでみてください。「さん」から「にょろ」への切り替えが特に難しいので、意識して練習しましょう。
It’s a classic tongue twister that tends to make you bite your tongue, but imagining loaches wriggling together is fun, and it’s entertaining to keep adding more.
If you’re confident, try saying them in order from 1 and see if you can make it to 9.
Seven bananas, Nanana’s bananaNEW!
This is a tongue twister full of rhythm, where the sound of the number “7” and “nanana” is fun.
The trick is that when you try to say “banana” and “nanana” alternately, your mouth inevitably trips up.
Children can learn a feel for language as they play along with the rhythm, and adults can enjoy it as an exercise for the tongue and mouth.
The combination of numbers and sounds even feels like a little story, making it enjoyable just to read.
With repetition, you naturally pick up the rhythm and timing, and it’s a tongue twister that’s addictive after one go, letting you savor the joy of speaking out loud and a good laugh at the same time.
A small pimple on the right earNEW!
There’s a fun, tongue-tangling charm in repeating words.
As you say “Migi mimi ni mini nikibi, migi mimi ni mini nikibi” over and over, you naturally pick up a sense of rhythm, and it also exercises your tongue and mouth.
Kids can take it on as a playful challenge, and adults can enjoy it as a tongue workout—that’s the appeal.
Plus, the images of ears and pimples pop into your head, giving it a humor that makes you smile just by reading it.
Because the rhythm and timing shift with each repetition, you make new discoveries every time you read it and can savor the joy of speaking out loud.
Frogs hop, hop, hop
I think everyone has certain sounds they find hard to pronounce.
Among them, many people struggle with the “ma” consonant row.
So I’d like to share a tongue twister that also works as pronunciation practice: “Kaeru pyoko-pyoko” (frogs hop-hop).
You can probably get through the first half, but the second half has “mikaeru pyoko-pyoko” and “mukaeru pyoko-pyoko,” which are tricky.
Without the “mi” and “mu,” it’s easy, so I do think the “ma” row is what makes it hard.
As a tip, if you consciously take a breath between each phrase, it becomes a little easier to say.
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.
elevated bridge pierNEW!
This is a tongue twister that uses words evoking the pillars that support an overpass.
Because similar or identical sounds like “kōkakyō” and “kyōkyaku” repeat in succession, your mouth gets tangled when you say it aloud, making you laugh without meaning to.
Children can take it on playfully, imagining peeking under the bridge or picturing turtles and little birds walking along the elevated bridge.
If you read it while picturing “a row of bridge piers of an overpass lined up in succession,” it feels more narrative than just a string of repeated words.
The more you repeat it, the more your sense of rhythm and mouth movements are trained, letting you enjoy both the fun of speaking out and the spirit of challenge each time you read—so try incorporating it into recreational activities.