Shadowing Practice: Tongue Twisters for Clear English Speech | B1-B2 Shadowing Practice Podcast - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
B2
Hello, welcome to Coffee English.
230 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hello, welcome to Coffee English.
2
Today we will work on your English pronunciation.
3
We will use tongue twisters.
4
These are special sentences that help you speak better English.
5
Why do tongue twisters work so well?
6
They make your mouth work hard.
7
When you practice them, your mouth learns to make English sounds correctly.
8
It's like going to the gym, but for your mouth.
9
Many English learners have problems with certain sounds.
10
Today we will fix these problems.
11
We will practice the most difficult English sounds.
12
After this lesson, speaking English will feel much easier for you.
13
Professional speakers and actors use tongue twisters every day.
14
They know that these exercises make their speech clear and beautiful.
15
Now you will learn their secrets, too.
16
Are you ready?
17
Let's start with some easy warm-up exercises.
18
Before we start the hard work,
19
we need to wake up your mouth.
20
Just like you warm up before sports,
21
we need to warm up before pronunciation practice.
22
First, open your mouth wide.
23
Make it like you are very tired and yawning.
24
Close your mouth slowly.
25
Do this three times.
26
This wakes up your jaw muscles.
27
Now move your tongue around inside your mouth.
28
Touch your cheeks.
29
Touch the top of your mouth.
30
Touch behind your teeth.
31
Your tongue is the most important part for English sounds.
32
We need to make it ready.
33
Let's try our first easy tongue twister.
34
This will help you get ready for the harder ones.
35
Repeat after me.
36
Red leather, yellow leather.
37
Say it again but slower this time.
38
Red leather, yellow leather.
39
Good, your mouth is now ready.
40
Let's work on our first difficult English sound.
41
The English R sound is very different from other languages.
42
Many students find this sound very difficult.
43
But don't worry, we will learn it step by step.
44
Here's the secret about English R.
45
Your tongue never touches anything in your mouth.
46
In many languages, the tongue touches your teeth or the top of your mouth.
47
But not in English.
48
For English R, curl your tongue back a little bit.
49
Don't let it touch anything.
50
Just make a curved shape with your tongue.
51
The sound comes from this curved shape.
52
Let's practice with an easy sentence first.
53
Repeat after me.
54
Red roses are really beautiful.
55
Feel where your tongue is.
56
It should be curved back, not touching anything.
57
Try it again.
58
Red roses are really beautiful.
59
Now let's try a classic tongue twister.
60
English children practice this one in school round and round the big rocks the man ran
61
this has many are sounds close together this makes your tongue practice the right position many times once more round
62
and round the big rocks the man ran.
63
Here's a harder one.
64
Take your time with this.
65
Robert's robot really repairs radios.
66
Don't worry if this feels difficult.
67
That means your mouth is learning something new.
68
Try again.
69
Robert's robot really repairs radios.
70
English has two TH sounds.
71
This is very strange for many languages.
72
These sounds don't exist in most other languages.
73
That's why they feel so difficult.
74
The first TH is in words like this and that.
75
When you say these words,
76
your throat makes a small vibration.
77
Put your hand on your throat and say this, do you feel it?
78
The second th is in words like think and thank.
79
For these words, there is no vibration in your throat.
80
Just air comes out.
81
Here's how to make both sounds.
82
Put your tongue tip between your teeth.
83
Don't bite it, just rest it there gently, then make the sound.
84
Let's practice the first type with vibration.
85
Repeat after me, this and that and these and those.
86
Feel that vibration in your throat?
87
That's correct.
88
Try it again, this and that and these and those.
89
Now the second type, no vibration,
90
just air, I think 30 people thought about it.
91
No vibration this time, just gentle air through your teeth.
92
Once more, I think 30 people thought about it.
93
Here's a hard one that mixes both types.
94
The 30 thieves thought they saw something.
95
This makes you switch between the two different TH sounds.
96
It's like exercise for your mouth.
97
Try again.
98
The 30 thieves thought they saw something.
99
Many English learners mix up W and V sounds.
100
This can change the meaning of words completely.
101
For example, wine and vine are very different words.
102
The W sound uses both lips.
103
Make your lips round, like you want to whistle.
104
Both lips work together to make a circle shape.
105
The V sound is different.
106
Your bottom lip touches your top teeth.
107
It's like you want to bite your lip very gently.
108
Let's practice W sounds first.
109
Remember round lips.
110
after me.
111
We walked west while the wind was strong.
112
Keep your lips round for every W sound.
113
Try it again.
114
We walked west while the wind was strong.
115
Now let's practice V sounds.
116
Remember bottom lip touches top teeth.
117
Victor visited his village very often.
118
Feel that gentle contact between lip and teeth on every V.
119
Perfect.
120
Once more.
121
Victor visited his village very often.
122
Here's the hard part, switching between both sounds quickly.
123
We visited various places while wolves were walking.
124
Your mouth has to change position quickly between W and V.
125
This takes practice.
126
Try again.
127
We visited various places while wolves were walking.
128
The English L sound has two types,
129
but don't worry native speakers do this without thinking.
130
You can learn it too.
131
The first type is at the beginning of words, like love and like.
132
Put your tongue tip on the area just behind your top teeth.
133
Keep it there and make the sound.
134
The second type is at the end of words, like call and all.
