Tongue Twisters

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Tongue Twisters

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OUTLINE

• Why are tongue twisters difficult?
• Practice and explain.
• Reasons for difficulties
• Conflicting syllable patterns
• Regular stress patterns
• Phonetic compatibility
• Conclusion

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Samples

• Say these tongue twisters. Why are they
  difficult?
• She sells sea shells.
• Six thick thistle sticks
• Rubber baby buggy bumpers

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Conflicting Syllable Patterns (1)

• Ex. 1
• She sells sea shells
• Final Vowel
• ABAB (ee, ells, ee, ells)
• Initial Consonant
• ABBA (sh, s, s, sh)

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Conflicting Syllable Patterns (2)

• Ex. 2
• Six thick thistle sticks
• Finals
• ABCA (iks, ik, is(!), iks)
• Initial Consonant
• ABBA (s, th, th, s)

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Conflicting Syllable Patterns (3)

• Ex. 3Rubber baby buggy bumpers
• Initial consonant
• ABBB (r, b, b, b)
• First vowel
• ABAA (u, a, u, u)
• Middle consonant
• AABA (b, b, g, mp)
• Final vowel group
• ABBA (er, y,y, ers)

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Regular Stress Patterns

• Four heavily stressed syllables in a row.
• Four identical trochees
• These drumming stress patterns drive the process
  along and reinforce any regularities that exist
  around them. Any irregularity, by the same
  token, are highly disruptive.

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Phonetic Compatability

• Similarity of sounds
• Examples
• The sea ceaseth and it sufficeth us.
• The Leith police beseecheth us.
• Miss Smiths fish sauce shop seldom sells
  shellfish.

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Rhythm and Regularity

• Conflicting Syllable Patterns (phonemes)
• Regular Stress Patterns
• Phonetic Compatability