III. Tongue – twisters

I scream, you scream, we all scream for icecream! [skr]

[aɪ skri:m ju: skri:m wi: ɔl skri:m fə *aɪskri:m]

Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards [s]

[sɪks sli:k swænz swæm *swɪftlɪ *saʊθwədz]

Seven slick slimy snakes slowly sliding southward. [sl, sn]

[*sev(ə)n slɪk *slaɪmɪ sneɪks *sləʊlɪ *slaɪdɪŋ *saʊθwəd]

Six sick sea-serpents swam the seven seas. [s]

[sɪks sɪk si: *sə:pənts swæm ðə *sev(ə)n si:z]

She saw Sherif's shoes on the sofa.

But was she so sure she saw Sherif's shoes on the sofa? [ʃ, s]

[ʃi: sɔ: *ʃerɪfs ʃu:z ən ðə *səʊfə bət wɒz ʃi: səʊ ʃʊə ʃi: sɔ: *ʃerɪfs ʃu:z ən ðə *səʊfə]

She said she should sit. [s, ʃ]

[ʃi: sed ʃi: ʃəd sɪt]

Six shining cities, six shining cities, six shining cities. [s, ʃ]

[sɪks *ʃaɪnɪŋ *sɪtɪz]

She sells sea shells on the sea shore;

The shells that she sells are sea shells I'm sure.

So if she sells sea shells on the sea shore,

I'm sure that the shells are sea shore shells. [ʃ, s, ð]

[ʃi: selz si: ʃelz ən ðə si: ʃɔ:

ðə ʃelz ðət ʃi: selz α: si: ʃelz aɪm ʃʊə

səʊ ɪf ʃi: selz si: ʃelz ən ðə si: ʃɔ:

aɪm ʃʊə ðət ðə ʃelz α: si: ʃɔ: ʃelz]

Six thick thistle sticks. [θ, s]

[sɪks θɪk θɪsəl stɪks]

If you notice this notice,

you will notice that this notice is not worth noticing. [s, ð, θ]

[ɪf ju: *nəʊtɪs ðɪs *nəʊtɪs ju: wɪl *nəʊtɪs ðət ðɪs *nəʊtɪs ɪz nɔt wə:θ *nəʊtɪsɪŋ]

Elizabeth's birthday is on the third Thursday of this month. [θ, ð]

[ɪ*lɪzəbəθs *bə:θdeɪ ɪz ən ðə θə:d *θə:zdeɪ əv ðɪs mʌnθ]

Thirty-three thirsty, thundering thoroughbreds thumped Mr. Thurber on Thursday.[θ]

[*θə:tɪ θri: *θə:stɪ*θʌndərɪŋ *θʌrəbredz θʌmpt *mɪstə *θə:bə ən *θə:zdɪ]

Nothing is worth thousands of deaths. [θ]

[*nʌθɪŋ ɪz wə:θ *θaʊzəndz əv deθs

Thirty-three thousand people think that Thursday is their thirtieth birthday.[θ, ð]

[*θə:tɪ θri: *θaʊzənd *pi:pəl θɪŋk ðət *θə:zdeɪ ɪz ðeə *θə:tɪθ *bə:θdeɪ]

I thought a thought.

But the thought I thought wasn't the thought I thought I thought.

If the thought I thought I thought had been the thought I thought,

I wouldn't have thought so much. [θ,ð]

[aɪ θɔ:t əθɔ:t

bʌt ðə θɔ:t aɪθɔ:t wɔznt ðə θɔ:t aɪ θɔ:t aɪθɔ:t

ɪf ðə θɔ:t aɪ θɔ:t aɪ θɔ:t hæd bi:n ðə θɔ:t aɪ θɔ:t

aɪ wʊdnt həv θɔ:t səʊ mʌtʃ]

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

whether we like it or not. [w, ð]

[*weðə ðə *weðə bɪ faɪn

ə *weðə ðə *weðə bɪ nɔt

*weðə ðə *weðə bɪ kəʊld

ə *weðə ðə *weðə bɪ hɔt

wɪl *weðə ðə *weðə

*weðə wɪ laɪk ɪt ə nɔt]

The batter with the butter is the batter that is better! [ð, t, æ, e, ʌ]

[ðə *bætə wɪð ðə *bʌtə ɪz ðə *bætə ðət ɪz *betə]

Red leather, yellow leather, ...[r, l, ð]

[red *leðə *jeləʊ *leðə]

Don't spring on the inner-spring this spring or there will be an offspring next spring.

