De kat krabt de krullen van de trap
De kat krabt de krullen van de trap
The cat scratches the curls off the stairs
Why Is It Hard?
Krabt (scratches), krullen (curls), and trap (stairs) form a phonetic triangle of kr-krl-tr sounds. The kr cluster in Dutch requires an unvoiced guttural k followed immediately by a trill r, and then krullen demands a lateral l after the r. For non-Dutch speakers the guttural Dutch r alone is a major challenge before even attempting the cluster.
History
De kat krabt de krullen van de trap is the first tongue twister most Dutch children learn and appears in the opening pages of Dutch language workbooks. The image of a cat scratching at stair railings is a classic domestic scene. This twister has been used in Dutch speech therapy and children’s education for over a century.
Tips for Saying It
- The Dutch r is guttural – made in the throat, not with the tongue tip.
- Krabt: KRABT – the b and t both sound at the end, do not drop either.
- Practise kr alone until the k-r connection is clean before tackling krullen.
More Dutch Tongue Twisters
- Dutch Tongue Twisters – full collection
- Hard Tongue Twisters – hardest twisters
- Tongue Twisters – main collection
Find hundreds more on alltonguetwisters.com.
Full Text
De kat krabt de krullen van de trap.
Krabt de kat de krullen van de trap, dan krabt de kat de krullen van de trap.
English Translation
“The cat scratches the curls from the stairs. If the cat scratches the curls from the stairs, then the cat scratches the curls from the stairs.”
Why It’s Hard
This is considered the most famous Dutch tongue twister and is known across the Netherlands and Belgium. The K sound and the KR cluster appear throughout: “kat” (cat), “krabt” (scratches), “krullen” (curls). Dutch K is a back-of-mouth stop (velar plosive), and KR adds an R immediately after the stop closure – a consonant cluster that English speakers find natural but that requires perfect timing to produce clearly at speed. “Krabt” also ends in a BT cluster (-ABT), which is unusual and must not be swallowed. The repeated “de trap” (the stairs) at the end of both clauses creates a pattern lock that leads to “the trap” being said too quickly and its T being dropped.
Dutch Phonetics Notes
Dutch R is not the same as English R. Depending on the region, Dutch speakers use either a guttural R (back-throat, similar to French R) or a tapped R (tongue tap against the alveolar ridge). Both are different from the English retroflex R. “Krabt” and “krullen” both begin with this Dutch R, which non-native speakers often replace with an English R – a noticeable pronunciation difference.
Tips to Master It
- Practice “krabt” alone – the KR onset, the short A vowel, then the -BT ending are all crucial.
- “Krullen” (curls) – practice the KR-UL-LEN sequence. The LL in Dutch is a clear double L, not the Spanish LL.
- Line 1: “De kat krabt de krullen van de trap” – master before line 2.
- Line 2 front-loads “krabt de kat” – the verb comes first, which changes the rhythm.
Difficulty Rating
Medium-Hard. The KR cluster and the repeated K-words create genuine challenge. One of the first Dutch tongue twisters taught in Dutch language schools. Suitable for ages 8 and above; great for intermediate Dutch learners.
More: All Dutch Tongue Twisters | German | French | All Tongue Twisters