10 tongue-twisters to improve your English before taking a course abroad

Trabalenguas que ayudarán a perfeccionar tu inglés

If you want to study English courses abroad,you need to know that there are many tongue-twisters that will help you express yourself. Know the best!

The importance of tongue-twisters when studying English abroad

Studying English abroad can be one of the best options that you have at hand to get by naturally in speaking this language. Even though you’ll have to practice, the truth is that there will also be some cases where you can get confused, especially with certain complicated words.

Therefore, learning and practicing with tongue-twisters will be of great help. This is because they are sentences that are designed to understand the different uses of words that may sound very similar, but mean diametrically opposed things in varied contexts.

That is, English tongue-twisters will give you guidelines so that when you read the sentences, you know that each word has a different meaning from the others. Likewise, when you read it, you will notice that they will sound similar, so you will have to practice the differences they have. Let’s look at the best cases!

The 10 best tongue-twisters in English

1. Three witches watch three Swatch watches. Which witch watches which Swatch watch?

In the first case, we have one of the most common tongue twisters, where the vocal difference between words very similar in sound, but with opposite meanings, is put into practice. The translation would be: “Three witches look at three Swatch watches. Which witch looks at which Swatch watch?”, ideal for understanding the difference between the words whichwitch and watch.

2. Fuzzy Wuzzy, Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t very fuzzy, was he?

A little more abstract,since here you play between own names and adjectives. Basically, the translation would be: “Fuzzy Wuzzy, Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no fur. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t very confusing, was he?” It is useful not so much for differentiating words, but for improving reading.

3. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?

We lowered the difficulty a bit with a very interesting tongue twister. In Spanish, I’d say something like, “How can you put a clam in a clean cream?” It will help you to understand the difference between words that are very similar in sound, like clamcram, cleancream and can.

4. I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits

Perfect prayers to understand verbal times. Translation can be understood as: “I saw Susie sitting in a shoe cleaning shop. Where she sits, shines, and where she shines, she sits.” In this way, we understand the difference in meaning that can occur in very similar expressions.

5. I have got a date, I have got a date at a quarter to eight; I’ll see you at the gate, so don’t be late.

The best thing about this case is that it’s a tongue-twister, but it’s not sloping at all. On the contrary: they are expressions that are used in daily life. Translating it, it could look like: “I have a date, I have a date at a quarter to eight; I’ll meet you at the door, so don’t be late”.   So, words like dategate late can be confusing, so using them in the same context will help you differentiate between them.

6. I thought a thought. But the thought I thought wasn’t the thought I thought I thought.

Unlike the previous one, we have a case that nobody would say in orality, but that is one of the best for understanding sentencestructure and how certain words can mean different things in certain contexts. The translation is: “I thought of a thought. But the thought I thought was not the thought I thought.” There you will realize that thought takes on a different meaning depending on where it is located.

7. If the thought I thought I thought had been the thought I thought, I wouldn’t have thought so much.

It can be considered as a slightly more difficult and complex version than the previous one. The meaning would be, “If the thought I thought I thought had been the thought I thought, I wouldn’t have thought so much.” Again, we see that thought is often one of the most confusing terms for those beginning to study English, so it is useful to understand all its uses.

8. The big black bug bit the big black bear, but the big black bear bit the big black bug back.

The degree of difficulty is increased,as it is a text in which confusion occurs in almost all words, but it will also be of great help to us. The Spanish translation would be: “The big black insect bit the big black bear, but the big black bear bit the big black insect.” In this way, we will practice together the different expressions finished in “ar” or “ack”.

9. One-one was a race horse. Two-two was one too. One-one won one race. Two-two won one too.

In this tongue twister we will practice, mainly, the possibility of saying two equal words stuck together, without the need to get stuck. In Spanish it can be translated as: “One-one was a racehorse. Two-two was one too. One by one he won a race. Two-two won one too.” It’s not difficult and it will help you express yourso more naturally.

10. If Stu chews shoes, should Stu choose the shoes he chews?

Finally, we have another example that could well be used in everyday English. In Spanish, it would be something like, “If Stu chews shoes, should Stu choose the shoes he chews?” The main contribution is in the sound difference between words ending in pronunciations with the letter “u”, which usually complicates those who are just beginning to learn this language.

In short, these tongue twisters will help you to have a better oral use of English, and you will be prepared to master the language with Ynsitu, where we offer you the best English courses abroad so that you can develop and express yourself as if you were a native in this language. Practice and learn with us!