[ŋ, s, ð]

[dəʊnt sprɪŋ ən ðə *ɪnə *sprɪŋ ðɪs sprɪŋ ə ðeə wɪl bɪ ən *ɒfsprɪŋ]

Eleven benevolent elephants [e, ɪ, l, n]

[ɪ*levən bɪ*nevələnt *eləfənts]

Never trouble about trouble until trouble troubles you! [bl]

[*nevə *trʌbəl ə*baʊt *trʌbəl ʌn*tɪl *trʌbəl *trʌbəlz ju:]

One black beetle bled only black blood, the other black beetle bled blue. [bl]

[wʌn blæk bi:tl bled *əʊnlɪ blæk blʌd ðɪ *ʌðə blæk bi:tl bled blu:]

Four furious friends fought for the phone.[f]

[fɔ: *fjʊərɪəs frendz fɔ:t fə ðə fəʊn]

A proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot. [p, f]

[ə *prɒpə kʌp əv *kɒfɪ frəm ə *prɒpə *kɒpə *kɒfɪ pɒt]

A flea and a fly in a flue,

were imprisoned. So what could they do?

Said the fly, ""Let us flee"".

Said the flea, ""Let us fly"".

So they flew through a flaw in the flue [fl]

[ə fli: ənd ə flaɪ ɪn ə flu:

wə ɪm*pri:zənd səʊ wɒt kʊd ðeɪdu:

sed ðə flaɪ let əs fli:

sed ðə fli: let əs flaɪ

səʊ ðeɪ flu: θru: ə flɔ: ɪn ðə flu:]

Flash message! [ʃ, dʒ]

[flæʃ *mesɪdʒ]

The soldier's shoulder surely hurts! [dʒ, ʃ]

[ðə *səʊldʒəz *ʃəʊldə *ʃʊəlɪhə:ts]

National Sheepshire Sheep Association [ʃ]

[*næʃənəl *ʃi:pʃaɪə ʃi:p əsəʊsɪ*eɪʃən]

I shot the city sheriff. [ʃ, ð]

[aɪ ʃɒt ðə *sɪtɪ *ʃerɪf]

I wish you were a fish in my dish [ʃ]

[aɪ wɪʃ ju: wə ə fɪʃ ɪn maɪ dɪʃ]

Dr. Johnson and Mr. Johnson, after great consideration, came to the conclusion that the Indian nation beyond the Indian Ocean is back in education because the chief occupation is cultivation. [eɪʃən]

[*dɒktə *dʒɒnsən ən *mɪstə *dʒɒnsən *α:ftə greɪt kənsɪdə*reɪʃən keɪm tə ðə kən*klu:ʒən ðət

ðɪ *ɪndɪən *neɪʃən bɪ*jɒnd ðɪ *ɪndɪən *əʊʃən ɪz bæk ɪn ədjʊ*keɪʃən bɪ*kɒz ðə tʃi:f ɒkjʊ*peɪʃən ɪz kʌltɪ*veɪʃən]

Why do you cry, Willy?

Why do you cry?

Why, Willy?

Why, Willy?

Why, Willy? Why? [w]

[waɪ də jʊ kraɪ *wɪlɪ waɪ də jʊ kraɪ waɪ *wɪlɪ waɪ *wɪlɪ waɪ *wɪlɪ waɪ]

Very well, very well, very well ...[v, w]

[*verɪ wel]

Tie twine to three tree twigs. [t, w]

[taɪ *twaɪn tə θri: tri: twɪgz]

We won, we won, we won, we won, ...[w]

[wɪ wɒn]

While we were walking, we were watching window washers wash Washington's windows with warm washing water. [w]

[waɪl wi: wə *wɔ:kɪŋ wi: wə *wɒtʃɪŋ *wɪndəʊ wɒʃəz wɒʃ *wɒʃɪŋtənz *wɪndəʊz

wɪð wɔ:m *wɒʃɪŋ *wɔ:tə]

