List of tongue-twisters

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The following is a list of tongue-twisters, or difficult-to-repeat verses, in several languages.

Contents 1 List of tongue-twisters in English 1.1 Rhymes and poems 1.2 Phrases to be repeated rapidly 1.3 Other phrases 2 Tongue twisters in languages other than English 2.1 Albanian 2.2 Arabic (اللغة العربية) 2.3 Bulgarian 2.4 Catalan 2.5 Serbian, Bosnian, or Croatian 2.6 Chinese (Cantonese) 2.7 Chinese (Mandarin) 2.8 Czech 2.9 Danish 2.10 Dutch 2.11 Esperanto 2.12 Estonian 2.13 Filipino 2.14 Finnish 2.14.1 Dialectal 2.14.2 Special words 2.15 French 2.16 German 2.17 Greek 2.18 Hebrew 2.19 Hindi 2.20 Hungarian 2.21 Icelandic 2.22 Irish 2.23 Italian 2.24 Japanese 2.25 Korean 2.26 Latin 2.27 Latvian 2.28 Lithuanian 2.29 Malay 2.30 Maltese 2.31 Marathi 2.32 Norwegian 2.33 Polish 2.34 Portuguese 2.35 Romanian 2.36 Russian 2.37 Slovak 2.38 Slovenian 2.39 Spanish 2.40 Swedish 2.40.1 Dialectal 2.41 Tagalog/Pilipino 2.42 Tatar 2.43 Vietnamese 2.44 Võro 2.45 isiXhosa 3 See also 4 External links

List of tongue-twisters in English

Rhymes and poems

Sarah, Sarah, sits in her Chevrolet.

When she shifts she sips her Schlitz,

and when she sips her Schlitz she shifts.

Betty Botter bought a bit of butter. "But," she said, "this butter's bitter!

If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter!"

So she bought a bit of butter better than her bitter butter,

And she put it in her batter, and her batter was not bitter.

So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter. (listen)

A canner can can anything that he can,

But a canner can't can a can, can he?

Or:

How many cans can a cannery can

If a cannery can can cans?

A certain young fellow named Beebee

Wished to marry a lady named Phoebe

"But," he said. "I must see

What the minister's fee be

Before Phoebe be Phoebe Beebee"

(This is a limerick that turns into a tongue-twister at the last phrase.)

To sit in solemn silence on a dull dark dock

In a pestilential prison with a lifelong lock

Awaiting the sensation of a short sharp shock

From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block.

(from The Mikado)

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck

If a woodchuck would chuck wood?

A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck

If a woodchuck would chuck wood.

How much Zen would a Zen master master

if Zen master could master all the Zen?

A Zen master would master all the Zen he could master

if a Zen master should master all the Zen

I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's mate,

And I'm only plucking pheasants 'cause the pheasant plucker's late.

I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son,

And I'm only plucking pheasants till the pheasant pluckers come.

The most common mistake here involves a spoonerism of pheasant plucker and derivative phrases.

One smart fellow, he felt smart

Two smart fellows, they felt smart

Three smart fellows, they all felt smart

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers

Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

A tutor who tooted the flute

Tried to tutor two tooters to toot

Said the two to the tutor

"Is it tougher to toot

Or to tutor two tooters to toot?"

A mother to her son did utter

"Go, my son, and shut the shutter"

"The shutter's shut" the son did utter

"I cannot shut it any shutter!"

How many sheets could a sheet slitter slit

If a sheet slitter could slit sheets?

A sheet slitter could slit all the sheets

If a sheet slitter could slit sheets!

A fly and a flea in a flue

Were trapped, so what could they do?

"Let us fly," said the flea

"Let us flee," said the fly

So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

She sells sea shells by the sea shore

And the shells she sells are seashore shells I'm sure.

Phrases to be repeated rapidly

• A big black bug bled black blood
• A black bug's blood
• A cricket critic
• Bad blood
• Big Pig
• Irish wristwatch
• Iranian uranium
• Legend tripping
• Liril
• Obsessed with breasts
• Red lorry, yellow lorry

Variants: Red leather, yellow leather; Red welly, yellow welly

• Road-roller
• Rubber baby buggy bumpers
• Upper roller, lower roller
• Sanskrit skit script
• Skip Script
• Stupid Superstition
• Throw a flower
• Toy boat
• Tragedy, strategy
• Unique New York
• Sunshine City
• Peggy Babcock
• Hot Heat Hit Hatted Hairy Henry's Head

Other phrases

• Around the rough and rugged rock the ragged rascal randomly ran.
• Ken Dodd's dad's dog's dead.
• "Are you copper-bottoming 'em my man?" "No, I'm aluminiuming 'em ma'am."
• The black bloke's back brake block broke.
• A box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer
• He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
• Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.
• I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon a slitted sheet I sit.
• The Leith police dismisseth thee. The Leith police dismisseth us. (According to urban legend, one accused of being drunk would only be dismissed by the Leith police if this phrase could be repeated without making a mistake).
• A proper cup of coffee from a copper coffee pot.
• Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.
• You know I need unique New York. I know you need unique New York.
• The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.
• Chain chomp champ chomps through chewy chains. (see Chomp).
• "We reweave rips" (A sign in the window of a tailor's shop.)
• The winkle ship sank and the shrimp ship swam.
• An old seabear sits on the pier and drinks a pint of beer. Template:IPA
• Three sweet switched Swiss witches watch three washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switches. Which sweet switched Swiss witch watches which washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switch?
• One was a racehorse, Two was one too. One won a race, Two won one too.
• She sells sea shells on the sea shore. The shells she sells are sea-shore shells, I'm sure.
• One woman wore one hundred wippy wrist watches
• The seething sea ceaseth and that sufficeth me
• She, where he had had had, had had had had. Had had had had the approval of the examiner.
• The trump card: "On a balcony, inexplicably mimicking him hiccoughing, she amicably welcomed him in."
• I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch

Tongue twisters in languages other than English

Albanian

• Karikaturisti karikaturon karikatura karakteristike. (listen)

The caricaturist caricaturates characteristic caricatures. (Coincidentally kari is the definitive form of a vulgar term for penis.)

• Kupa me kapak kupa pa kapak (listen)

The cup with a lid the cup without a lid

• Polli pula e Lleshit në kaçile t'leshit. (listen)

The hen of Lleshi laid an egg in a wool basket.

• Pirdh o prift ne prill pirdh.

Fart priest in april, fart.

• Plaka lau pllakat.

The old woman washed the tiles.

• I papashaportizuar

You don't have a passport.

Arabic (اللغة العربية)

• خيط حرير على حيط خليل
• أرنب تـرنـدبـنـدقـت جـوهـا الـمـتـرنـدبـنـدقـيـن تـرنـدبـنـدقـوهـا
• دربيل دربلنا به ودربيل ما دربلنا به
• طلعت الشمس واستغطلمطلست واسودت والوديان واستمديست على علاء الدين بن المستغطلمطلسين
• حنشنش بتنشنش تحت شجرة خضرة.
• خالتي بركة عندها بقرة لما ذبحنا يقرتنا طلعت مركة رقبة بقرتنا اطيب من مركة رقبة بقرة عمتي بركة
• بطتنا بطّت بطن بطتتكم بطتين وبطة يا هل ترى بتقدر بطتكم تبط بطن بطتنا بطتين وبطة
• بشتي نشف ومشطي نشب بالشنطة
• ليرة ورا ليرة
• بطتنا وبطكم ..بطت بطتنا بطن بطتكم.ما تقدر بطتكم تبط بطن بطتنا مثل ما بطت بطتنا بطن بطتكم
• طبق رطب ولبن بقر

Bulgarian

• Крал Карл и кралица клара крали кларинети от кралските кларинетисти.
• Kral Karl i kralitsa Klara krali klarineti ot kralskite klarinetisti.

(They say) the king Carl and the queen Clara stole clarinets from the royal clarinettists.

• Петър плет плете, през три пръта преплита. Плети, Петре, плета.
• Petur plet plete, prez tri pruta preplita. Pleti, Petre, pleta.

Peter knits a wattle-fence, weaves three times through. Weave, Peter, the wattle-fence.

• На чичко Чочко чичковите червенотиквеничковчета.
• Na Chichko Chochko chichkovite chervenotikvenichkovcheta.

Uncle Chochko's little uncle's red pumpkinheads.

• Шест шишета се сушат на шест шосета от шест сешуара.
• Shest shisheta se sushat na shest shoseta ot shest seshuara.

Six bottles are being dried on six highways by six blowdriers.

Catalan

• Setze jutges d'un jutjat mengen fetge de penjat, però si el penjat es despenja, es menja els setze fetges dels setze jutges que el van penjar

Sixteen judges from a court eat a hanged man's liver, but if the hanged man gets down, he'll eat the sixteen livers from the sixteen judges who hanged him.

Serbian, Bosnian, or Croatian

• Бело јаре пролајало
  • Latin: Belo jare prolajalo.

White goat kid started to bark.

• Cvrči cvrči cvrčak na čvoru crne smrče. (V. Nazor)

Chirping chirping cricket on the knot of a black spruce.

• Raskiseliše li ti se ti opanci? Razveseliše li ti se gosti?
  • Cyrillic: Раскиселише ли ти се ти опанци? Развеселише ли ти се гости?

Have these opanci (kind of shoes) of yours been well soaked? Have your guests became jolly?

• Туре буре ваља, була буре гура. Брже туре буре ваља но што була буре гура.
  • Latin: Ture bure valja; bula bure gura. Brže ture bure valja no što bula bure gura.

A Turk brat rolls a barrel; a Turk damsel pushes a barrel. Turk brat faster rolls a barrel than Turk damsel pushes a barrel.

• Šaš devetopošaš al se pazdevetorošašio.
  • Cyrillic: Шаш деветорошаш, ал' се раздеветорошашио.
• Четири чавчића на чунчићу чучећи цијучу.
  • Latin: Četiri čavčića na čunčiću čučeći cijuču.

Four jackdaw chicks, on chimney perched, chirp.

