Common Tongue Twisters
The well-known tongue twisters, one sentence long, with my recordings to copy.
මේවා ටිකක් දිගයි. ඒ නිසා වාක්යය කෑලි දෙකකට කඩලා, එක කෑල්ලක් හෙමින් පුහුණු වෙලා, ඊට පස්සේ දෙකම එකට කියන්න. වේගය අන්තිමට.
You have probably heard some of these at school: She sells seashells and How much wood would a woodchuck chuck. Most native speakers trip on them too, so don't worry when you do.
If these are too much today, go back to the easy-ish ones. No shame in a warm-up.
Th: /θ/ and /ð/
Sinhala has no "th" sound, so most of us say ත or ද instead: "tink" for think, "dis" for this. Put the tip of your tongue between your teeth and blow. For /θ/ (think) there is no voice. For /ð/ (this) your throat hums.
Don't eat with your mouth full!
- /ð/
- /f/
Spread it thicker, say it quicker!
- /sp/
- /θ/
Three smart fellows, they all felt smart.
- /θ/
- /f/
I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you.
- /θ/
- /ð/
V and W
In Sinhala, ව does both jobs, so "wine" and "vine" can sound the same. For /v/, your top teeth touch your lower lip. For /w/, your teeth stay out of it: round your lips like you are going to say ඌ, then open them.
I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.
- /w/
- /r/
Which witch wished which wicked wish?
- /w/
- /ʃ/
Wayne went to Wales to watch Walruses.
- /w/
An orange oval spooks the odd operative.
- /ɒ/
- /v/
Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards.
- /s/
- /sw/
The winkle ship sank and the shrimp ship swam.
- /ʃ/
- /sw/
Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.
- /l/
- /w/
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
- /w/
- /tʃ/
S, Sh and Z
/s/ is ස, /ʃ/ is ශ, and /z/ is a buzzing /s/ that Sinhala does not have. Watch out for "z" hiding in words like was, is and sizzle. Keep your teeth close together and let the sound buzz.
So, this is the sushi chef.
- /s/
- /ʃ/
Four fine fresh fish for you.
- /f/
- /ʃ/
She sells seashells on the seashore.
- /ʃ/
- /s/
We surely shall see the sun shine soon.
- /ʃ/
- /s/
Sister Suzie's sewing socks for soldiers.
- /s/
- /z/
The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick.
- /s/
- /ʃ/
I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.
- /k/
- /tʃ/
Chester cheetah chews a chunk of cheap cheddar cheese.
- /tʃ/
R and L
Our Sinhala ර is a quick tap of the tongue. The English /r/ is softer: your tongue curls back a little and touches nothing. For /l/, the tip of the tongue sits behind your top teeth.
Two tried and true tridents.
- /t/
- /tr/
The black bloke's back brake block broke.
- /b/
- /br/
Printed papers under pressure make pens prickle.
- /pr/
- /p/
Creepy crawler critters crawl through creepy crawly craters.
- /kr/
- /k/
F and P
Some of us say ප for both, so "fan" becomes "pan". For /f/, your top teeth rest on your lower lip and air comes through. For /p/, both lips close and then pop open.
Pad kid poured curd pulled cod.
- /p/
- /k/
- /d/
One smart fellow, he felt smart.
- /f/
- /t/
A happy hippo hopped and hiccupped.
- /h/
- /p/
A pessimistic pest exists among us.
- /p/
- /s/
Two smart fellows, they felt smart.
- /t/
- /f/
Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.
- /f/
- /d/
The poor boar pours batter over his putter.
- /p/
- /b/
Several spooky slimy spiders spun sulking by the sea.
- /s/
- /sp/
Two or three consonants together
In Sinhala we put a vowel before or between consonants, which is why "school" becomes ඉස්කෝලේ. In English, there is no vowel before sn, st or skr. Start straight on the /s/.
We all scream for ice cream.
- /skr/
- /s/
A snake sneaks to seek a snack.
- /s/
- /sn/
Excited executioner exercising his excising powers excessively.
- /ek/
Other sounds
These ones train sounds we already have in Sinhala, like /b/, /k/, /d/, /t/ and /m/. The hard part here is not the sound. It is keeping it clear when it comes again and again.
The big bug bit the little beetle.
- /b/
Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.
- /n/
A synonym for cinnamon is a cinnamon synonym.
- /s/
- /n/
Betty's big bunny bobbled by the blueberry bush.
- /b/
Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread.
- /j/
- /b/
Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.
- /m/
- /n/
Quick check
Tap an answer. Nothing is saved.
In she sells seashells, which sound is at the start of she?
Which 'th' is in thought?
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck? Which sound starts wood?
Ready for a real challenge? The difficult ones are waiting.
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