November 13 – International Tongue Twister Day

Tongue twisters are a fun way to practice pronunciation and improve speech fluency. They often use alliteration, or the repetition of a sound at the beginning of words, to create a challenging and memorable phrase. For example, “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” While tongue twisters may seem silly at first, they can actually be quite difficult to say quickly and accurately. As you practice speaking them aloud, you’ll notice your speech becoming more precise and fluid. So next time you’re feeling tongue-tied, try tongue-twisting your way to better communication!

HISTORY OF TONGUE TWISTERS

It’s said that the first tongue twister was created by the Ancient Greek playwright, Sophocles. In his play, “Antigone,” a character gets tongue-tied while trying to say the name of the hero, Haemon. While it’s not exactly clear what Sophocles was going to say, the most popular theory is “he whom mother loves.” Shakespeare also wrote a few tongue twisters, including one in “Romeo and Juliet” where Juliet says, “Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?” Since then, tongue twisters have become a staple of children’s literature and are often used to teach young children how to read. Dr. Seuss was particularly fond of tongue twisters and included them in many of his books, such as “Fox in Socks” and “The Cat in the Hat.” Today, tongue twisters are enjoyed by people of all ages and are a fun way to challenge yourself and your friends. So next time you’re feeling tongue-tied, try reciting a few of these classic tongue twisters.

FIVE FUN TONGUE TWISTERS

1. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if the woodchuck could chuck wood?
2. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
3. She sells seashells by the seashore.
4. I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop.
5. Red lorry, yellow lorry, so a red lorry, a yellow lorry.

HOW TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL TONGUE TWISTER DAY