• Bela kuja prolajala, zalajala i odlajala.
  • Cyrillic: Бела куја пролајала, залајала и одлајала.
• Пиле пикће док до куће не допикће.
  • Latin: Pile pikće dok do kuće ne dopikće.

Chicken clucks until /to the house/ it clucks.

• Riba ribi grize rep.
  • Cyrillic: Риба риби гризе реп.

One fish bites another fishes tail.

• На врх брда врба мрда.
  • Latin: Na vrh brda vrba mrda.

On top of the hill a willow swings.

• Petar Petru pleo petlju pokraj puta po sto puta.
  • Cyrillic: Петар Петру плео петљу покрај пута по сто пута.

Petar made a loop for Peter by the road, hundreds of times.

• Сједи стари Злокотлокрп и стара Злокотлокрпа и њихових двоје троје злотокрпчади.
  • Latin: Sjedi stari Zlokotlokrp i stara Zlokotlokrpa i njihovih dvoje troje zlokotlokrpčadi.

Sits an old cauldron-mender and his old cauldron-mendress (wife) and their two or three cauldron-menderlings (children)

The following is written with syllable accents although one does not normally write them down as they are usually implied by context. However, writing this sentence without accents would make it unintelligible.

• Template:IPA
  • Cyrillic, without accents: Горе горе горе горе, но што горе горе доље.

/Up there/ /worse/ mountains are burning, than mountains are burning down there.

Chinese (Cantonese)

(known as 急口令)

• ming5 ding2 bing1 ding1 ting4 ding6 ting3 (酩酊兵丁停定聽)

The drunken soldier stopped and listened.

• fu3 fu5 fu4 fu1 fu6 fu6 fu2 (富婦扶夫赴傅府)

A rich woman carried her husband to Fu's mansion.

• yap9 sat9 yim6 sat1 gam6 gan2 gap7 dzai3, gwat9 gai1 gwat9 gwat7 gwat9 gai1 gwat9 (入實驗室襟緊急掣，掘雞掘骨掘雞骨)

Go to the laboratory and press the emergency button, dig for the chicken, dig for the bone, and dig for the chicken bone.

• ling5 ding2 ying7 ming4 ging7 sing2 bing1 ding7 ting4 ding6 ting3

[translation]

• saan1 gaan7 ngaan6 faan2 laan5 maan6 faan7 maan4 waan5 daan6 taan4

[translation]

Chinese (Mandarin)

(known as 繞口令)

• 西施死時四十四
• xī shī sǐ shí sì shí sì
• Xi Shi died at age 44.

The following is Lion Eating Poet in the Stone Den, a famous tongue twister written by Yuen Ren Chao. It is a short story written exclusively with various tones of one syllable (shi), and composed in the literary Chinese style.

• 施氏食獅史

石室詩士施氏，嗜獅，誓食十獅。氏時時適市視獅。十時，適十獅適市。是時，適施氏適是市。氏視十獅，恃矢勢，使是十獅逝世。氏拾是十獅屍，適石室。食時，始識十獅實十石獅屍。試釋是事。

• shī shì shí shī shǐ

Shí shì shī shì shī shì, shì shī, shì shí shí shī. Shì shí shí shì shì shì shī. Shí shí, shì shí shī shì shì. Shì shí, shì shī shì shì shì. Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shǐ shì, shǐ shì shí shī shì shì. Shì shí shì shí shī shī, shì shí shì. Shí shì shī, shì shǐ shì shì shí shì. Shí shì shì, shì shǐ shì shí shí shī shī. Shí shí, shǐ shì shì shí shī shī, shí shí shí shī shī. Shì shì shì shì.

• In a stone house, lived a poet who loved lions, he swore to eat ten lions. In the morning, he went to the market. In a coincidence, ten lions arrived at the market. When the poet spotted the lions, he shot arrows, and 10 lions died. In return he received 10 lion carcasses and returned to his house. When he ate the dead lions, he realized it was ten stone lions.

The following tongue-twister is based on the fact that the word "four" sounds like the word "ten":

• 四是四，十是十，十四是十四，四十是四十。你不要把十四说成四十，四十说成十四。

• Sì shì sì, shí shì shí, shí sì shì shí sì, sì shí shì sì shí. Nǐ bú yào bǎ shí sì shuō chéng sì shí, sì shí shuō chéng shí sì.

• Four is four, ten is ten, fourteen is fourteen, forty is forty. You shouldn't say 'fourteen' as 'forty' or 'forty' as 'fourteen'.

This phrase can be used to tell if someone is drunk or not:

• 四十四头死的石狮子
• Sì shí sì tǒu sǐ de shí shī zi
• Forty-four dead stone lions

Czech

• Strč prst skrz krk. (listen)

Stick a finger through your throat.

• Nesnese se se sestrou.

He doesn't get on with his sister.

• Roli lorda Rolfa hrál Vladimír Leraus.

The role of Lord Rolf was played by VL.

• Nenaolejuje-li koleje Julie, naolejuji je já.

If Julie doesn't oil rails, I will oil them.

• Třistatřicetři stříbrných stříkaček stříkalo přez třistatřicet tři stříbrných střech.

Three hundred and thirty three silver fire-engines were spraying over three hundred and thirty three silver roofs.

Danish

• Rødgrød med fløde (listen)

Red pudding with cream (it is made from stewed berries and served cold with cream)

• Fem flade flødeboller på et fladt flødebollefad

Five flat cream puffs on a flat cream puff plate

• Bispens gipsbisps gipsgebis gisper

The dentures of the bishop's plaster bishop (statuette) clatter

• Da de hvide kom til de vilde, ville de vilde vide hvad de hvide ville vide

When the white (man) came to the wild (man), the wild wanted to know what the white wanted to know

• Stakit, stativ, kasket

Paling, rack, cap

• Tykke kæppe knækker næppe

Thick rods cracks hardly

Dutch

• De poes kotst in de postkoets

The cat pukes in the stagecoach

• De koetsier poetst de postkoets met postkoetspoets.

The coachman cleans the stagecoach with stagecoach cleaner.

• De kat krabt de krullen van de trap met drie droge doeken.

The cat scratches the woodcurls of the stairs with three dry cloths.

• De knappe kapper kapt knap, maar de knappe knecht van de knappe kapper kapt knapper dan de knappe kapper kappen kan.

The clever barber cuts hair well, but the clever helper of the clever barber cuts hair more clever than the clever barber can cut it.

• De meid snijdt recht en de knecht snijdt scheef

The maid cuts straight and the servant cuts crooked

• Liesje leerde Lotje lopen langs de lange lindenlaan

Liesje taught Lotje how to walk along the long tree lane

• Moeder snijdt zeven scheve sneden brood

Mother slices seven skew slices of bread

• Een pet met een platte klep is een plattekleppet

A cap with a flat flap is a flat flap cap

• Wanneer een potvis in een pot pist heb je een pot vol met potvissen pis

When a sperm whale pisses into a pot, one has a pot full of sperm whale piss.

• Jeukt jouw jeukende neus ook zoals mijn jeukende neus jeukt?

Does your itching nose itch like my itching nose is itching? (when you pronounce jeukende neus jeukt incorrect you get jeukende jeus neukt which means something like itching j/nose fucks.)

• Zeven zwarte zwanen zwemmen in de Zuiderzee

Seven black swans swim in the Southern Sea

• Als achter vliegen vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegen achterna

If flies fly behind flies, flies fly after flies

• Toen was was was, was was was.

When wash wash was, was wash wash.

• Wij wouden witte was wassen waneer wij wisten waar warm water was.

We would wash white wash when we knew where warm water was.

• Als in Graven graven gravengraven graven, graven graven gravengraven.

If counts are digging count-graves in Graven, counts dig count-graves.

• Zeven Zaventemse zotten zwommen zonder zwembroek. "Ze zijn zekers zot!", zei Zuster Zulma zuchtend.

Seven nuts from Zaventem were swimming without bathingsuit."They are crazy for sure!", replied Sister Zulma sighing.

• Hottentottententententoonstelling

Esperanto

• Ĉu ŝi scias, ĉu ĉi-scene la sklavo ŝtelas la sceptron?

Does she know if the slave steals the sceptre during this scene?

• Serpo servu cin por ĉerpo el cerbo de serba cervo.

May a billhook serve thee to scoop out a Serbian deer's brain.

Estonian

• Pagari piparkook (repeated).

Baker's ginger biscuit

• Musta lehma saba valge lehma taga, valge lehma saba musta lehma taga (repeated).

Black cow's tail behind a white cow, white cow's tail behind a black cow.

• Kabli klubi (repeated)

Club of Kabli

• Asjaajaja, majarajaja ja jaamaülem (repeated, sobriety test)

Procurator, house builder and stationmaster

• Kummikutes kummitus kummitas kummutis (repeated, sobriety test)

A ghost with rubberboots haunted in the chest of drawers

• Eminemi esimene esinemine

Eminem's first performance

• Jüriöö ülestõus (jokingly used to determine if a non-native speaker has mastered the difficult accented vowels)

The Jüriöö uprising, in the night of April 23, 1343 peasants in Northern Estonia rebelled against their Danish overlords and cleansed much of the country of the foreign rulers.

• Õunapuu õitseaeg on Jüriöö ülestõusust jõululaupäevani

Blossom-time of an apple-tree is from the Jüriöö uprising until the Christmas Eve.

• Kuulilennuteetunneliluuk

The hatch of the tunnel of ballistic trajectory

This word is also a palindrome.

• Õueaiaäär

Edge of a yard fence

• Jäääär

Edge of ice

• korstnapühkija teeb kortsus korstnad korda

the chimney sweeper will fix the wrinkled chimneys

• Kuuuurija

Explorer of the Moon

• Töööö

Night of work

• Südaööelu

Midnight life

• Ööbik nöögib (repeated)

A nightingale is mocking

• Kõueööaimdus

Surmise of thunder-night

• Hauaööõudused

Horrors of a night in grave

Filipino

• Kabilugan ng buwan, buwan ng kabilugan

Fullness of the moon, month of roundness (i.e.: pregnancy).

This tongue-twister is also a Spoonerism, intending the speaker to say "kalibugan" (the state of being horny).

