Sources
All 32 famous tongue twisters here are traditional or published lines. We did not write any of them.
Famous Tongue Twisters and the Stories Behind Them
Say these famous tongue twisters three times fast, then play the take back and read where each classic line began.
Say these famous tongue twisters three times fast
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
This try--
Your best--
Your recording stays on this device. Nothing is uploaded. Hear it uses your device's built-in voice, so it varies by device.
Where Famous Tongue Twisters Come From
Most famous tongue twisters were not written to be hard. They began as lessons in clear speech, music-hall songs, children's jingles, and even police tests. The name tongue twister was first used for these lines in 1895, long after Peter Piper went to print.
Some origin stories you will read online are more legend than fact. Below are the famous tongue twisters we could trace to a dated book, song, record or study. Where a popular story is unproven, we say so.
Famous tongue twisters, oldest first, and where they began
- 1813Peter Piper's Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation, London
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Printed by John Harris in London, with one twister for each letter of the alphabet. The rhyme was likely known a generation earlier.
Wikipedia on Peter Piper - 1908Song by Terry Sullivan and Harry Gifford
She sells seashells by the seashore.
In print as a diction drill by 1850, then a music-hall song in 1908. The link to fossil hunter Mary Anning is a popular claim with no evidence behind it.
Wikipedia on She Sells Seashells
- 1899Carolyn Wells, The Jingle Book
Betty Botter bought some butter.
Printed as The Butter Betty Bought, with the name spelled Betty Botta. Her book is the earliest print we could find, so it is often credited to her.
- 1899Carolyn Wells, The Jingle Book
A tutor who tooted the flute tried to teach two young tooters to toot.
The opening of a limerick on the first pages of the same book.
- 1902The Woodchuck Song, from the musical The Runaways
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Robert Hobart Davis wrote it for the singer Fay Templeton. A 1904 version by Theodore Morse spread it further.
- By 1921Old sobriety test
The Leith police dismisseth us.
Tied to the old police of Leith, near Edinburgh. A 1921 newspaper lists it, with Truly rural, as a test for drunkenness.
- 1927Song by Howard Johnson, Billy Moll and Robert King
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.
A novelty hit of the late 1920s that later became a jazz standard. The I scream pun is even older.
- 1952Singin' in the Rain
Moses supposes his toeses are roses, but Moses supposes erroneously.
Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor sing it in a diction lesson scene. The song plays on an older elocution drill.
- 1974Guinness World Records
The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.
Listed as the hardest tongue twister in English. Guinness stopped tracking the category after that year.
- 2013MIT speech study
Pad kid poured curd pulled cod.
Stefanie Shattuck-Hufnagel shared it at an acoustics meeting in San Francisco, and some volunteers gave up halfway. It is the newest of these famous tongue twisters.
32 Famous Tongue Twisters, Sorted by Where They Live
Filter these famous tongue twisters by where you probably met them, then press the microphone beside a line to try it in the recorder.
Famous Tongue Twisters from Nursery Rhymes
Famous tongue twisters most people learn as children, from old rhyme books.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
P
Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter.
B, T
A tutor who tooted the flute tried to teach two young tooters to toot.
T
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?
Z, W
Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran.
R
Swan swam over the sea. Swim, swan, swim!
SW
Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.
S, SH
A big black bug bit a big black bear.
B, BL
Famous Tongue Twisters from Songs and the Stage
Classic tongue twisters that reached most people through a song, a film or an actor's warm-up.
She sells seashells by the seashore.
S, SH
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
W, CH
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.
SKR
Moses supposes his toeses are roses, but Moses supposes erroneously.
Z, S
Unique New York, unique New York, you know you need unique New York.
N, Y, K
Red leather, yellow leather.
R, L
The tip of the tongue, the teeth, the lips.
T, TH, P
Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat.
T, B
Popular Tongue Twisters from the Schoolyard
Famous tongue twisters passed around classrooms and playgrounds for generations.
I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop.
S, SH
Which witch is which?
W
Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward.
S, SL
Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.
F, T, D
Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
K, N
I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.
K, CH
Eleven benevolent elephants.
L, V
Black background, brown background.
BL, BR
Famous Tongue Twisters Called the Hardest
Famous tongue twisters that a record book, a study, a police test or a drama school once named as hard.
The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.
S, SH, KS
Pad kid poured curd pulled cod.
P, K, D
The Leith police dismisseth us.
TH, S
Truly rural.
R, L
Red lorry, yellow lorry.
R, L
Irish wristwatch, Swiss wristwatch.
R, SW
The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.
TH
Peggy Babcock, Peggy Babcock.
G, B, K
How to Practice Famous Tongue Twisters
You already know most famous tongue twisters by heart. That makes them good for speed work.
Say the full line
Many people only know the first half of famous tongue twisters. Read the full line once so you practice all of it.
Slow it down
Say one of these famous tongue twisters at half speed three times. Every sound should land.
Record and replay
Press Record, then play it back. Famous tongue twisters hide slips, because your brain fills in the words you expect.
Beat your time
Speed up only after a clean take. Your best time updates on this device when you beat it.
Start with the famous tongue twisters you learned as a child, then move to the record breakers.
How We Checked These Famous Tongue Twisters
Dates
Every year on our famous tongue twisters cards was checked against a dated book, song or report. When we could not confirm a story, we left the date off or said it is unproven.
Recorder
We tried the recorder in desktop Chrome and at phone width. It records, replays, and keeps your best time on that device.
Limits
The recorder does not grade your speech. You judge the playback.
We checked the Betty Botter and tutor lines against the 1899 text of The Jingle Book on Project Gutenberg.
Updated November 9, 2026
Play Famous Tongue Twisters with Friends
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Finish the line
Say the first half of one of the famous tongue twisters. The next player finishes it three times fast.
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Peter Piper sprint
Everyone records the same one of these famous tongue twisters. The fastest clean take wins.
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Guess the year
Read a line from the famous tongue twisters cards aloud. The others guess the year it began before you show the answer.
When the famous tongue twisters feel easy, try hard tongue twisters or voice a real movie scene.
Famous Tongue Twisters: FAQ
What is the most famous tongue twister?
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers is the usual answer. It has been in print since 1813. She sells seashells is a close second.
What is the oldest tongue twister in English?
Peter Piper is the oldest of the famous tongue twisters with a firm date. Other rhymes are probably older but only survive in later prints.
Was She Sells Seashells about Mary Anning?
Maybe, but no one has shown it. The fossil hunter story is popular, yet there is no evidence that she inspired the line or the 1908 song.
Who wrote Betty Botter?
It is often credited to Carolyn Wells, whose 1899 Jingle Book is the earliest print we found. Older oral versions may exist.
Are famous tongue twisters good for kids?
Yes. Most famous tongue twisters began as children's rhymes or school drills, so the nursery group is a good place for kids to start.
Which classic is the hardest to say?
Of all the famous tongue twisters, Guinness once named the sixth sick sheikh line as the hardest. Our hard tongue twisters page ranks forty lines up to the hardest one.
Is my recording saved anywhere?
No. The recording stays in your browser on this device, and nothing is uploaded.
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