I wish I were what I was when I wished I were what I am. [w]

[aɪ wɪʃ aɪ wə: wɒt aɪ wɒz wen aɪ wɪʃt aɪ wə: wɒt aɪ æm]

A quick witted cricket critic. [k, w]

[ə kwɪk *wɪtɪd *krɪkət *krɪtɪk]

Two tiny tigers take two taxis to town. [t]

[tu: *taɪnɪ *taɪgəz teɪk tu: *tæksɪz tə taʊn]

Truly rural, truly rural, truly rural, ... [tr, l]

[*tru:lɪ *rʊərəl]

Peggy Babcock [b, g, k, p]

[*pegɪ *bæbkək]

Betty bought some bitter butter

and it made her batter bitter,

so Betty bought some better butter

to make her bitter batter better. [æ,e, ʌ,ɪ], [b]

[*betɪ bɔ:t səm *bɪtə *bʌtə ən ɪt meɪd hə *bætə *bɪtə

səʊ *betɪ bɔ:t səm *betə *bʌtə tə meɪk hə *bɪtə *bætə *betə]

Out in the pasture the nature watcher watches the catcher.

While the catcher watches the pitcher who pitches the balls.

Whether the temperature's up or whether the temperature's down,

the nature watcher, the catcher and the pitcher are always around.

The pitcher pitches, the catcher catches and the watcher watches.

So whether the temperature's rises or whether the temperature falls

the nature watcher just watches the catcher

who's watching the pitcher

who's watching the balls. [tʃ]

[*aʊt ɪn ðə *pα:stʃə ðə *neɪtʃə *wɒtʃə *wɒtʃɪz ðə *kætʃə

waɪl ðə *kætʃə *wɒtʃɪz ðə *pɪtʃə hu: *pɪtʃɪz ðə bɔ:lz

*weðə ðə *temprɪtʃəz *ʌp ə *weðə ðə temprɪtʃəz *daʊn

ðə *neɪtʃə *wɒtʃə ðə *kætʃə ən ðə *pɪtʃə ə *ɔ:lwəz ə*raʊnd

ðə *pɪtʃə *pɪtʃɪz ðə *kætʃə *kætʃɪz ən ðə *wɒtʃə *wɒtʃɪz

səʊ *weðə ðə *temprɪtʃəz *raɪzɪz ə *weðə ðə *temprɪtʃə *fɔ:lz

ðə *neɪtʃə *wɒtʃə dʒʌst *wɒtʃɪz ðə *kætʃə

hu:z *wɒtʃɪŋ ðə *pɪtʃə

hu:z *wɒtʃɪŋ ðə *bɔ:lz]

Eddie edited it. [dɪ]

[*edɪ *edɪtɪd *ɪt]

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!

[*jeləʊ *bʌtə *pə:pəl *dʒelɪ red dʒæm blæk bred

spred ɪt *θɪk *se ɪt *kwɪk

*jeləʊ *bʌtə *pə:pəl *dʒelɪ red dʒæm blæk bred

spred ɪt *θɪkə *se ɪt *kwɪkə

*jeləʊ *bʌtə *pə:pəl *dʒelɪ red dʒæm blæk bred

dəʊnt i:t wɪð jə maʊθ fʊl]

If you can't can any candy can,

how many candy cans can a candy canner can

if he can can candy cans ? [k, æ]

[ɪf jə kα:nt kæn enɪ kændɪ kæn

haʊ menɪ kændɪ kænz kən ə kændɪkænə kæn

ɪf hɪ kən kæn kændɪ kænz]

Each Easter Eddie eats eighty Easter eggs. [e, i:]

[i:tʃ *i:stə *edɪ i:ts *eɪtɪ *i:stə egz]

Unique New York, unique New York, unique New York, ... [ju]

[ju:*ni:k nju: jɔ:k]

Ray Rag ran across a rough road.

Across a rough road Ray Rag ran.

Where is the rough road Ray Rag ran across? [r]

[reɪ ræg ræn ə*krɔ:s ə rʌf rəʊd

ə*krɔ:s ə rʌf rəʊd reɪ ræg ræn

*weə r ɪz ðə rʌf rəʊd reɪ ræg ræn]