• Minimikaniko ni Monico ang makina ng minicar ni Monica

Monico is working on ("mechanic-ing") Monica's mini-car.

• Pasko, paksiw

"Pasko" is the Filipino word for Christmas and "paksiw" is a local delicacy prepared from lechon leftovers.

• Pitumpu't pitong puting tupang ipinirito ng puting patong papito-pito

Seventy-seventy white sheep fried by a whistling white duck.

• Puting tupa, tupang puti

Featuring the two ways to say "white sheep" in Filipino, this Spoonerism intends the speaker to say "puta" (bitch).

• Tumalon si Tonton sa malalim na balon sa ilalim ng talon sa taniman ng talong

Tonton jumped into the deep well under the waterfalls by the eggplant plantation.

• Ang relo ni Leroy [ay] Rolex

Leroy's watch is a Rolex.

• Bituka, butiki, botika

Intestine, lizard, drugstore.

Finnish

• Alavilla mailla hallan vaaraa (This is an actual weather report)

Risk of frost on low-lying lands

• Appilan pappilan apupapin paksuposkipiski pisti poskeensa paksun papupurkin.

The thick-cheeked dog of the deacon of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) ate a thick bean can.

• Appilan pappilan apupapin papupata pankolla kiehuu ja kuohuu.

Bean casserole of the deacon of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) boils and bubbles on the oven.

• Appilan pappilan piski paksuposki pakkas kapsäkin ja pinkaisi juoksuun.

The thick-cheeked dog of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) packed up a travelling-bag and started running.

• Kokoo kokoon koko kokko! Koko kokkoko? Koko kokko.

Gather up a full bonfire! A full bonfire? A full bonfire.

• Vie fiestaan hienon miekkamiehen tie (Tie vie!)

The way of the fine swordsman leads to fiesta (Road leads!)

(from "My Fair Lady", as Finnish translation for "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.")

• Lauri löysi ruplanrahan jyrkän penkereen reunalta.

Lauri (a man's name) found a one ruble coin from the brink of a steep cliff.

• Mustan kissan paksut posket (repeated)

Black cat's thick cheeks

• Pappilan apupapin papupata pankolla kiehuu.

The rectory's deacon's bean casserole boils on the oven.

• Presidenttipari pariloi Floridan kolesterolitonta broileria.

The presidential couple is barbequing cholesterol-less Florida broiler.

• Vesihiisi sihisi hississä.

The water pixie hissed in an elevator. (tease or practice for people with a lisp)

• Yksikseskös yskiskelet?

Are you coughing alone?

• Ärrän kierrän ympäri orren, ässän pistän taskuun.

I twine an 'R' around a purline, I put the 'S' into the pocket. (Tease or practice for people with problems pronouncing 'r' or 's')

• Ääliö, älä lyö, ööliä läikkyy!

Idiot, don't hit, beer spills!

• Yötyö vie työmiehen myöhään syömään

Night shift gets the worker late for dinner

• Nuoret työmiehet vievät Suomen tietyöt päätökseen

Young workers finalize the Finnish road works

• Enenenen, en enenene.

I may increase, I may not increase.

• Gödöllön pöllö töllöttää, möllöttää, köllöttää ja ööliä löllöttää

The owl of town Gödöllő (in Hungary) watches around, sulks, idles and consumes beer

• Kersantti Pippuri rannalla tappeli (to tease or practice people who confuse 'r' and 'l')

Sergeant Pepper fought at beach

• Käki söi keksiä keskellä keskioksaa

Cuckoo ate cookie in the middle of the mid-branch

• Etsivät etsivät etsivät etsivät etsivät

Detectives who are detecting find (other) detectives who are detecting

Dialectal

• - Kokko, kokkoo kokkoo koko kokko! - Koko kokkoko? - Koko kokko. Kokkookko? (Savo dialect)

Kokko (a surname), gather up the whole bonfire! - The entire bonfire? - The entire bonfire. Now will you gather it up?

• - Mamma, pakka pappa kapsäkk! (Finland proper dialect)

Grandma, pack grandpa's suitcase - this is also almost verbatim the same in Swedish.

• Olin sedälläni seitsemän vuotta kodossa renkinä (to tease Eastern Tavastians, who pronounce 'd' as 'l')

I was my uncle's servant at his home for seven years; mispronounced becomes "I was seven years a servant in a hole laying on my back"

• Hieno piano (repeated) (To tease people from Finland proper, who pronounce the diphtong 'ie' as 'ia')

Fine piano

• Fiesta Kiasmassa (to tease people from Savo, who pronounce the diphthong 'ia' as 'ie')

Fiesta in Kiasma (Helsinki museum of modern arts)

Special words

• Lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas (The longest Finnish word, an actual military term in Air Force)

Airplane jet turbine engine auxiliary mechanic non-commissioned officer student

• Hääyöaieuutinen

literally "Wedding night intention news"(very literally "The good night news") - something about celebrities and certainly yellow press stuff.

• Epäjärjestelmällistyttämättömyydellänsäkäänköhän

Wonder if even with his/her lack of capacity to create disorganisation

French

• La roue sur la rue roule ; la rue sous la roue reste. (listen)

The wheel on the road rolls; the road under the wheel stays.

• Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien de chasse. (listen)

A hunter who knows how to hunt has to know how to hunt without his hunting dog.

• La pipe au papa du Pape Pie pue (Prévert).

Pope Pius' dad's pipe stinks.

• Si ces saucissons sont bons, ces saucissons-ci sont aussi bons.

If those sausages are good, these sausages here are also good.

• Kiki était cocotte et Coco concasseur de cacao. Kiki la cocotte aimait beaucoup Coco le concasseur de cacao. Or un marquis caracolant, caduc et cacochyme, conquis par les coquins quinquets de Kiki la cocotte, offrit à Kiki la cocotte un coquet caraco kaki à col de caracul. Quand Coco le concasseur de cacao comprit qu'un marquis caracolant, caduc et cacochyme conquis par les coquins quinquets de Kiki la cocotte, avait offert à Kiki la cocotte un coquet caraco kaki à col de caracul, il conclut « Je clos mon caquet, je suis cocu ! »

please translate this!

Kiki was a hen and Coco a crushing-mill of cocoa. Kiki the hen liked a lot Coco the crushing-mill of cocoa. Now, a prancing marquis, mute and feeble, conquered by the roguish eyes of Kiki the hen, offered to Kiki the hen a stylish khaki collared camisole of caraculs1. When Coco the crushing-mill of cocoa realised that a prancing marquis, mute and feeble conquered by the roguish eyes of Kiki the hen, had been offered to Kiki the hen a stylish khaki collared camisole of caraculs, he concludes “I finish my chattering, I am a cuckold2!”

A lot of these words are from Argot-French, words no longer used in the French language. 1 A breed of sheep with a special type of wool 2 A man married to an unfaithful wife

• Panier piano (repeated; listen)

Basket piano

• Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches ou archi sèches ? (listen)

Are the archduchess's socks dry or very dry?

• Si mon tonton tond ton tonton, ton tonton sera tondu.

If my uncle shaves your uncle, your uncle will be shaved.

• Je veux et j'exige du jasmin et des jonquilles. (listen)

I want and demand jasmin and daffodils.

• Natacha n'attacha pas son chat qui s'échappa.

Natacha did not tie up her cat, who escaped/.

• Un dragon gradé dégrade un dragon gradé.

A commissioned dragoon decommissions a commissioned dragoon.

• Je suis un original qui ne se désoriginalisera jamais.

I am an original who will never de-originalise.

• Spock s'pique avec du speed ? Mais c'est stupide! Spock spécule et s'perd dans des spleens sporadiques.

Spock takes speed by intravenous? That's stupid? Spock speculates and loses himself into sporadic melancholy.

• Les salauds salissent Solaar cela me lasse. Mais laisse les salir Solaar, sur ce, salut ! (MC Solaar - L'histoire de l'art)

The bastards dirty [make fun of] Solaar, this annoys me. But let them dirty this, bye!

• Fruits cuits, fruits crus (repeated).

Cooked fruits, raw fruits.

• Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents six scies scient six cents six cyprès.

If six saws saw six cypresses, six hundred and six saws saw six hundred and six cypresses. (Was written in a Finnish book as "si si si si si si prä, si si sang si si sang si prä".)

• Napoleon, céda Sedan, céda ses dents.

Napoleon, lost Sedan, lost his teeth.

• Poisson sans boisson est poison.

Fish without drink is poison.

• Didon dîna, dit-on, du dos d'un dodu dindon.

Dido ate, it is said, from the back of a fat turkey.

• Tas de riz, tas de rats. Tas de riz tentant, tas de rats tentés. Tas de riz tentant tenta tas de rats tentés. Tas de rats tentés tâta tas de riz tentant!

Mount of rice, bunch of rats. Tempting mount of rice, tempted bunch of rats. Tempting mount of rice has tempted bunch of tempted rats. Bunch of tempted rats touched tempting mount of rice!

• Tonton, ton thé t'a t'il ôté ta toux ?

Uncle, did your tea remove your cough?

• Dis-moi gros gras grand grain d'orge, quand tu dégrogragrangraindorgeras-tu? Je me dégrogragrangraindorgerai quand tous les gros gras grands grains d'orge se seront dégrogragrangraindorgés.

Tell me, big fat large grain of barley, when you will un-big-fat-large-grain-of-barley yourself? I will un-big-fat-large-grain-of-barley myself when all the big fat large grains of barley are un-big-fat-large-grain-of-barley-ed.

• l'abeille coule (à répéter plusieurs fois rapidement)

the bee runs (to be said several times rapidly)

German

• Es klapperten die Klapperschlangen, bis ihre Klappern schlapper klangen. (listen)

The rattlesnakes rattled until their rattles rattled less vigorously.

• Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische, frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritz. (listen)

Fischers' boy Fritz fishes for fresh fish, for fresh fish fishes Fischer's boy Fritz.

• Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid, und Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut. (listen)

Bride's dress remains bride's dress, and blue cabbage remains blue cabbage.

• Konstantinopolitanischedudelsackpfeifenmachergesellschaft

(Bagpipe-pipe maker company of Constantinople)

• Der Potsdamer Postkutscher putzt den Potsdamer Postkutschkasten. (listen)

The driver of the Potsdam stage coach cleans the case of the Potsdam stage coach.

