tongue twister

American  

[tuhng twis-ter] / ˈtʌŋ ˌtwɪs tər /

noun

1. a word or sequence of words difficult to pronounce, especially rapidly, because of alliteration or a slight variation of consonant sounds, as “She sells seashells by the seashore.”

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tongue twister British  

noun

1. a sentence or phrase that is difficult to articulate clearly and quickly, such as Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper

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Usage

What else does tongue twister mean? Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear—try saying that three times fast. This and other tongue twisters are words or phrases that are difficult to pronounce, often deliberately so and due to lots of similar sounds. How do you pronounce tongue twister?[tuhng twis-ter]

Etymology

Origin of tongue twister

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

It's like a tongue twister, almost, because you're working two sides of your body at once.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2023

“In summary, I’m the result of an intensive training process that utilizes automatic learning algorithms via nano-neurotransmission. Sounds like a tongue twister, doesn’t it?”

From Slate • Oct. 28, 2023

A riff on the “Sally Sells Seashells,” tongue twister, the spot features Zendaya as Sally and was narrated by Andre 3000.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 11, 2022

She used that tongue twister of a moniker most every time she referred to him, occasionally stumbling over her own words.

From Washington Post • Dec. 6, 2020

“The curly tips of unfurled fern fronds. It makes an excellent tongue twister, doesn’t it? Unfurled fern fronds! Unfurled fern fronds!”

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood