Hi, I'm Vanessa from SpeakEnglishWithVanessa.com.
If a black bug bleeds black blood, what color does a blue bug bleed? Let's talk about it.
What color does a blue bug bleed? Blue bug bleed. Blue bug bleed. I have no clue.
I am not a bug expert, but as you can imagine, today, we are going to be talking about 15 common,
fun English tongue twisters to help you improve your pronunciation, and have a little bit of fun.
Like always, I have created a free PDF worksheet that you can download
with the link in the description. You will see all of today's tongue twisters,
all of the pronunciation tips, and you can answer Vanessa's challenge question at the
bottom of the PDF worksheet, so that you never forget what you've learned. All right.
Are you ready for pronunciation fun? Let's start. Our first three tongue twisters have to do with
L and R. I'm going to read the first one, then I'll give you some pronunciation tips.
We'll practice it again, and then we'll go on to the other L and R tongue twisters.
All right. I'm going to read to you. Here's the first one. How can a clam cram in clean cream can?
One more time. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can? Okay. Here we have a lot of R and
L words. Clam, cram. These are called minimal pairs. That means that the words sound almost
exactly the same, except for one tricky letter, R and L. So, when we say clam,
this is that kind of almost like a mussel. You can open it up, and it's a seafood. You can eat
it. We can have your tongue between your teeth. Clam, clam, and when you say cram, which is like
to shove and push something into a small space, you need to have a strong R sound. Cram. Imagine
that angry dog. Crr, crr, cram. Let's say that one one more time, and then we'll go on to the other
two tongue twisters that include L and R. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
All right. Are you ready for the next two? I'm going to say them two times. The first time you
can listen, and the second time I challenge you to say it out loud with me. Here, it goes. A really
leery Larry rolls readily to the road. Can you say that with me? A really leery Larry rolls readily
to the road. Hoo hoo. Let's go to the next one. Lucky rabbits like to cause a ruckus. That's fun.
The word ruckus means chaos or craziness. It's a fun word. What's all this ruckus going on?
Let's say that one one more time, and I challenge you to say those L and R words out loud with me.
Lucky rabbits like to cause a ruckus. Can you say that really fast? Lucky rabbits like to
cause a ruckus. Lucky rabbits like to cause a ruckus. Lucky rabbits like to cause a ruckus.
Okay. These tongue twister sentences are a little bit silly, a little bit weird. So,
I'd like to make it practical for you. Take a look at this sentence. This is a sentence that you
might actually say in daily life. I really like the red one, but I think I like the yellow one
better. This uses R sounds. Really, red, and also L sounds. Like, yellow. Can you say that
sentence with me? I really like the red one, but I think I like the yellow one better. Great work.
The next three tongue twisters have to do with an S and Sh sounds. Take a look at this first one.
Susie works in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines she sits, and where she sits she shines.
This one has so much potential for saying a bad word. So, let's practice the S and the Sh.
Susie sits, or we could say shoeshine. When you're trying to get a baby to fall asleep, you say,
shh, shhh, go to sleep. It's the exact same sound on that we're working on. So,
I'd like to say this tongue twister one more time, and you can repeat it with me, and we'll go on to
the other two in this category. Are you ready? Get those muscles ready. Let's say it together.
Susie works in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines, she sits, and where she sits, she shines.
Great work. All right, let's go to the other two that include an S and Sh sound. So, this is the
sushi chef. OH, this seems so short, but it's so tricky. Can you say it out loud with me? So,
this is the sushi chef. Sushi chef. Sushi chef. So this is the sushi chef. Okay. Let's say the
last one. We surely shall see the sunshine soon. Oh, my mouth is feeling it. Let's say it together.
We surely shall see the sunshine soon. We surely shall see the sunshine soon. We surely
shall see the sunshine soon. Let's let's make it practical. Let's take away all the silliness,
and just make a sentence that you might say in daily life. How about this? She's sitting
on a seashell-shaped sofa. Okay. A seashell- shaped sofa is a little tricky to say,
but it could be something you say in daily life. Can you say it with me? She's sitting
on a seashell-shaped sofa. Great work. The next three tongue twisters have a W, R and L sound. So,
we already talked about R and L, but when we add W, it's another level. Let's take a look at the
first tongue twister, and then we'll talk about it a bit. Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses.
Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses. Did you see my tongue come out when I said walruses?
Walruses. So, here we are going from an L to an R sound, and this word starts with a W.
Make sure that when you say the W, Wooh, your lips are puckered, kind of like a kissy face.
Wayne went to Wales. Beautiful. Ooh. Can you say the sentence with me?
I believe you can. Let's say it together. Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses. Okay. Let's go
onto the other two that have a W, an R, and an L. Here it goes. This one is very tricky for me.
Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better. Oh my goodness.
So, this is a talking about low quality-leather, doesn't do well in the rain. It's going to
disintegrate and not do well, but of course it has to be said in a very tricky way.
So, let's try to say this sentence together. Are you ready? Let's go,
lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better. Oh, you did it. The last W, R,
L tongue twister, whether the weather is warm, whether the weather is hot,
we have to put up with the weather, whether we like it or not. I love this. It's a little rhyme
too. Can you say this out loud with me? Let's try it one more time. Whether the weather is warm,
whether the weather is hot, we have to put up with the weather, whether we like it or not.
Okay, let's make this practical. Can you say this sentence with me? I would really like to take the
red wagon on a walk. One more time. I would really to take the red wagon on a walk. Great work. Let's
go to the next ones. The next two tongue twisters have a lot of different vowels in them, and vowels
are extremely tricky for English learners, because they're all different in all different languages.
