Yekhal Greka cherez reku is a children’s rhyme and tongue twister about a Greek man crossing a river and a crayfish pinching his hand. The r and k sounds repeat throughout.
Tongue Twisters
Karl u Klary ukral korally is a famous Russian tongue twister — Karl stole coral from Clara, and Clara stole a clarinet from Karl. The k, l, and r sounds collide throughout.
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.