“법학 박사” Korean Tongue Twister
저분은 백 법학박사이고 이분은 박 법학박사이다.
Translation: That person is Dr. Baek of law, and this person is Dr. Park of law.
Why Is It Hard?
The surnames 백 (Baek) and 박 (Park) differ by only one vowel — ㅐ (ae) vs ㅏ (a) — making them almost indistinguishable at speed. Both are inserted into the identical phrase 법학박사 (doctor of law), meaning the entire sentence is structurally the same except for one vowel. Additionally, 백 and 박 both appear immediately before 법 (law), and the B sounds stack up: Baek-beob / Park-beob — a rapid B-consonant sequence that causes most speakers to swap the surnames.
History
This tongue twister belongs to a Korean tradition of 잰말놀이 using academic titles and surnames — a reflection of Korea’s high cultural value placed on education and formal credentials. The surnames Baek and Park are two of the most common Korean family names, making the mix-up feel realistic and relatable. It is often used in Korean university settings and language classes to practise the distinction between similar vowels in formal speech contexts.
Tips for Saying It
- Exaggerate the vowel difference in practice: Baaek (long ae) vs Paak (open a) — make it obvious before narrowing back to normal pronunciation.
- The word 법학박사 is the same both times — do not get comfortable; the surname is what changes.
- Point at imaginary people as you say 저분 (that person) and 이분 (this person) — the physical cue helps your brain switch surnames correctly.
More Korean Tongue Twisters / 더 많은 잰말놀이
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