• Im Potsdamer Boxclub boxt der Potsdamer Postbusboss. (listen)

At the Potsdam boxing club, the boss of the Potsdam post bus is boxing. (almost works in English too)

• Der Whiskeymixer mixt den Whiskey mit dem Whiskeymixer. (listen)

The whiskey mixer (barman) mixes whiskey with the whiskey mixer (device). (The fun here lies in the most probable mistake: wichsen is a vulgar German term for "to masturbate".)

• Im dichten Fichtendickicht nicken dicke Fichten tüchtig. (listen)

In a dense thicket of spruces, thick spruces are heavily napping. (German ficken means "to fuck" and Nichten equals nieces - n<->f).

• Der Kaplan klebt Pappplakate an die Plakatwand. (listen)

The chaplain is sticking posters made of heavy card to the notice board.

• Wenn hinter Fliegen Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach. (listen)

If flies fly behind flies, then flies fly after flies.

• Bismarck biss Mark, bis Mark Bismarck biss.

Bismarck bit Mark, until Mark bit Bismarck.

• Zwei Ladenjungen, die vor den Schokoladenladen Laden laden, laden Schokoladenladenladenmädchen zum Tanze ein.

Two salesboys, who load crates in front of the chocolate shop, ask chocolate shop salesgirls to the dance.

• Diesen Morgen haben sieben Schwaben einen gelben Hasen gesehen.

This morning seven Schwabians have seen a yellow rabbit.

• Die, die die, die die Steinkohlen stahlen, dingfest machen, erhalten eine Belohnung.

Those, who arrest those who steal the coals, earn a reward.

• Bringst du Opi Opium, bringt Opium Opi um.

If you give Grandpa Opium, Opium is going to kill Grandpa.

• Wir Wiener Wäscheweiber würden weiße Wäsche waschen, wenn wir wüssten, wo weiches warmes Wasser wäre.

We Viennese laundry women would wash white laundry if we knew where we could find soft warm water.

• Zwischen zwei Zwetschgenzweigen sitzen zwei zwitschernde Schwalben.

Two twittering swallows are sitting between two plum twigs.

• Wenn Griechen hinter Griechen kriechen, kriechen Griechen Griechen nach.

When Greeks creep behind Greeks, Greeks creep after Greeks.

• Heut kommt der Hans nach Haus, freut sich die Lies. Ob er aber über Oberammergau, oder aber über Unterammergau, oder aber überhaupt net kommt, ist nicht g'wiß!

Today Hans comes home, and Lies is pleased. But whether he comes by Oberammergau, or by Unterammergau, or if he even arrives at all, is not known!

Franconian Dialect

• A Mamaladaaama hamma daham aa.

(High German): Ein Marmeladeneimerchen haben wir daheim auch.

(English): A marmalade can, we have at home, too.

Swiss German Eastern varieties:

• De Papscht hät s'Schpäck-Bschteck zschpaat bschtellt.

The pope was late ordering the cutlery for the bacon.

Western varieties:

• Der Paapscht het z Spiez ds Bsteck z späät bstellt.

The pope has ordered the cutlery too late in Spiez.

Phrases to be repeated rapidly

• Hirsch heisst mein Vater.

Hirsch is my father's name.

(what you get if repeated too rapidly): Hier scheisst mein Vater.

Here my father is taking a shit

Greek

• Άσπρη πέτρα ξέξασπρη, κι από τον ήλιο ξεξασπρότερη!

áspri pétra xéxaspri, ki apó ton ílio xexaspróteri!

White rock, whitest rock - even whitest than sun (sunshine)!

• Μια πάπια, μα ποια πάπια; Μια πάπια με παπιά!

miá pápia, ma piá pápia; miá pápia me papiá!

A duck, but which duck? A duck with ducklings!

• Ο παπάς ο παχύς έφαγε παχιά φακή.

O papas o pahis efage pahia faki.

The fat priest ate a fat lentil.

• Καπνός παντοπάγκαπνός, καπνός και παντοκαπνισμένος.

Kapnos pantopankapnos, kapnos ke pantokapnismenos.

Tobacco of all tobaccos, smoke and allsmoked.

Hebrew

• גנן גידל דגן בגן, דגן גדול גדל בגן

Ganan geedel dagan bagan, dagan gadol gadal bagan

A gardner grew a cereal in the garden, a large cereal grew in the garden.

• שרה שרה שיר שמח, שיר שמח שרה שרה

Sara shara shir sameh'ach, shir sameh'ach shara Sara

Sarah sings a happy song.

• שרה שמה שום בסושי

Sara sama shum basushi

Sarah puts garlic in the Sushi.

• נחש נשך נחש

Nachash nashach nachash

A snake bit a snake.

• בקבוק בלי פקק

Bakbuk bli pkak

A bottle without a plug.

• אני לא מהמתמהמהים, אני מהמתמהמהות

Ahni loh meh'hamitmahamehim, ahni meh'hamitmahamehot

I am not a from the procrastinating men, I am from the procrastinating women.

Variation: מהממהרים, מהממהרות meh'hameh'maharim, meh'hameh'maharot (I am not from the men in a hurry...).

• אישה נעלה נעלה נעלה נעלה את הדלת בפני בעלה

Esha naala naala naala naala eht hadelet befnei baala

A noblewoman put on a her shoe, locked the door in her husband's face. (This is a game with the conjugation rules that allow construction of identical words (in spelling and pronunciation) with different meanings. Such twisters exist in Arabic too.)

• זה אני me-זה מי ו who-זה הוא ו he-זה היא ו she

She zeh hee veh-he zeh hoo veh-who zeh mi veh-me zeh ahni

This one translates words from English to Hebrew. Translating all the Hebrew words to English would give "She means she, and he means he, and who means who, and me means me." Each Hebrew word is pronounced like the English word of the next couple.

• עכו כוסתה טל, צפת אף היא כוסתה טל

Akko kusta tal, Tsfat af hi kusta tal

Acre was covered with dew, Safed was covered with dew too.

Variation: שלג sheleg (snow) instead of טל tal (dew). This is more of an ear twister, you are supposed to pronounce it with no spaces, leaving the listener to guess what the קוקוס kokus (coconut) and the פיקוס fikus (ficus) are doing there.

• טיטאת את התא? לא, לא טיטאתי את התא, תטאטא את התא אתה

Titehta et hata? Loh, loh titehti et hata, tehtateh et hata ata

Did you sweep the chamber? No, I didn't sweep the chamber, you sweep the chamber.

This is both hard to pronounce and hard to understand when pronounced without spaces ("Titehta-ta-ta - lo titehti-ta-ta, tehtateh-ta-ta-ata").

Hindi

• ऊँट ऊँचा, ऊँट की पीठ ऊँची, पूँछ ऊँची ऊँट की

There is a tall camel, the tail of the camel is higher, but the back of the camel is even higher.

• खडकसिंह के खडकने से खडकती है खिडकिंयाँ, खिडकियों के खडकने से खडकता है खडकसिंह

When Khadak Singh shakes, the windows shake; when the windows shake, Khadak Singh shakes.

• चंदू के चाचा ने चंदू की चाची को चाँदनी चौक में चाँदी की चम्मच से चटनी चटायी

Chandus' uncle asked Chandus' aunt to taste a pickle with the help of a silver spoon at Chandni Chowk.

• समझ समझ के समझ को समझो, समझ को समझना भी एक समझ है; समझ समझ के भी जो ना समझे, मेरी समझ में वो नासमझ है

Understand wisdom by wisdom and care. Understanding wisdom by being wise is true wisdom. One who does not understand wisdom even after understanding it, in my understanding he is unwise.

• कच्चा पापङ पक्का पापङ

Uncooked lentil wafer, cooked lentil wafer.

Hungarian

Template:Hulang

• Öt török öt görögöt dögönyöz örökös örömök között.

Five Turks are massaging [or beating up] five Greeks amid everlasting delights.

• Mit sütsz, kis szűcs? Sós húst sütsz, kis szűcs?

What are you frying, little furrier? Are you frying salted meat, little furrier?

• Te tetted e tettetett tettet? Te tettetett tettek tettese, te!

Did you do this pretended act? You, doer of pretended acts, you!

• Két pék két szép kék képet kér.

Two bakers are asking for two nice blue pictures.

• Nem mindenfajta szarka farka tarkabarka, csak a tarkabarka fajta szarkafajta farka tarkabarka.

Not all kinds of magpies have motley tails, only motley kind of magpies have motley tails.

• Megszentségteleníthetetlenségeskedéseitekért (This is often thought of as the longest Hungarian word, kind of untranslatable. A similar word is "Elkelkáposztásítottalaníthatatlaníttathatnátok!", but that's an entirely meaningless word, attempting to turn "kelkáposzta", a traditional cabbage dish, into a verb.)

(most exact possible) for your constant mentioning of the fact that [something] is unprofanable [cannot be profaned/desecrated]

(approximate) For the impossibility of you [plural] committing multiple acts of desecration.

(tentative) Unmightfulnessliyourslidownbefallingsly

• • Legeslegmegszentségteleníttethetetlenebbeiteknek (48 letters)

to those of you who can the very least be made profaned / desecrated

• • Töredezettségmentesítőtleníttethetetlenségtelenítőtlenkedhetnétek (65 letters)

"you could constantly mention the lack [of a software] that makes it impossible to have anyone make something free of a defragmenter"

• Egy kupac kopasz kukac meg még egy kupac kopasz kukac az két kupac kopasz kukac.

A pile of bald maggots and another pile of bald maggots make two piles of bald maggots.

• Jamaika a jamaikaiaké.

Jamaica belongs to Jamaicans.

• A szecsuáni síncsiszoló sínt csiszol Szecsuánban.

The rail-polisher of Sichuan polishes rails in Sichuan.

• Lenin alumíniummauzóleumának lelinóleumozása.

Linoleuming Lenin's Mausoleum, made of aluminium.

• Az ibafai papnak fapipája van, ezért az ibafai papi pipa papi fapipa.