So, take a look at this first tongue twister and listen and carefully. The great Greek grape
growers grow great Greek grapes. So, here we have A, E, A, O. We have a lot of vows going on here.
I want you to listen carefully, and while we say this together,
I think a good way to practice vowels is to really move your mouth. I know some people, depending on
your native language or your personality, feel maybe a little sensitive about this. You want to
keep your mouth quiet and closed, but when you want to pronounce vowels accurately,
you need to not be afraid to move your mouth wide and tall. So, let's try to exaggerate a
little bit, and try to say this silly tongue twister with beautiful vowels. Are you ready?
Say it with me. The great Greek grape growers grow great Greek grapes. Do you see how much
my mouth is moving? It's like, it's gone to the gym. It's working out really hard.
Let's say one more sentence that includes a lot of different vowels. The next one is
very silly. I'd like you to listen to me say it, and then we'll try to say it together.
Many and anemone sees an enemy anemone. An anemone is a type of plant, animal that lives in a coral
reef. It's a little bit of a tricky word to say, but we're going to try to say it together,
and especially with these vows, I want you to enunciate very exaggerated and very clearly.
Follow my mouth and try to say it at the same time. Let's go. Many an anemone
sees an enemy anemone. One more time, a little faster. Many in the anemone sees an enemy anemone.
Okay. Are you ready to make this practical? Let's do it. Let's say this sentence together. Can you
tell me why the cake is green? Why is there a green cake? Maybe he likes green for his birthday.
Well, here in the sentence, we have a lot of different vowels, but they're not just
tricky vows. They are normal vows for daily life. So, let's say it again.
Can you tell me why the cake is green? Let me know. The next two tongue twisters include a sound
beloved to by many English learners. It is Th. Are you ready? Listen for the first tongue twister.
The three thousand thieves thought they took the throne this Thursday,
look at my tongue when I say three thousand thieves. My tongue is between my teeth
and there is a stream of air. This is essential for saying this Th sound. Three thousand thieves.
Can you say it with me? Let's say this tongue twister one more time, and then we'll go on to the
next one. The three thousand thieves thought they took throne this Thursday. All right. Let's go
onto the next Th tongue twister. Listen carefully. I thought I threw the thirty thrushes through
the throng. Thrushes are birds, and a throng is like a big group of people. So, for some reason,
I'm throwing 30 birds through a group of people. Very strange, but that's a tongue twister. So,
let's say this sentence together, and I want you to practice that Th with the clear stream of air
coming out of your mouth. Are you ready? Let's do it. I thought I threw the thirty thrushes
through the throng. Can we say this really fast? I thought I threw the thirty thrushes
through the throne. One more time. I thought I threw the thirty thrushes through the throng.
I'm spitting a little bit. Let's make it practical, and I want you to say
this sentence with me. I thought this Thursday was through already. Through means finished. Maybe
you're having a really long Thursday, or you have something exciting that's happening on Friday.
You might say, Ugh. I thought this Thursday was through already, but I still have more to do.
I thought this Thursday was through already. Beautiful. All right. Let's go
to our last pair of tongue twisters, which might be the most difficult yet. The last
pair of tongue twisters includes S, K and X. Listen carefully for this crazy tongue twister.
I'll explain a little bit about how to pronounce it, and then we'll practice it together.
Are you ready? Drum roll. Got to prepare myself physical and mentally for this.
Okay. Let's say it. The chic Sikh's sixty-sixth sheep is sick. Listen one more time.
The chic Sikh's sixty-sixth sheep is sick. For me, this is tricky too. All right. So, here we
have the S the K and the X sound. Individually, these can be okay. We have sss, kuh and kss,
which combines K and S together, and when we put all three of these sounds in one sentence,
it takes it over the top. So, can you say this with me? Let's have a little fun. Say
the sentence with me. The chic Sikh's sixty-sixth sheep is sick. Probably the trickiest word here
is sixth. We have six, and then we add that beautiful Th sound that we just practiced.
Sixth, sixth, sixth. Let's say it all together. One more time.
The chic Sikh's ... if I can say it, sorry. One more time. The chic Sikh's
sixty-sixth sheep is sick. Oh my goodness. Let's move on from that one, and go to the next one.
Listen, carefully. Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.
Oh my goodness. Here, we're talking about six people who are banging bricks and chipping off or
breaking little pieces with picks and sticks. The meaning doesn't matter so much, as how crazy this
is to say. So, are you ready for this ultimate challenge? Let's say together a couple times,
if I can do it. Let's try it. Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks. One
more time. This is the final challenge. Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks.
Ooh. We made it. Okay. Let's make it practical, and try to say this sentence with me. I asked her
for six stacks of cake, but she gave me 16 cakes instead. Can you say it again with me? I asked her
for six stacks of cake, but she gave me 16 cakes instead. All right. You made it. Congratulations,
and I think I want to say that to myself too. Congratulations, Vanessa. You did it. You
finished all these tongue twisters. So, now I have a question for you. Let me know in the comments,
which one of these tongue twisters was the most difficult for you. If
the tongue twister was difficult for you, I challenge you to go back and practice it,
and especially practice the practical sentence, because this is what you are more likely to use
in daily life, and it just makes pronunciation fun. So, don't forget to download the free PDF
worksheet for today's lesson, with all of these tongue twisters, pronunciation tips, and you can
answer Vanessa's challenge question at the bottom of the worksheet, so that you never forget what
you've learned, and you can have a good laugh. Well, thank you so much for learning English with
me, and I'll see you again next Friday for a new lesson here on my YouTube channel. Bye. The next
step is to download the free PDF worksheet for this lesson. With this free PDF, you will master
today's lesson, and never forget what you have learned. You can be a confident English speaker.
Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for a free English lesson every Friday. Bye.