Sources
All 24 tongue twisters in French here are traditional virelangues. We checked the spelling, accents and punctuation against at least two public French sources, and we did not write any lines ourselves.
Tongue Twisters in French You Can Hear and Record
Hear these tongue twisters in French, say each one three times, then play your take back to check every R and U.
Say these tongue twisters in French three times fast
Douze douches douces.
This try--
Your best--
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Which Sounds Tongue Twisters in French Train
In French, a tongue twister is a virelangue, from virer, to turn, and langue, tongue. French children say virelangues at school to practice diction, and actors use them to warm up. For learners, tongue twisters in French pack the hardest French sounds into one short line.
Most English speakers trip on the same five things: the throaty French R, U against OU, CH against S, the nasal vowels, and silent letters. The table pairs each one with one of the tongue twisters in French below. The glosses give plain English meanings, not word-for-word translations.
Five French sounds, and tongue twisters in French to practice each
| French sound | Line | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| French R | Trois tortues trottaient sur un trottoir très étroit. | Make R at the back of the throat, like a soft gargle. Keep the tongue tip behind your lower teeth. |
| U vs OU | La roue sur la rue roule ; la rue sous la roue reste. | OU is the English oo. For U, say ee, then round your lips. |
| CH vs S | Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches ? Archi-sèches ! | French CH is the English sh. Slow down where CH and S meet, as in archiduchesse. |
| Nasal ON and AN | Si mon tonton tond ton tonton, ton tonton sera tondu. | Let air out through the nose and never add an N. ON has round lips; AN an open jaw. |
| Silent letters | Cinq chiens chassent six chats. | The -ent in chassent is silent, as are the final s and t in chiens and chats. |
These tongue twisters in French are pronunciation practice, not a full course.
24 Tongue Twisters in French, Easy to Very Hard
Filter these tongue twisters in French by level. Each line has its English meaning, and the microphone sends it to the recorder.
Easy French Tongue Twisters
Short tongue twisters in French that repeat one or two sounds. Start here.
Douze douches douces.
OU, D · Twelve soft showers.
Cinq chiens chassent six chats.
CH, S · Five dogs chase six cats.
Son chat chante sa chanson.
CH, S, AN · His cat sings its song.
Ton thé t'a-t-il ôté ta toux ?
T, OU · Did your tea get rid of your cough?
Le ver vert va vers le verre vert.
V, R · The green worm goes toward the green glass.
Il reste treize fraises fraîches.
R, Z · Thirteen fresh strawberries are left.
Medium Tongue Twisters in French
The best-known tongue twisters in French. Most French children learn these at school.
Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches ? Archi-sèches !
CH, S · Are the archduchess's socks dry? Extra dry!
Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien.
CH, S, AN · A hunter who knows how to hunt must know how to hunt without his dog.
Si mon tonton tond ton tonton, ton tonton sera tondu.
ON, T · If my uncle shaves your uncle, your uncle will be shaved.
Trois tortues trottaient sur un trottoir très étroit.
TR, R · Three tortoises trotted along a very narrow sidewalk.
Didon dîna, dit-on, du dos d'un dodu dindon.
D, ON · Dido dined, they say, on the back of a plump turkey.
As-tu vu le tutu de tulle de Lili d'Honolulu ?
U, L · Have you seen Lili from Honolulu's tulle tutu?
La roue sur la rue roule ; la rue sous la roue reste.
U, OU, R · The wheel rolls on the street; the street stays under the wheel.
Pour qui sont ces serpents qui sifflent sur vos têtes ?
S · For whom are those snakes hissing on your heads?
Hard Tongue Twisters in French
Longer tongue twisters in French that switch between two close sounds.
Je veux et j'exige d'exquises excuses !
J, KS · I want and demand exquisite apologies!
Un grand gradé drague un gradé dégradé.
GR, D · A senior officer flirts with a demoted officer.