The priest of Ibafa has a wooden pipe, so the priestly pipe of Ibafa is a priestly wooden pipe.

• Ede, de bedezodoroztad magad!

Edward, you've put on pretty much deodorant!

• Fekete bikapata kopog a pepita patikaköveken.

There are black bull's hooves clattering on the checked pharmacy stones.

• Stresszes, strasszos strucc-sztreccscucc.

Stressing, rhinestone-studded spandex clothes for ostriches.

• Csinos, csíkos cinkcsészében kilenc cukros csirkecomb.

Nine sugar-sprinkled chicken legs in a pretty, striped zinc cup.

• Egy picike pocakú picike pocok pocakon pöckölt egy picike pocakú picike pockot, mire a pocakon pöckölt, picike pocakú pocok pocakon pöckölte az őt pocakon pöckölő, picike pocakú pockot.

A tiny vole with a tiny tummy flipped a tiny vole with a tiny tummy on the tummy, at which the vole with a tiny tummy flipped on the tummy flipped the vole with a tiny tummy on the tummy who flipped him on the tummy.

• Q: Hogy hívták a híres lengyel tábornokot? A: Lompompolevimenicki Szaniszló!

Q: What was the name of the famous Polish general? A: as seen above. (This is a test for drunkenness.)

• Láttam szőrös hörcsögöt. Éppen szörpöt szörcsögött. Ha a hörcsög szörpöt szörcsög, rátörnek a hörcsöggörcsök.

I saw a hairy hamster. It was sipping squash. When a hamster sips squash, it'll be seized by hamster-cramps.

• Cserszömörcés sört szürcsöl Csörsz.

Csörsz is sipping smoketree beer.

• Legkedvesebb megegészségesedésedre! (the second word is a nonce word)

For your kindest healthy-getting!

• Agostyánban agg atyák a gatyáikat aggatják.

Aged fathers in Agostyán are hanging their briefs.

• Jobb egy lúdnyak két tyúknyaknál.

A goose-neck is better than two hen-necks.

• A Moszkvics-slusszkulcs luxusszükséglet.

Moskvitch ignition keys are luxury goods.

• Minden kiskakas kikukorékolásáig él. (the third word is a nonce word)

Every cockerel lives until they cockadoodledoo their last.

• Meggymag! Szelídmeggymag vagy, vagy vadmeggymag vagy?

Sour cherry seed: are you a seed of a wild [uncultivated] sour cherry or a seed of a tame [cultivated] sour cherry?

Icelandic

• Hnoðri úr norðri verður að veðri þó síðar verði.

A northern cloud will be weather in the end. The different order of r and ð make it hard not to mix them up.

• Árni á Á á á á beit.

Árni (name) on the farm Á (means river) owns a sheep who's biting grass.

• Stebbi stóð á ströndu og var að troða strý, en strý var ekki troðið nema Stebbi træði strý. Eintreður Stebbi strý, tvítreður Stebbi strý, þrítreður Stebbi strý...

Stebbi (malename) stood on the beach, stuffing straw, but straw can't be stuffed exept if Stebbi stuffs straw. Once Stebbi stuffs straw, twice Stebbi stuffs straw, thrice Stebbi stuffs straw...

• Frank Zappa í svampfrakka.

Frank Zappa in a sponge coat.

• Rómverskur riddari réðst inn í Rómarborg, rændi þar og ruplaði rabbabara og rjóma. Hvað eru mörg R í því?

A Roman knight invaded into Rome, robbed and rumbled rubarb and cream. How many R are in that? Also intended as a riddle, asking how many R's are in that. When the answer 15 is replied it is considered wrong, as there is no R in the word that.

• Barbara Ara bar Ara araba bara rabbabara.

Barbara Ara (Barbara, the daughter of Ari) brought only rubarb to Ari the arab. Note how the sentence consists entirely of the three letters A, B and R.

Irish

• Ná bac le mac an bhacaigh is ní bhacfaidh mac an bhacaigh leat.

Don't bother the lame man's son, and the lame man's son won't bother you.

• Bhí banjó ag Joe, agus bhí banjó ag bean Joe - b'fhearr go deo Joe ar an mbanjó ná bean Joe go deo.

Joe had a banjo, and Joe's wife had a banjo - Joe was much better on the banjor that Joe's wife (deo, banjó and Joe all rhyme)

Italian

• Un pezzo di pizza che puzza nel pozzo del pazzo di pezza.

A piece of pizza that stinks in the well of the ragged fool.

• Sopra la panca la capra campa, sotto la panca la capra crepa

On the bench, the goat lives, under the bench the goat dies

• Apelle, figlio di Apollo, fece una palla di pelle di pollo. Tutti i pesci vennero a galla, per vedere la palla di pelle di pollo fatta da Apelle, figlio di Apollo.

Apelle, son of Apollo, made a ball out of chicken skin. All the fishes came to the surface to see the ball made of chicken skin by Apelle, son of Apollo.

• Tre tigri contro tre tigri, tre tigri contro tre tigri ...

Three tigers against three tigers ... (ad nauseam)

• Trentatre trentini entrarono a Trento tutti e trentatre trotterellando

Thirty-three Trentines did enter in Trento trotting all thirty-three

• Se l'arcivescovo di Costantinopoli si disarcivescoviscostantinopolizzasse, ti disarcivescoviscostantinopolizzeresti anche tu?

If the archbishop of Constantinople would un-archbishop-of-Constantinople-ize himself, would you un-archbishop-of-Constantinople-ize too?

• Tre fette di fegato fritto in tre strette tasche stanno

Three slices of fried liver are in three tight poaches

Milan dialect

• Ti che te tachet i tac, tacum i tacc! Mi tacat i tac a ti? Tacheti ti i to tacc, ti che te tachet i tacc!

You, who's job is to stick on heels (to a shoe), stick my heels on! I should stick the heels for you? Stick your own heels since you stick heels on

Japanese

• Basu gasu bakuhatsu (バスガス爆発)

Bus gas explosion

• Tōkyō tokkyo kyoka kyoku (東京特許許可局)

Tokyo Patent Licensing Office (No such office exists.)

• Kisha no kisha wa kisha de kisha shimasu. (貴社の記者は汽車で帰社します。)

Your company's reporter is returning to the office by steam train.

• Nama mugi nama gome nama tamago (生麦生米生卵)

Raw barley, raw rice, raw egg

• Niwa ni wa niwa niwatori ga imasu. (庭には二羽鶏がいます。)

There are two chickens in the garden.

• Tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki kū kyaku da.(隣の客はよく柿食う客だ。)

The guest beside me is a guest who often eats persimmons.

• Bōzu ga byōbu ni jōzu ni bōzu no e o kaita.(坊主が屏風に上手に坊主の絵を書いた。)

A monk skillfully drew a picture of a monk on a folding screen.

Korean

• Ganjanggongjang gongjangjang-eun Jang gongjangjang-igo doenjanggongjang gongjangjang-eun Gang gongjangjang-ida. (간장공장 공장장은 장 공장장이고 된장공장 공장장은 강 공장장이다.)listen

The manager of the soy sauce factory is Manager Jang and the manager of the soy paste factory is Manager Gang.

• Gyeongchalcheong soechangsal oecheolchangsal, geomchalcheong soechangsal ssangcheolchangsal (경찰청 쇠창살 외철창살, 검찰청 쇠창살 쌍철창살)

The police headquarters' iron window bar (has) single-layer iron bars; the public prosecutor's office's iron window bar (has) double-layered iron bars.

• An chokchokhan chokochip nara-e saldeon an chokchokhan chokochibi chokchokhan chokochip nara-ui chokchokhan chokochibeul bogo chokchokhan chokochibi doego sipeoseo chokchokhan chokochip nara-e ganneunde chokchokhan chokochip nara-ui munjigiga "neon chokchokhan chokochibi anigo an chokchokhan chokochibinikka an chokchokhan chokochip nara-eseo sara" rago haeseo an chokchokhan chokochibeun chokchokhan chokochibi doeneun geoseul pogihago anchokchokhan chokochip nararo dora gatda. (안촉촉한 초코칩 나라에 살던 안촉촉한 초코칩이 촉촉한 초코칩 나라의 촉촉한 초코칩을 보고 촉촉한 초코칩이 되고 싶어서 촉촉한 초코칩 나라에 갔는데 촉촉한 초코칩 나라의 문지기가 "넌 촉촉한 초코칩이 아니고 안촉촉한 초코칩이니까 안촉촉한 초코칩 나라에서 살아"라고해서 안촉촉한 초코칩은 촉촉한 초코칩이 되는것을 포기하고 안촉촉한 초코칩 나라로 돌아갔다.)listen

A non-moist chocolate chip cookie that lived in non-moist chocolate chip cookie land saw a moist chocolate chip cookie from moist chocolate chip cookie land and wanted to become a moist chocolate chip cookie and so went to moist chocolate chip cookie land, but the gate-keeper of moist chocolate chip cookie land said, "You are not a moist chocolate chip cookie, but a non-moist chocolate chip cookie, so live in non-moist chocolate chip cookie land," so the non-moist chocolate chip cookie gave up on becoming a moist chocolate chip cookie and went back to non-moist chocolate chip cookie land.

• Jeobuneun baekbeophakbaksaigo ibuneun bakbeophakbaksaida. (저 분은 백 법학박사이고 이 분은 박 법학박사이다.)

That is Mr. Baek, a doctor of laws, and this is Mr. Park, also a doctor of laws.

Latin

• Summergimurne?

Are we sinking?

• O Tite tute Tati tibi tanta tyranne tulisti!

O you tyrant, Titus Tatius; such things you made happen! (By the poet Ennius)

• Si itis cum Iesuitis, non cum Iesu itis.

If you go with the Jesuits, you are not going with Jesus.

• Te te, ro Ro, ma ma, nu nu, da da, te te, la la, te te!
  (properly: Te tero, Roma, manu nuda, date tela, latete!)

I will destroy you, Rome, with my bare hands, arm yourselves and hide!

• In mari meri miri mori muri necesse est.

In a sea of delightful wine a mouse may only die.

