Кукушка кукушонку купила капюшон. Надел кукушонок капюшон — как в капюшоне он смешон!
Кукушка кукушонку купила капюшон. Надел кукушонок капюшон — как в капюшоне он смешон!
The cuckoo bought a hood for the cuckoo chick. The cuckoo chick put on the hood — how funny he looks in the hood!
Why Is It Hard?
The ku in kukushka and kukushonok plus the ka in kapyushon create a wall of hard k sounds. The word kapyushon (hood) appears three times, each time next to a ku-word. Russian speakers find the shift between soft sh and hard k particularly tricky at speed.
History
This is one of the most popular Russian skorogovorki for children. The image of a baby cuckoo in an oversized hood is charming and funny, which is why it has remained a classroom favourite for generations. It is often the first tongue twister Russian children learn.
Tips for Saying It
- Isolate kukushka and kukushonok — practise the difference before combining.
- Kapyushon has a soft sh sound in the middle — do not harden it.
- The second sentence is faster — use the first as your warm-up.
More Russian Tongue Twisters
- Russian Tongue Twisters — full collection
- Tongue Twisters for Kids — perfect for children
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Find hundreds more on alltonguetwisters.com.