What are tongue twisters?

Everyone knows one tongue twister or another – in case of doubt at least the classic “Fischers Fritze fischt frische Fische …”. But in fact there are quite a number of different tongue twisters:

Tongue twisters with the same initial sound:

In these tongue twisters every word begins with the same sound, e.g. "Zehn Ziegen zogen zehn Zentner Zucker zum Zoo": If the initial sound is a vowel, the tongue twister is usually quite easy to learn and also suitable as a simple speech exercise for younger children: "Achtzig alte Ameisen aßen am Abend achtzig Ananas".

Tongue twisters with the same medial sound:

These tongue twisters consist of words that each or for the most part have the same medial sound, e.g. "Zwei Astronauten kauten und kauten, während Sie blaugrüne Mondsteine klaubten".

Tongue twisters with initial-medial sound combinations:

The most difficult tongue twisters are those in which both initial sounds and medial sounds are repeated - but in alternating combinations: "Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut und Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid". It becomes even more difficult when interconsonants like "sch" come into play: "Schnecken erschrecken, wenn Schnecken an Schnecken schlecken, weil zum Schrecken vieler Schnecken, Schnecken nicht schmecken".

Spoonerism tongue twisters:

Spoonerisms are small tongue twisters in the proper sense. These little wordplays are on the one hand entertaining, and on the other help children to differentiate and recognize the different sounds and syllables of a word: "In der ganzen Hunde-Runde gab es nichts als runde Hunde".

Tongue twisters for advanced learners

For younger children it is a nice exercise to draw a tongue twister while speaking it. This way they can make the connection between the linguistic peculiarities of the tongue twister and the actual meaning of the words. This works particularly well with short, relatively simple tongue twisters. Two examples:

“In Ulm, um Ulm und um Ulm herum” Give your child paper and a pen so that they can draw a town (or even just a house). That is Ulm. Now have them draw a circle inside the house – that is 'in Ulm'. Next draw a circle around the house: 'um Ulm'. Finally your child should draw a large circle around the first circle – 'um Ulm herum'. Repeat the tongue twister together while tracing the circles with your finger. “Wenn Fliegen hinter Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen hinterher” For this tongue twister your child can simply draw a group of flies on the sheet – you can help if needed. Then draw a second group of flies following the first. Say the tongue twister together and point to the respective flies that are meant. Longer tongue twisters with z- or sch-sounds are particularly difficult to master. The only thing that helps is practice – again and again, until everyone is laughing with tears. Because the fun of the tongue twister is not only in the funny lines, but especially in the mispronunciations.

Zwischen zwei Zwetschgenzweigen sitzen zwei zechenschwarze, tschechisch zwitschernde Zwergschwalben. Auf den sieben Robbenklippen sitzen sieben Robbensippen, die sich in die Rippen stippen, bis sie von den Klippen kippen. Fischers frisch frisierter Fritze frisst frisch frittierte Frischfisch-Frikadellen.

Tongue twisters for children – practical tips for little ones and grown-ups

Adults say the tongue twister slowly and clearly, if necessary several times – if your child did not understand the meaning of the rhyme, they probably won't be able to remember it.

Repetition is essential: A tongue twister must be spoken at least three times in a row without a pause for it to be really fun.

Practice together: Adults also have difficulty getting certain tongue twisters right without mistakes. Practice competitively and enjoy the funniest slip-ups together.

No pressure: If your child enjoys the crazy speech exercises, you can 'tongue-twist' to your heart's content. If not, don't force it – tongue twisters are supposed to be fun.

Be patient: Sometimes tongue twisters are maddening. If it just won't work, laugh about it – and try again the next day.