Latvian

• Šaursliežu dzelzceļš

Narrow gauge railroad

• Šis žagaru saišķis ir mans žagaru saišķis.

This bundle of sticks is my bundle of sticks.

• Kas to kociņ` apkapāja ?

Who choped that little tree ? (must be pronounced as fast as possible)

• Strēbu stipru pupu putru

I gulped hard bean porridge (must be pronounced as fast as possible)

Lithuanian

• Šešios žąsys su šešiais žąsyčiais

Six geese with six goslings

• Geri vyrai geroj girioj gerą girą gerdami gyrė

Good guys in good forest drank good kvass while praising it.

Malay

• Kakakku kata kuku kaki kiriku kaku; kukikis-kikis kuku kaki kiriku.

(My sister says my left toenail is numb; i scrape my left toenail.)

• Buaya buaian biawak

(Crocodile cradle small crocodile)

Rather nonsensical, but the fun lies in trying to pronounce the words without faltering. Even the most proficient native speakers of Malay stumble after only two or three attempts.

Maltese

• Ħija taġhni ħawħa u qalli: "Ħa, ħi, ħudu u ħawilla fil-ħamrija ħamra taħt il-ħitan ta'Ħararaw".

My brother gave me a peach and said to me : "Here, brother, take it and plant it in the red soil under the walls of Hararaw" (archaic name for the village of Gharghur).

• Toni tagħna tani tina talli tajtu tuta tajba; talli tajtu tuta tajba, Toni tagħna tani tina.

Our Tony gave me a date because I gave him a good berry; because I gave him a good berry, our Tony gave me a date. (Not proper English if translated directly from Maltese to English).

Marathi

• कच्चा पापड, पक्का पापड (repeated)

Cooked lentil wafer, raw lentil wafer

• चटईला टाचणी टोचली

The mattress was pricked with a pin

• लुळी मुले बाळे

Handicapped children and babies

• चिंचाची चटणी (The 2nd and 4th 'ch' sounds are pronounced as 'ts', something difficult for a non-Marathi speaker.)

Tamarind Chutney

• काका काकूवर कावले कारण काल काकूने काकांचे कचेरीच्या कामाचे कागद कपाटातून काढून कोऱ्या कातरीने कराकरा कापले. (Each word in this sentence begins with K)

Uncle got angry at Aunty because yesterday Aunty took Uncle's legal papers from the cupboard and cut them with a pair of brand new scissors and they went, Karaa...Karaa...

• दढद

daDhad (This Marathi word, which means 'difficult', is quite difficult to pronounce)

• कॢप्ती

klR^uptI (This Marathi word means 'idea'. Seldom used, most people use युक्ती (yuktI),I wonder why.)

Norwegian

• Djerv bjergdvergbjerk

Brave dwarf mountain birch

• Ibsens ripsbusker og andre buskvekster

The redcurrant bushes of Ibsen and other bushy trees

• Veggpapp, takpapp, tapet

Wall board, ceiling board, wallpaper

• Upoppa popcorn, papp og papir

Unpopped popcorn, cardboard and paper

• Stekt torsk, kokt torsk

Fried cod, cooked cod

Polish

Polish tongue-twisters

Original	Translation	Example	Notes
W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie I Szczebrzeszyn z tego słynie.	In [the town of] Szczebrzeszyn a beetle buzzes in the reed, for which Szczebrzeszyn is famous.	listen	1
To cóż że ze Szwecji	So what that it's from Sweden?	listen
Ząb, zupa zębowa. Dąb, zupa dębowa.	A tooth, a teeth soup. An oak, an oak soup.		2
Spod czeskich strzech szło Czechów trzech	Three Czechs came from where Czech thatches are.	listen
Szedł Sasza suchą szosą, suszył sobie spodnie.	Sasza (name) was going along a dry road while drying his trousers.	listen
Stół z powyłamywanymi nogami	A table with legs broken out	listen
Wyindywidualizowaliśmy się z rozentuzjazmowanego tłumu.	We isolated ourselves from the enthusiastic crowd.	listen	3
Król Karol kupił królowej Karolinie korale koloru koralowego.	King Charles bought for Queen Charlotte coral-coloured corals.	listen	4
Grzegorz Brzęczyszczykiewicz	(a name)		5
Przyszedł Herbst z pstrągami i słuchał oszczerstw z wstrętem przeszukując otwory w strzelnicy.	Herbst came with the trouts and he started to listen to calumnies while repulsively searching through the holes in the firing ground.
Czy tata czyta cytaty Tacyta?	Does dad read quotations from Tacitus?
Raki raczkują po rabarbarowych wzgórzach, mijając stół z powyłamywanymi nogami, należacego do pana Szczebrzeszyńczyszczykiewicza ze Szczebrzeszyny, małej wiochy nad szosą suchą w czasie suszy.	Crabs crawl over rhubarb coloured hills, passing by the table with broken legs belonging to Mr. Szczebrzeszynczyszczykiewicz from Szczebrzeszyn, a small village by a dry road during a drought.

Notes:

1. The most popular Polish tongue-twister, these are the first two lines from Chrząszcz, a poem by Jan Brzechwa, in which almost all of the consonants make some kind of buzzing noise. Often, only the first line is used, which is hard enough as a tongue-twister.
2. In a fast speech the latter mention of oak soup (zupa dębowa) is often mispronounced as dupa, a slightly vulgar word in Polish.
3. The phonemes themselves are not difficult to pronounce, but long words (the first one has 11 syllables) make accents rare, resulting in flat, accentless, robotic speech. Note, that it is much easier to read it, than to repeat it by ear.
4. The k, r, and l letters are used as often in the full phrase as in the last three words of the English translation (which themselves work almost as well as in Polish).
5. This is a fictitious though possible full name in Polish, from the 1969 Polish comedy How I Unleashed World War II (Jak rozpętałem drugą wojnę światową) directed by Tadeusz Chmielewski, where it was used by the main character to confuse Gestapo officers asking for his name. When asked about his birthplace he replied with gmina Chrząszczyżeboszyce, powiat Łęgołody (commune Chrząszczyżeboszyce in the powiat of Łęgołody), which is even harder to pronounce.

Portuguese

• Sabia que a sábia sabiá sabia assobiar?

Did you know that the wise robin knew how to whistle?

• Três pratos de trigo para três tigres tristes (repeated)

Three plates of wheat for three sad tigers

• Um tigre, dois tigres, três tigres (quickly).

One tiger, two tigers, three tigers.

• Três tigres tristes trituram três pratos de trigo.

Three sad tigers triturate thress wheat plates.

• O rato roeu a rolha da garrafa de rum do rei da Rússia.

The mouse gnawed the cork of the bottle of rum of the king of Russia.

• O rato roeu a roupa do rei de Roma.

The mouse gnawed the clothes of the king of Rome.

• O rato roer roía e, a Rosa Rita Ramalho, do rato a roer se ria!

The mouse gnaw gnawed and, Rosa Rita Ramalho, of the mouse that gnaws laughs!

• A pia pinga, o pinto pia, pinga a pia, pia o pinto,o pinto perto da pia, a pia perto do pinto.

The sink drips, the young chicken chirps, drips the sink, chirps the young chicken, the young chicken close to the sink, the sink close to the young chicken.

• O Papa papa o papo do pato.

The Pope eats the duck's crop.

• Pedro tem o peito preto. Preto é o peito de Pedro. Quem disser que o peito de Pedro não é preto, tem o peito mais preto que o peito de Pedro.

Peter has the black chest. Black is the chest of Peter. Who says that the chest of Peter is not black, has the chest more black than the chest of Peter.

• O peito do pé de Pedro é preto.

The top of Peter's foot is black.

• Pedreiro da catedral está aqui o padre Pedro? - Qual padre Pedro? - O padre Pedro Pires Pisco Pascoal. - Aqui na catedral tem três padres Pedros Pires Piscos Pascoais. Como em outras catedrais.

Mason of the cathedral is the priest Peter here? - Which priest Peter? - the priest Peter Pires Pisco Pascoal. - Here in the cathedral it has three priests Peters Pires Piscos Pascoais. As in other cathedrals.

• A aranha arranha a rã, a rã arranha a aranha.

The spider scratches the frog, the frog scratches the spider.

Romanian

"Încurcături de limbă" – "Tongue-twisters"

