Looking for fun ways to help your child improve their speech? Get your kids to recite tongue twisters! Those phrases containing rhymes and similar-sounding words will not only guarantee giggles all-around when you mess up, but they’re actually really helpful for a child’s language development. In fact, many actors, news anchors, and politicians practise tongue twisters before going on set or giving a live speech. This is because tongue twisters help improve fluency and pronunciation with more practice. And for kids, this is especially beneficial when you get them started at a young age.
Benefits Of Tongue Twisters For Young Kids
Tongue twisters are intended to be difficult to say, especially when repeated in a quick and frequent manner. But that very challenge is what will help children properly enunciate words as it stretches the muscles that are important for speech and diction. Besides improving fluency and aiding clearer pronunciation, it also boosts kids’ vocabulary, speaking skills, and comprehension of grammar, syllables, sounds, and meanings of words in different contexts. All of these further act as a great tool for helping them learn how to read and write.
That said, as much fun as tongue twisters can be, it can sometimes be frustrating for younger kids who are just beginning to learn how to speak. Hence, remember to slow down and take the time to break down each sound and word meaning. This also allows you to correct any mistakes before they develop into bad habits. To get started, here are some fun tongue twisters for kids that range from classic poems and simple one-liners to challenging rhymes and longer phrases—all of which will lead to loads of laughter!
Popular Tongue Twisters For Kids To Recite
She Sells Sea Shells
She sells seashells by the seashore,
The shells she sells are seashells, I’m sure.
So if she sells seashells on the seashore,
Then I’m sure she sells seashore shells.
Peter Piper
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 that Peter Piper picked?
Woodchuck
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck,
If a woodchuck could chuck wood?
A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would,
If a woodchuck could chuck wood.
Betty Botter
Betty Botter bought a bit of butter but the bit of butter was too bitter,
So Betty bought a better bit of butter to make the bitter butter better.
Fuzzy Wuzzy
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear,
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair,
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?
Short And Simple Tongue Twisters For Kids
I Saw A Saw
I saw a saw that could out-saw any other saw I ever saw.
I Thought A Thought
I thought a thought but the thought I thought, wasn’t the thought you thought I thought.
Red Lorry
Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry
I Scream
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
Sixth Sheikh’s Sheep
The sixth sick sheikh’s sixth sheep’s sick.
If A Dog
If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
Black And Brown Background
Black background, brown background, black background, brown background
I Slit The Sheet
I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit
Other Funny And Challenging Tongue Twisters For Kids
Tutor Who Tooted
A tutor who tooted the flute tried to tutor two tooters to toot.
Said the two to the tutor, is it harder to toot or to tutor two tooters to toot?
Skunk On A Stump
A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk,
But the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
Pheasant Plucker
I am not a pheasant plucker, but a pheasant plucker’s son,
And I am only plucking pheasants till the pheasant plucker comes.
Practice Makes Perfect
If practice makes perfect and perfect needs practice,
I’m perfectly practised and practically perfect.
Bad Birdie
Birdie birdie in the sky, laid a turdie in my eye,
If cows could fly I’d have cow pie in my eye.
Doctor Doctor
If one doctor doctors another doctor, then which doctor is doctoring the doctored doctor?
Does the doctor who doctors the doctor, doctor the doctor the way the doctor he is doctoring doctors?
Or does he doctor the doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors?
Cheese Trees
Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew,
While these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew,
Freezy breeze made these three trees freeze,
Freezy trees made these trees’ cheese freeze,
That’s what made these three free fleas sneeze.
Whether The Weather
Whether the weather be fine or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold or whether the weather be hot,
We’ll weather the weather whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not.
Swan Swam
Swan swam over the sea, swim, swan, swim!
Swan swam back again well swum, swan!
Susie Shine
I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop,
Where she shines, she sits, and where she sits, she shines.
Butter And Jelly
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.
Spread it thick, say it quick!
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.
Spread it thicker, say it quicker!
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.
Don’t eat with your mouth full!
Chester Cheetah
Chester cheetah chews a chunk of cheap cheddar cheese,
If the chunk of cheese chunked Chester cheetah,
What would Chester cheetah chew and chunk on?
Help Your Child Perfect Their Pronunciation With Fun Tongue Twisters For Kids
Getting your child to improve their language skills doesn’t have to be so rigid, which is why tongue twisters are great for kids. With so many variations that range from easy to difficult, you’re bound to find one that’s suitable for your child. Most importantly, they’ll have heaps of fun laughing out loud while improving their speech! To take it up a notch, challenge your kid to beat your time or make it a competition by seeing who can say the most repetitions without mistakes.
For more ways to educate and entertain your little one, check out these effective learning games and methods on teaching kids how to read at home.
