Write your own tongue twister and challenge your friends
Write your own tongue twister, practice saying it clearly and quickly, then challenge friends to repeat it for fun and light competition.
Step-by-step guide to write your own tongue twister and challenge your friends
Step 1
Gather your paper pencil colouring materials and timer or stopwatch.
Step 2
Choose one sound or letter you want to repeat like s b or tr.
Step 3
Write a list of 8 to 12 words that start with your chosen sound.
Step 4
Pick 4 to 6 words from your list to use in your tongue twister.
Step 5
Arrange the chosen words into a short sentence or two that repeats the sound.
Step 6
Read your sentence aloud slowly once to check that it makes sense.
Step 7
Swap any words that sound awkward to make the line trickier or funnier.
Step 8
Write the final version neatly and add punctuation so it flows.
Step 9
Practice saying your tongue twister clearly three times slowly.
Step 10
Practice saying it quickly three times trying to stay clear each time.
Step 11
Ask a friend to try your tongue twister and count how many times they can say it without a mistake.
Step 12
Share your finished tongue twister on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of a timer, paper, or colouring materials if we don't have them?
If you don't have a timer or stopwatch use a phone clock, kitchen timer, or count out loud while someone watches, and if you lack paper or colouring materials type your words in a notes app or draw on a tablet.
My tongue twister sounds awkward or my friend keeps messing up — what should we change?
If the line sounds awkward when you read it aloud (step 5) or your friend trips up, swap in different words from your 8–12 word list (step 4), add or adjust punctuation when you write the final version (step 8) and practice slowly three times (step 9) before speeding up.
How can we adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
For younger kids choose an easy sound like 'm', use 4 picture cards instead of writing and fewer words, while older kids can use tricky blends like 'str', make full 8–12 word lists and turn the friend challenge into a timed repeat with the stopwatch.
How can we make the tongue twister more fun or shareable after it's finished?
Illustrate the final neatly written tongue twister with your colouring materials, add a funny gesture or sound during the three quick repeats (step 10), record the timed friend challenge (step 11) and upload the short clip or text to DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to write your own tongue twister and challenge your friends
20 Fun Tongue Twisters to Improve Pronunciation
3 Videos
20 Fun Tongue Twisters to Improve Pronunciation
15 Funny Tongue Twisters in English | Practice Speech and Pronunciation
20 Fun Tongue Twisters to Improve Pronunciation
Facts about speech and language activities for kids
🎭 Actors and singers often use tongue twisters as warm-ups to sharpen pronunciation and diction before performances.
🔤 Alliteration (repeating the same starting sound) is a common tool in tongue twisters to trip up the tongue.
🏆 People hold playful competitions to see who can say a tongue twister fastest or without mistakes — it's a great party challenge!
🐚 The line "She sells seashells" is commonly linked to Mary Anning, a 19th-century fossil collector from the English coast.
🗣️ Tongue twisters repeat tricky sounds to make sentences hard to say quickly — that's what makes them fun practice for clear speech.
How do you write a tongue twister with kids and challenge their friends?
What materials do I need to write tongue twisters at home?
What ages is writing and performing tongue twisters suitable for?
What are the benefits of writing tongue twisters and are there safety tips or variations?
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