Ces cerises sont si sûres qu'on ne sait pas si c'en sont.
S, U · These cherries are so sour that you can't tell if they are cherries.
Combien sont ces six saucissons-ci ? Ces six saucissons-ci sont six sous.
S, ON · How much are these six sausages? These six sausages cost six sous.
Un généreux déjeuner régénérerait des généraux dégénérés.
J, R · A generous lunch would revive degenerate generals.
Tu t'entêtes à tout tenter, tu t'uses et tu te tues à tant t'entêter.
T, U · You insist on trying everything; you wear yourself out and kill yourself being so stubborn.
Six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cents cyprès.
S · Six saws saw six cypresses; six hundred saws saw six hundred cypresses.
Very Hard Tongue Twisters in French
The longest tongue twisters in French here. Native speakers stumble on these too.
As-tu vu le ver vert allant vers le verre en verre vert ?
V, R · Did you see the green worm going toward the green glass glass?
La cavale aux Valaques avala l'eau du lac et l'eau du lac lava la cavale aux Valaques.
V, L, K · The Wallachians' mare drank the lake water, and the lake water washed the Wallachians' mare.
Le cricri de la crique crie son cri cru et critique car il craint que l'escroc ne le croque et ne le craque.
KR · The cricket of the cove cries its raw, critical cry, because it fears the crook will munch it and crack it.
How to Practice Tongue Twisters in French
Go slowly at first. Tongue twisters in French only help when each sound is the French one.
Hear it first
Press Hear it and listen twice before you try tongue twisters in French yourself. Notice which letters stay silent.
Read the meaning
Read the gloss so you know what you are saying, then say the line slowly, word by word.
Record and compare
Record one of these tongue twisters in French, then play your take next to the device voice. Listen for U turning into OU and R turning English.
Speed up one step
Go faster only after a clean take. Your best time updates on this device when you beat it.
Two or three tongue twisters in French a day, five clean takes each, does more than one long weekly session.
How We Picked and Tested These Tongue Twisters in French
Levels
Short lines that repeat one sound go in Easy. Lines that swap close sounds or run long go higher.
Recorder
We tried the recorder in desktop Chrome and at phone width. It records, replays, and keeps your best time on that device. Hear it uses your device's French voice if it has one.
Limits
The recorder does not grade your accent. You judge the playback against the device voice.
One of the public lists we checked spelling against: Palomar College, Virelangues (Tongue twisters).
Updated November 9, 2026
Play Tongue Twisters in French with Friends
Tongue twisters in French are a fun class or party round, even for people who speak no French.
2+ players
Pass the socks
Take turns on the archduchess line. Anyone who swaps a CH and an S hands the turn on.
2+ players
Beat the clock
Everyone records the same one of these tongue twisters in French. The fastest clean take wins.
3+ players
Guess the meaning
One player says one of the tongue twisters in French. The others guess its meaning before anyone reads the gloss.
Once tongue twisters in French feel easy, try Spanish ones or put your voice on a real movie scene.
Tongue Twisters in French: FAQ
What are tongue twisters called in French?
A tongue twister is un virelangue in French, and the plural is les virelangues. Search with that word to find tongue twisters in French written for native speakers.
What is the most famous French tongue twister?
Of all tongue twisters in French, Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse is the one most people know. Un chasseur sachant chasser is a close second.
What are good easy French tongue twisters for beginners?
Start with Douze douches douces or Cinq chiens chassent six chats. They are the shortest tongue twisters in French on this page.
Do tongue twisters in French help pronunciation?
Tongue twisters in French pack one hard sound into a short line, and a recording shows what you really said. Use them as a warm-up next to real speaking.
Are there tongue twisters in other languages here?
Yes. Our tongue twisters in Spanish page has trabalenguas with English meanings and sound tips.
Is my recording saved anywhere?
No. The recording stays in your browser on this device, and nothing is uploaded.
Ready to Voice a Whole Scene?
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