Tongue Twisters

A short phrase built around a specific difficult sound or cluster, drilled at increasing speed until students can say it cleanly.

Procedure

1. Choose a twister targeting a sound the class struggles with (e.g., /ʃ/–/s/: "She sells seashells by the seashore").
2. Model once at natural speed. Write it on the board.
3. Drill chorally slowly, then speed up gradually over 3–4 rounds.
4. Individual students attempt the fastest clean version.
5. Briefly name the target sound and where the tongue goes.

Sounds and Classic Twisters

Target	Twister
/θ/–/ð/	Thirty-three thirsty thinkers thought things through
/ʃ/–/s/	She sells seashells by the seashore
/r/–/l/	Red lorry, yellow lorry
/p/–/b/	Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
/w/–/v/	Very well, very well, very well
Weak forms	A cup of tea, a bowl of rice, a piece of cake

Tips

• Pair the twister with the explicit articulation point; speed alone teaches nothing.
• Let students invent twisters using the week's vocabulary — generation beats repetition.
• Keep it brief; tongue twisters are a sharpener, not a lesson.