21 Tongue Twisters from Around the World that Will Twist Your Tongue

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Get ready to twist your tongue into knots and giggle like a giddy goose!

From Peter Piper’s pepper-picking escapades to the intricate plans of Arabic planners, this collection of tongue twisters from around the world will have your mouth doing gymnastics and your brain doing backflips.

Whether you’re a seasoned linguist or just looking for a fun way to trip up your friends, these 21 linguistic puzzles are sure to entertain and challenge.

So, take a deep breath, wet those lips, and step into the wonderful world of tongue twisters!

 

1. English:
• “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”

2. Spanish:
• “Tres tristes tigres tragan trigo en un trigal.”
• (Three sad tigers swallow wheat in a wheat field.)

3. French:
• “Si mon tonton tond ton tonton, ton tonton sera tondu.”
• (If my uncle shaves your uncle, your uncle will be shaved.)

4. German:
• “Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische; Frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritz.”
• (Fisher’s Fritz fishes fresh fish; Fresh fish is fished by Fisher’s Fritz.)

5. Chinese:
• “吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮，不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮” (Chī pútáo bù tǔ pútáo pí, bù chī pútáo dǎo tǔ pútáo pí.)
• (Eating grapes but not spitting out the grape skins, not eating grapes but then spitting out the grape skins.)

6. Japanese:
• “東京特許許可局許可局長” (Tokyo tokkyo kyoka kyoku kyoka kyokucho.)
• (Director of the Tokyo Patent Licensing Authority.)

7. Russian:
• “На дворе трава, на траве дрова” (Na dvore trava, na trave drova.)
• (There is grass in the courtyard, and there are logs on the grass.)

8. Italian:
• “Sopra la panca la capra campa, sotto la panca la capra crepa.”
• (On the bench the goat lives, under the bench the goat dies.)

9. Hindi:
• “कच्चा पापड़, पक्का पापड़” (Kachcha papad, pakka papad.)
• (Raw papadum, cooked papadum.)

10. Korean:
• “간장공장공장장은 강공장장이고 된장공장공장장은 장공장장이다” (Ganjang-gongjang gongjang-jang-eun gang-gongjang-jang-igo doenjang-gongjang gongjang-jang-eun jang-gongjang-jang-ida.)
• (The soy sauce factory manager is a strong factory manager, and the soybean paste factory manager is a long factory manager.)

11. Portuguese:
• “O rato roeu a roupa do rei de Roma.”
• (The rat gnawed the King of Rome’s clothes.)

12. Swedish:
• “Sju sjösjuka sjömän sköttes av sju sköna sjuksköterskor.”
• (Seven seasick sailors were nursed by seven beautiful nurses.)

13. Turkish:
• “Bu yoğurdu sarımsaklasak da mı saklasak, yoksa sarmısaksız mı saklasak?”
• (Should we store this yogurt with garlic or without garlic?)

14. Dutch:
• “De kat krabt de krullen van de trap.”
• (The cat scratches the curls off the stairs.)

15. Polish:
• “W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie.”
• (In Szczebrzeszyn a beetle buzzes in the reed.)

16. Filipino:
• “Nakakapagpabagabag.”
• (Disturbing.)

17. Czech:
• “Strč prst skrz krk.”
• (Stick your finger through your throat.)

18. Greek:
• “Καλός ο καφές καθώς καίει και κουφαίνει.”
• (Good is the coffee that burns and deafens.)

19. Hungarian:
• “Azt mondta Pista, szerintem egy szűcsöt szűcsnek nevezni sünnek.”
• (Pista said, I think calling a furrier ‘furrier’ is like calling a hedgehog ‘hedgehog’.)

20. Danish:
• “Rød grød med fløde.”
• (Red porridge with cream.)

21. Arabic:
• “خطة خطة خططناها خطط خططها” (Khatta khatta khatatnaha khatat khataha)
• (A plan, a plan we planned, plans he planned)