• Capra neagră-n piatră sare, piatra crapă-n patru, crapă capul caprei negre precum piatra crapă-n patru. Piatra crapă capul caprei în patru, cum a crăpat și capra piatra-n patru. (The chamois jumps on the stone, the stone splits in four, may the chamois' head split as the stone splits in four. The stone splits the chamois' head in four, as the chamois had split the stone in four too.)
• Capra calcă piatra. Piatra crapa-n patru. Crăpa-i-ar capul caprei cum a crapat piatra-n patru. (The goat walks on the stone. The stone breaks in four. I wish the goat's head would break, as did the stone in four.)
• Capra neagră calca-n piatra, piatra mare crapă-n patru. Așa să crape capul caprei, cum a crapat piatra-n patru.
• S-a suit capra pe piatră și a spart-o-n patru, de s-ar sparge capul caprei ca și piatra-n patru. (The goat climbed upon a stone, so that the stone broke in four pieces; May the goat's head break in four pieces as the stone broke in four.)
• Piatra crapă capra, capra crapă piatra. (The stone, breaks the goat, the goat breaks the stone.)
• Bucură-te cum s-a bucurat Bucuroaia de bucuria lui Bucurel când s-a întors bucuros de la București. (Enjoy yourself, as well as Bucuroaia enjoyed the joy of Bucurel when returned joyful form Bucharest.)
• Retevei de tei pe miriște de mei. (Linden cudgel on millet stubble.)
• Ciritei de tei pe miriște de mei. (Linden bush on millet stubble.)
• Sașiul stă pe șasiu și șușotește. (Whispering, the cross-eyed is sitting on the chassis.)
• Prin Vulturi vântul viu vuia. (In Vulturi the wind strongly howled.)
• Stanca stă-n castan ca Stan. (Stanca is sitting in a chestnut tree like Stan.)
• Șase sași în șase saci. (Six Saxons in six sacks.)
• Sase sute saizeci si sase de sasi in sase sute saizeci si sase de saci. (Six hundred sixty-six Saxons in six-hundred sixty-six sacks)
• Șase sași cosași cos șase saci săsești. ()
• Șase sași cosași cosesc în șase saci săsești. ()
• Șapte sape late jos și-alte șaptezeci și șapte de sape late-n spate. (Seven broad hoes down and other seventy-seven broad hoes on the shoulders.)
• Doisprezece cocostârci pe casa lui Kogălniceanu. (Twelve storks on Kogălniceanu's house.)
• Cerce cei ce cer cercei.
• Oaia aia e a ei, eu i-o iau. (That sheep is hers I take it.) (A sentence of vowels)
• Domnule Dudău, dă-mi două dude din dudul dumitale de dincolo de drum. (Used only "d"-words)
• Domnule Dudescu, dați-mi două dude din dudul dumneavoastră de dincolo de drumul dinspre Dudești. (Used only "d"-words)
• Dirijabilul descreștea depărtându-se. Distanța dela depozitul de demaraj devenea deosebit de demonstrativă. Damian dormita. Decând dorea dânsul deplasări diabolice. Dogoreala dumnezeiască daurea deșertul dedesubtul dirijabilului... (Grigore Cugler: "Drumul dragostei")
• Florica, fata fierarului Fănică, fierbe fasole fără foc, fiindcă focul face fum. (Used only "f"-words)
• Fata fostului funcționar francez fierbe fasolea fără foc fiindcă focul face fum. (Used only "f"-words)
• Vara, vineri-de-vineri, venerabilul veteran vrâncean, Vartolomeu Velisarie-Vulturescu vinde vanitos, vechi vindiacuri vătuite, veroșilor vânători vasluieni, vociferând vehement validitatea vânării vulpilor vârstnice. (Used only "v"-words)
• Un vultur stă pe pisc c-un pix în plisc. (An eagle sits on a mountaintop with a pen in its beak.)
• Cel ce știe că nu știe, știe mai mult decât cel ce nu știe că nu știe.
• Pe cap un capac, pe capac un ac. (On the head a lid, on the lid a needle.)
• Cupă cu capac, capac cu cupă.
• Dă-mi un pic de Pic să pic pe picătura de pe plic.
• E pestriță prepelița pestriță, dar mai pestriți sunt puii prepeliței pestrițe din neamul prepelițelor pestrițe.
• E pestriță prepelița pestriță, dar mai pestriți sunt puii prepeliței pestrițe. (The mottled quail is mottled but the little quail chickens are more mottled than the mottled quail.)
• O găină porumbacă în porumbar s-a urcat. În porumbar, porumbaca, tot porumbul l-a mâncat.
• Hrib fiert, hrib fript, hrib nefript, hrib nefiert, tot una-i.
• Când mă gândesc că te gândești la mine, gândește-te că mă gândesc că te gândești la mine.
• Știu că știu și mai știu că știuca-i pește. Știu că știi că știuca-i pește, dar mai știu că știuca-i știucă.
• O babă bălană mănâncă o banană babană. (A blonde old lady eats a huge banana.)
• Într-o zi am visat că visam, și în visul visului visam că visam.
• Pimpirel cu pila lungă, și-a pilit pila pe pungă. Punga-n pilă, pila-n pungă, Pimpirel cu pila lungă !
• Eu pup poala popii, popa pupă poala mea. (I kiss the priest’s skirt, the priest kisses my coat’s skirt.) (It's easy to mispronounce words "poala" or "pila" as a trivial word denoting the male sexual organ.)
• La curbe șinele troznesc. (At the curb, the rails thunder; ambiguous: at the bottom farts thunder.)
• De ce-ai zis tu c-am zis eu c-a zis ăla nu stiu ce? N-am zis și-ai zis c-am zis; când oi zice tot oi zice, ca să zici c-am zis c-oi zice.
• Nici n-a zis și zici c-am zis, când oi zice chiar oi zice ca să zici c-am zis ce-oi zice.
• Tot ce-am zis c-am zis c-oi zice. Dar de zis eu n-am mai zis; Nici n-am zis, nici n-oi mai zice c-am să zic c-am zis c-oi zice !
• Toată lumea are nare numai popa n-are nare.
• Fusu-i ici, fusu-i colea, fusu-n poală la lelea.
• Vânturai vara mălai, vânturungă pungă lungă.
• O barză brează face zarvă pe-o varză.
• Cred c-ai spus c-ai doi cai la Tokay.
• Papucarul papucărește papucii papucăresei, dar papucăreasa nu poate papucări papucii păpucarului.
• Cărămidarul cărămidărește pe cărămidăreasă, dar cărămidăreasa nu poate cărămidări pe cărămidar.
• Dacă și cu Parcă se plimbau cu-o barcă. Dacă Dacă nu era parcă Parcă se-îneca !
• Dacă și cu Poate s-au dus să înoate. Dacă Dacă nu era, poate Poate se îneca !
• Dacă și cu Oare, s-au dus să se însoare. Dacă Dacă nu era, oare Oare se însura?
• Danilă îi dă lui Nilă dalta dată de Daniela ca să dăltuiască-n dale dalii dantelate.
• Clientul: Bună Ziua!

Vânzătorul: Bună Ziua!

C: Aveți "Ziua"?

V: Avem "Ziua"!

C: Dați-mi "Ziua"!

V: Poftim "Ziua"!

C: Bună Ziua!

V: Bună Ziua!

• Un băiat cuminte nu minte ci, cu minte cumințeste celui care minte.
• Ei îi fu frică de a-i fi frică și lui îi fu frică de a nu-i fi fost frică.
• Un caricaturist caricaturizează o caricatură caricaturistică.
• O întâmplare întâmplătoare s-a'ntâmplat din întâmplare.
• S-a'ntâmplat o'ntâmplare pe strada'ntâmplării: tâmplarul s-a lovit cu tâmpla de tâmpla tâmplăresii
• În tâmplăria unui tâmplar s-a întâmplat o întâmplare. Alt tâmplar, care, din întâmplare, auzise de întâmplarea întâmplată tâmplarului, s-a dus să vadă ce i s-a întâmplat tâmplarului în tâmplărie și, din întâmplare, s-a lovit cu tâmpla de tâmpla tâmplarului si a tâmpit.
• În trecut, un trecător cu trecere, neîntrecut, s-a oprit în treacăt, să treacă printr-o trecătoare neîntrecută până atunci decât de o trecătoare cam trecută.
• Rică nu reușea să zică râu, rățușcă, rămurică. Dar de când băiatu-nvață poezia despre rață, Rică a-nvățat să zică râu, rățușcă, rămurică.
• Soră Sară, n-ai sărit asară să vezi carnea cum se sară? (Sister Sarah, didn't you stopped by last night to see how the meat is being salted?)

From Romanian literature:

• D-na Smith: Nu mușca de undeva !

Dl. Martin: Nu mișca de undeva !

Dl. Smith: Nu mușca de unde miști, nu mișca de unde muști !

D-na Martin: Musca mișcă !

D-na Smith: Mișcă musca !

Dl. Martin: Muști mișcați !

Dl. Smith: Muștele mușcă mușcata !

D-na Martin: Musca mușcă mușcata ta !

D-na Smith: Mușca-ți-ar musca mușchiul !

Dl. Martin: Domnule Smith, ești mușchiul mușcat !

Dl. Smith: Domnule Martin, mustul mustește !

D-na Martin: Doamnă Smith, muștele mustesc în mușchiul mușcat.

D-na Smith: Doamnă Martin, mușcă musca mușcată, mușchiul mustește. (Eugen Ionescu: "The Lesson - Englezește fără profesor")

• Maică-ta de-i vie, bine-ar fi să vie pân' la noi la vie. (C. Negruzzi: "Cum am învățat românește"
• Mama-i vie și-i în vie, vie cine-o fi să vie. (Titus Popovici: "Setea")
• E bun ! Bine că m-ai liniștit... Păi, eu așa chibzuiesc. Dacă s-o întâmpla să se întâmple întâmplător vreo întâmplare și ne-am întâmpla de față la întâmplarea care s-o întâmpla să se întâmple, o să zicem că s-a întâmplat o întâmplare întâmplătoare și din întâmplare nu s-a întâmplat să oprim ce era să se întâmple. (Victor Ion Popa: "Cuiul lui Pepelea")
• N-am venit că am venit, am venit că n-am venit. (Păstorel Teodoreanu)

Russian

• Шла Саша по шоссе и сосала сушку.
• (Shla Sasha po shossie sosala sushku.)

Sasha was coming down a highway and sucking on a pretzel.

• На дворе трава, на траве дрова. Не руби дрова на траве двора.
• (Na dvorie trava, na travie drova. Nie rubi drova na travie dvora.)

In the yard there is grass and on the grass there is firewood. Don't chop firewood on the grass of the yard.

• Карл у Клары украл кораллы, а Клара у Карла украла кларнет
• (Karl u Klary ukral korally, a Klara u Karla ukrala klarniet.) (listen)

Karl stole corals from Klara and Klara stole a clarinet from Karl.

• Ехал Грека через реку, видит Грека — в реке рак. Сунул Грека руку в реку, рак за руку Греку цап.
• (Yekhal Greka cheriez rieku, vidit Grieka v rieke rak. Sunul Grieka ruku v rieku, rak za ruku Grieku tsap.)

Greka (a Greek) was riding across a river, and saw that there was a lobster in the river. Greka put his hand in the river and the lobster bit his hand.

• Тридцать три корабля лавировали, лавировали, да не вылавировали.
• (Tridtsat' tri korablia lavirovali, lavirovali, da nie vylavirovali.)

Thirty-three ships tacked, tacked, but didn't tack out.

• Сшит колпак не по-колпаковски. Надо бы колпак переколпаковать, надо перевыколпаковать.
• (Sshit kolpak nie po-kolpakovski. Nado by kolpak pieriekolpakovat', nado pierievykolpakovat'.)

The cap is sewn noncapways. One has to re-cap the cap, to over-recap it.

• Цапля чахла; цапля сохла; цапля сдохла.
• (Tsaplia chakhla; tsaplia sokhla, tsaplia sdokhla.)

