Tips on Pronunciation

Listening is key to pronunciation

Nouns and Verbs

Pronunciation is different for a word that can act both as a noun and a verb.


1. The farm was used to produce produce.

2. We must polish the Polish furniture.

3. He could lead if he would get the lead out.

4. The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

5. Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

6. A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

7. When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

8. I did not object to the object.

9. I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

10. The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

11. There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

12. The buck does funny things when the does are present.

13. A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

14. To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

15. The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

16. Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

English Tongue Twisters - This Notice

If you notice this notice, you will notice that this notice is not worth noticing.

English Tongue Twisters - Love

Love's a feeling you feel when you feel
you're going to feel the feeling you've never felt before.

English Tongue Twisters - Window Washers

While we were walking, we were watching window washers wash Washington's windows with warm washing water.

English Tongue Twisters - A Ploughman

A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed.

English Tongue Twisters - Fish-Sauce Shop

Miss Smith's fish-sauce shop seldom sells shellfish.

English Tongue Twisters - Sandwich

There's a sandwich on the sand which was sent by a sane witch.

English Tongue Twisters - Imaginary Menagerie

Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager
imagining managing an imaginary menagerie?

English Tongue Twisters - I Would I Could

I would if I could, and if I couldn't, how could I?
You couldn't, unless you could, could you?

English Tongue Twisters - Seashore Seashells

She sells seashells on the seashore. The seashells she sells are seashore seashells.

English Tongue Twisters - Baskets of Biscuits

I bought a bit of baking powder and baked a batch of biscuits. I brought a big basket of biscuits back to the bakery and baked a basket of big biscuits. Then I took the big basket of biscuits and the basket of big biscuits and mixed the big biscuits with the basket of biscuits that was next to the big basket and put a bunch of biscuits from the basket into a biscuit mixer and brought the basket of biscuits and the box of mixed biscuits and the biscuit mixer to the bakery and opened a tin of sardines.

Source: Coronet Magazine, August 1948
(Said to be a diction test for would-be radio announcers: To be read clearly, without mistakes, in less than 20 seconds)

English Tongue Twisters - A Saw I Saw

When I went to Warsaw, I saw a saw that could outsaw any saw that I ever saw. Now, if you go to Warsaw and see a saw that could outsaw the saw I saw, I'd like to see your saw saw.

English Tongue Twisters - Practice Makes Perfect by Karen and Alyse Ferry

If practice makes perfect and perfect needs practice,
I’m perfectly practiced and practically perfect.

English Tongue Twisters - A Sad Story About Nobody

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realised that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody, when Nobody did, what Anybody could have done.

English Tongue Twisters - Bill Had a Billboard and a Board Bill

Bill had a billboard, Bill also had a board bill. The billboard bored Bill so Bill sold the billboard to pay for the board bill.

English Tongue Twisters - Tie a Tie

If Kantie can tie a tie and untie a tie,

why can't I tie a tie and untie a tie like Kantie can.

English Tongue Twisters - A Tree Toad and a She-Toad

A tree toad loved a she-toad,

Who lived up in a tree.

He was a three-toed tree toad,

But a two-toed toad was she.

The three-toed tree toad tried to win,

The two-toed she-toad's heart,

For the three-toed tree toad loved the ground,

That the two-toed tree toad trod.

But the three-toed tree toad tried in vain.

He couldn't please her whim.

From her tree toad bower,

With her two-toed power,

The she-toad vetoed him.

English Tongue Twisters by Sharon Johnson

Out in the pasture the nature watcher watches the catcher. While the catcher watches the pitcher who pitches the balls. Whether the temperature's up or whether the temperature's down, the nature watcher, the catcher and the pitcher are always around. The pitcher pitches, the catcher catches and the watcher watches. So whether the temperature's rises or whether the temperature falls the nature watcher just watches the catcher who's watching the pitcher who's watching the balls.

The Speech Accent Archive

This website is a great tool for language teachers who are interested in learning about the different types of English accents by speakers of other languages.  It also contains a collection of accents from native English speakers.

http://accent.gmu.edu/