Tongue twisters were created in the late 19th century to help with pronunciation. Some of the oldest ones, like “She sells seashells,” are still popular today. Peter Piper is the only surviving popular tongue twister from a series that included every letter of the alphabet. Some newer tongue twisters are designed to make people stumble into speech. Some tongue twisters have turned into jokes, like the shepherd joke and the knock-knock joke.
In the late 19th century, a series of tongue twisters were created to help students perfect their pronunciation in a fun and entertaining way. Today these sayings are still entertaining and often recited by adults and children, even if they have lost their pedagogical purpose. Here are some of the oldest ones that have been passed down from generation to generation.
She sells shells on the seashore. She sells shells by the sea;By the sea she sells shells.She sells shells by the sea.The shells she sells are shells by the sea,Of that I am sure. who will sell shells? Are shells sold?
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppersA packet of pickled peppers Peter Piper pickedIf Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
A skunk sat on a stump, The stump thunk the skunk stinks, The skunk thunk the stump stinks.
The last of these was originally part of a collection that included every letter of the alphabet. Peter Piper is the only surviving popular tongue twister from the series that is still commonly acted today.
Some newer tongue twisters are designed to make people stumble into speech and say words they don’t mean, or that aren’t present in the actual saying:
One smart guy felt smart. Two smart people both felt smart. Three smart people all felt smart.
I am not a pheasant plucker, but a pheasant plucker’s son. And I’m just plucking pheasants until this pheasant plucker arrives.
Unique New York
Mrs Obbly Doobly had a square cut bum. Not a square cut punt but a square cut punt. It was round in the middle and square in frontMrs. Obly Doobly had a square cut punt.
I cut the sheet, I cut the sheet and on the cut sheet I sit.
Some turned into jokes using the insult of one word to another, which is characteristic of most tongue twisters. For example:
If a shepherd had thirty sick sheep and one died, how many would be left?
The answer is 29, which is obvious when you’re reading the joke. However, when someone says the question quickly, it sounds like they’re saying “thirty-six,” so the funny and incorrect answer would be 35.
Another tongue twister-joke combination is a knock joke.
Knock knock. Who is there? I’m a bunch. I’m a bunch of who? Do not be so hard on yourself.
Again, the written version of this joke isn’t very funny, but the phonetic result when “I’m a bunch of who?” talk fast is the punchline!
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