Heron had been withering, heron had been pining away, heron kicked the bucket. Repeat quickly multiple times, with the emphasis shifting from the first word over to the second, the fourth, and the sixth.

• "Расскажите про покупки!" "Про какие про покупки?" "Про покупки, про покупки, про покупочки свои!"
• ("Rasskazhite pro pokupki!" "Pro kakiye pro pokupki?" "Pro pokupki, pro pokupki, pro pokupochki svoi!")

"Tell me about your purchases!" "What about what purchases?" "About your purchases, your purchases, about your little purchases!"

Slovak

• Strč prst skrz krk.

Stick a finger through your throat.

• Guľôčka v jamôčke

A little ball in a little hole

• Na klavíri hrala Klára Kráľová

Klára Kráľová was playing the piano

• štvrťvrstva / v štvrťvrstve

quarter (i.e. 1/4th) layer/in a quarter layer

• Rolu Lorda Rolfa hral Vladimír Leraus

Vladimír Leraus was playing the role of Lord Rolf

Slovenian

• Pešec čez cestišče (Template:IPA

"A pedestrian (goes) over a driveway." If spoken repetedly, one gets lost in the flurry of "s", "sh", "ts" and "ch" sounds.

• Težko je pešca sčistiti s cestišča.

A variant of the above, "It's hard to clean a pedestrian off a driveway." Considered amusing for its implications.

• Čmrlj (Template:IPA

"A bumble bee" Pronounced as a single syllable, starting with "chm-", followed by an "uh" vowel, and concluded with "rly", where r is rolled and y is pronounced similarly as in the English word "yes". (not considered a tongue twister for native speakers)

• Čmrljščina (Template:IPA}

"The bumble-bee language" This is a made-up word, but it is perfectly understandable and pronounceable in Slovenian as "čmrlj" above, followed by two syllables: "shchi-na".

• Trop čvrstih, obrnljivih čmrljev

"A pack of firm, invertible bumblebees."

• Iz Jež'ce čez cesto v Stož'ce po rož'ce. (IPA ?)

From Ježica over the road in Stožice to get flowers.

• Marko/komar (repeat)

Marko is a personal name, komar means mosquito. If you repeat it quickly, you don't know anymore which one is which.

Spanish

• El arzobispo de Constantinopla se quiere desarzobispoconstantinopolitanizar y el arzobispo que lo desarzobispoconstantinopolitanice buen desarzobispoconstantinopolitanizador será.

The archbishop of Constantinople does not want to be the archbishop of Constantinople, and the archbishop who un-archbishop-of-Constantinople-izes him will be a good un-archbishop-of-Constantinople-ifier.

• Tres tristes tigres tragan trigo en un trigal.

Three sad tigers swallow wheat in a wheat field.

(This is especially difficult for non-native speakers because of the pronunciation of the Spanish "r" and the sound of "tr" and "t". )

• Tres tristes tigres tragan trigo y se atragantan.

Three sad tigers swallow wheat and they choke themselves.

• Pablo calvito clavó un clavito, ¿ qué clavito clavó Pablito ?

Balding Pablo nailed a little nail, which little nail nailed Pablito ?

• Erre con erre cigarro, erre con erre barril, rápido ruedan los carros, por los rieles del ferrocarril.

r with r cigar, r with r barrel, fast the cars go, through the rails of the train.

(This is especially difficult for non-native speakers because of the pronunciation of the Spanish "r")

Or alternatively: Rapido ruedan los carros cargados de azucar del ferrocarril (Quickly roll the carts carrying sugar on the railroad.

• La madre y la hija van a misa. La madre pisa paja; la hija paja pisa.

"The mother and her daughter are on her way to attend a mass. The mother steps on straw; the daughter on straw steps." Devised to make the speaker say "la hija pasa pija" (the daughter passes pija; the last word being either an insult or a colloquial word meaning 'penis').

• Sobre el triple trapecio de Trípoli trabajaban, trigonométricamente trastrocados, tres tristes triunviros trogloditas, tropezando atribulados contra trípodes, triclinios y otros trastos triturados por el tremendo tetrarca trapense.

Over the triple trapeze of Tripoli there worked, trigonometrically switched over, three sad troglodyte triumvirs, afflictedly bumping into tripods, triclinia and other gear crushed by the terrible Trappist tetrarch. Probably by Ramón del Valle Inclán (?)

• María Chuzena techaba su choza y un techador que por allí pasaba le dijo: «Maria Chuzena, ¿tú techas tu choza o techas la ajena? — No techo mi choza, ni techo la ajena; yo techo la choza de María Chuzena» dijo Maria Chuzena al techador que por allí pasaba.

Maria Chuzena was repairing her hut's roof, and a roof repairman that was passing by asked her: "Maria Chuzena, do you repair your hut's roof, or do you repair another person's?" "I don't repair my hut's roof or another person's; I repair Maria Chuzena's roof," said Maria Chuzena to the roof repairman who was passing by.

• Hay chicas chachareras que chacotean con chicos chazos. Y un chico mete al chillón de la chepa un chichón por chirrichote, y el chiste, y lo chocante, es que la chepa se le ha chafado con la hinchazón del chirlo.
• Yo vi en un huerto un cuervo cruento comerse el cuero del cuerpo del puerco muerto.

I saw in an orchard a bloody crow eating the hide of a dead pig's corpse.

• Otorrinolaringólogo trabaja en la otorrinolaringología.

The otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor) works in otolaryngology.

• Tengo un durazno muy desduraznador. El que me lo desdurazne Será un gran desduraznador.
• Pedro Perez Pereira, pobre pintor Portugues, empaca poquitas copitas en poquitos paquetes para poder partir para Paris.

Pedro Perez Pereira, a poor Portuguese painter, packs a few cups in a few packets in order to travel to Paris.

Another version

• Pedro Perico Pereira, pobre pintor Portugués, pinta paisajes preciosos, por poca plata y papel.

Pedro Perico Pereira, a poor Portuguese painter, paints beautiful landscapes for little money and paper.

• El perro de San Roque no tiene rabo porque Ramón Rodríguez se lo ha robado.

The dog from San Roque doesn't have a tail because Ramon Rodriguiz has stolen it

• El volcán de parangaricutirimícuaro se quiere desparangaricutiriguarízar, y él qué lo desparangaricutiricuarízare será un buen desparangaricutirimízador.

The Parangaricutirimicuaro volcano wants to un-Parangaricutirimicuarize, and whoever un-Parangarigutirimicuarizes it will be a great un-Parangaricutirimicuarizer.

Swedish

• Sex laxar i en laxask Template:Audio

Six salmons in a salmon-box

• Packa pappas kappsäck. Template:Audio

Pack daddy's suitcase.

• • (Variant): Mamma, packa pappas kappsäck!

Mom, pack daddy's suitcase!

• Sju sjösjuka sjömän sköttes av sju sköna sjuksköterskor. Template:Audio

Seven seasick seamen were cared for by seven beautiful nurses.

• • (Variant): Sju sjösjuka sjömän på skeppet Shanghai sköljde sju skjortor i sjön.

Seven seasick seamen on the ship 'Shanghai' washed seven shirts in the sea.

• • (Finnish variant): Sju söta sköna sjösjuka sjuksöterskor seglar med segelskepp till Shanghai

Seven cute beautiful seasick nurses sail on sailing-ship to Shanghai

• Plocka pepparkorn i en kopparpanna Template:Audio

To pick peppercorns in a copper pan

• Västkustskt Template:Audio

"West Coastish" (The double occurrence of 'st' followed by consonant clusters containing hard k's make this very awkward to pronounce correctly.)

• Skälmskt

"roguish"

• Flyg, fula fluga, flyg! Och den fula flugan flög. Template:Audio

"Fly, ugly fly, fly! And the ugly fly flew." (Three rounded vowels, "u", "y", and "ö" occur in seven out of nine words, making it hard not to mix them up.)

• Ö, ö, Höö, Höös mö.

Island, island, Grassy island, Grassy island's bride.

• Å, å, Råå, Råån ä' då

River, river, river Rå (a river in Scania), river Rå is there

• Kvistfritt kvastskaft.

"Splinterless broomstick". The complex consonant cluster combinations usually makes the speaker end up with something like "squish squash".

• "Farfar, får får får?" -"Nej, får får inte får, får får lamm."

"Grandfather, do sheep have sheep?" -"No, sheep don't have sheep, sheep have lambs."

• "Droskkusken Max kuskar med fuxar och fuskar med droskkusktaxan".

Coachman Max drives chestnut horses and cheats with the coachman fare.

Dialectal

• I åa ä e ö, å i öa ä e å (Dialect of Värmland region)

(Standard Swedish): I ån finns det en ö, och på ön finns det en å.

(English): In the stream there is an island, and on the island there is a stream.

Tagalog/Pilipino

• Bababa ba? Bababa.

Will it descend? It will descend. (As with an elevator.)

• Butika - butiki

Pharmacy - lizard.

• Pasko - paksiw

Christmas - a dish (usually fish) stewed in vinegar.

• Ang relo ni Leroy ay Rolex

Leroy's watch is Rolex

Tatar

• Miç başında biş mäçe, biş mäçeneñ biş başı. /Template:IPA/

Five cats at stove's head, five heads of five cats

Vietnamese

• Lặt rau rồi luộc.

Pick/cut the vegetables and boil them.

Võro

• Hõbõhõdsõlõ hõhvakõsõlõ.

To the silver heifer.

• Süäüüelläi.

Midnight animal (human being or ghost who is active at midnight).

• Kon um tuu lump, kon kunnaq ummaq?

Where is the pond where the frogs are?

• Kakk ikk raah.

The owl is crying in the willow.

• Hähn tsäks pähnä.

The woodpecker is pecking the lime tree.

• Saq ja maq ja kats Kasaritsa miist kaq.

I and you and also two men from Kasaritsa.

isiXhosa

• Iqaqa laziqikaqika kwaze kwaqhawaka uqhoqhoqha.

The skunk rolled down and ruptured its larynx.

See also

• List of spoonerisms

External links

Template:Wikiquote

• Tongue twisters in 103 languages