Tongue Twisters

Sul tagliere taglierò le tagliatelle is an Italian tongue twister about cutting tagliatelle on a chopping board. The tagli sound repeats four times.

Apelle figlio di Apollo fece una palla di pelle di pollo is a classic Italian tongue twister full of p and ll sounds. A son of Apollo made a ball of chicken skin.

Sopra la panca la capra campa, sotto la panca la capra crepa is a beloved Italian tongue twister about a goat living and dying above and below a bench.

Tre tigri contro tre tigri – three tigers against three tigers – is Italy’s most compact tongue twister. Just six words but nearly impossible to say fast.

Trentatré trentini entrarono a Trento is one of Italy’s most famous tongue twisters. The rolling r and tr sounds across Trentino, Trento, and trentini make it a classic speech drill.

Niwa ni wa niwatori – meaning there are two chickens in the garden – is a classic Japanese tongue twister built entirely on the niwa and ni sounds.

Sumomo mo momo mo momo no uchi is a famous Japanese tongue twister meaning both plums and peaches are types of peach. The mo and momo sounds repeat and blend together.

Aka makigami ao makigami ki makigami is a classic Japanese colour tongue twister – red, blue, and yellow scrolled paper repeated at speed.

Tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki ku kyaku da is a beloved Japanese tongue twister that trips up even fluent Japanese speakers with its k and ky sounds.

Namanmugi namagome namatamago is one of the most famous Japanese tongue twisters, practised in schools across Japan for its rapid-fire na sounds.