El que lo desparangaricutirimícuare, buen desparangaricutirimícuarizador será
El que lo desparangaricutirimícuare, buen desparangaricutirimícuarizador será
The one who un-parangaricutirimícuaros it, will be a good un-parangaricutirimícuaror
Why Is It Hard?
Parangaricutirimícuaro is a 21-letter word. The full tongue twister takes this word and adds the prefix des- (un-) and the suffix -ador (one who does) to create desparangaricutirimícuarizador, a 28-letter construction. Mexican Spanish speakers consider pronouncing the full twister correctly to be a point of national pride and a genuine linguistic achievement.
History
Parangaricutirimícuaro is actually a real place. It is a small town in Michoacán, Mexico. The indigenous name (from the Purépecha language) caught the attention of Mexican linguists in the mid-20th century who crafted the tongue twister from it. It was popularised on Mexican television in the 1970s and has been part of Mexican popular culture ever since. It is considered the hardest tongue twister in the Spanish-speaking world.
Tips for Saying It
- Learn the base word first: pa-ran-ga-ri-cu-ti-ri-mi-cua-ro (10 syllables).
- Add the des- prefix: des-pa-ran-ga-ri… then continue.
- The -ador suffix is the easiest part — end strong.
More Spanish Tongue Twisters
- Spanish Tongue Twisters — full Spanish collection
- Hard Tongue Twisters — hardest in any language
- Tres Tristes Tigres — another hard Spanish classic
Find hundreds more on alltonguetwisters.com.