135
Your tongue tip goes to the same place,
136
but the back of your tongue goes down.
137
This makes a deeper sound.
138
Let's practice the first type first.
139
Lucy likes to look at little lamp lights.
140
Feel how your tongue tip stays in the same place for each L?
141
Try it again.
142
Lucy likes to look at little lamp lights.
143
Now the second type, at the end of words,
144
Paul will call all tall people.
145
These L sounds are deeper and different from the first type.
146
Once more, Paul will call all tall people.
147
Here's one that mixes both types.
148
Little children like to play ball games.
149
This has both types of L in one sentence.
150
Your mouth switches between them automatically.
151
Try again.
152
Little children like to play ball games.
153
These two sounds are very different,
154
but many learners mix them up.
155
The difference is in where you put your tongue.
156
For the S sound, put your tongue tip close to the area behind your top teeth.
157
Make a thin stream of air come out.
158
It should sound sharp and clear.
159
For the SH sound, pull your tongue back a little bit.
160
Make a wider stream of air.
161
It should sound softer.
162
Let's practice S sounds first.
163
Six small snakes sat in the sun.
164
Keep that tongue tip in the right position for each S.
165
Try again.
166
Six small snakes sat in the sun.
167
Now for SH sounds, remember to pull your tongue back.
168
She shops for shoes and shirts.
169
Feel how your tongue is in a different position.
170
This makes the softer SH sound.
171
Once more, she shops for shoes and shirts.
172
Here's the challenge mixing both sounds.
173
Susan's fish shop sells fresh fish dishes.
174
Your tongue moves between the two positions quickly.
175
This is good practice.
176
Try again.
177
Susan's fish shop sells fresh fish dishes.
178
Warning, very hard section.
179
What comes next is very, very difficult.
180
Even advanced English speakers find these tongue twisters hard to say.
181
Some of my students practice these for weeks.
182
You don't have to do this section if you don't want to.
183
It's only for people who want the biggest challenge possible.
184
These tongue twisters will make your mouth work harder than ever before.
185
But if you feel ready for the ultimate test, here they are.
186
Don't worry if they seem impossible.
187
They are supposed to be almost impossible.
188
Ready, here are the most difficult tongue twisters in English.
189
The fast repeat challenge.
190
Red blood, blue blood, say this as fast as you can, five times.
191
This looks easy, but when you say it fast,
192
your mouth gets very confused between the B and R sounds.
193
The impossible combination.
194
The sixth sick sheep's sixth sheep is sick.
195
This is famous for being one of the hardest tongue twisters in the world.
196
It has sounds that almost never go together in English.
197
The long challenge.
198
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
199
This is long and has the same sounds repeated many times.
200
Your mouth gets tired just thinking about it.
201
The Science Challenge, Pad Kid Poured Curd Pulled Cod,
202
say this 10 times fast.
203
Scientists have studied this phrase.
204
They say it's one of the hardest sound combinations for people to say quickly.
205
If you can do this, you are amazing.
206
You did it.
207
You just finished the complete coffee English tongue twister training.
208
This was not easy, but you worked hard and did great.
209
Your mouth is now much stronger than when we started.
210
The muscles in your mouth have practiced making difficult English sounds.
211
Your brain has learned new patterns for English pronunciation.
212
In the next few days,
213
you will notice something wonderful.
214
English words that were hard to say before will feel much easier now.
215
speakers will notice that your pronunciation sounds clearer and more natural.
216
The secret to getting even better is practice.
217
Come back to this lesson once every week.
218
Each time you practice, these tongue twisters will feel easier.
219
And your English pronunciation will keep getting better and better.
220
Learning English pronunciation takes time and practice.
221
But with exercises like these,
222
you can make amazing progress.
223
Keep working hard, keep practicing,
224
and keep believing in yourself.
225
Thank you for practicing with Coffee English today.
226
Remember to speak English every day,
227
practice these exercises regularly, and be proud of all the progress you are making.
228
Good luck with your English journey.
229
See you next time.
230
Thank you.
Download App
AI scoring for every sentence you speak
TRENDING
Popular
About This Lesson
Welcome to this engaging lesson designed to enhance your English pronunciation through the art of tongue twisters. In this session, you will practice key English sounds that often challenge learners, particularly the elusive English "R" sound. By adopting a unique shadowspeak method, you'll not only benefit from effective pronunciation drills but also discover the rhythm and melody of spoken English. Tongue twisters will act as exercises for your mouth, just like going to the gym, enabling you to pronounce difficult sounds clearly and accurately. After this lesson, you will feel much more confident when speaking English, allowing your speech to flow beautifully.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Tongue Twisters: Special sentences designed to improve pronunciation.
- Pronunciation: The way in which a word is pronounced.
- Sounds: The different phonetic components of speech.
- Mouth Warm-Up: Preparation exercises for your mouth before practicing speech.
- Jaw Muscles: The muscles used for moving your jaw, important for clear speech.
- R Sound: A specific pronunciation that can be challenging for many learners.
- Curl Your Tongue: A technique needed for creating certain English sounds.
- Shadow Speech: Imitating spoken language to improve fluency.
Practice Tips
To get the most out of this pronunciation practice, it is essential to focus on your technique and shadowing skills. Here are some specific tips:
- Start Slowly: When practicing the tongue twisters, begin at a slower pace. This allows your mouth to adapt and form the sounds accurately. Once comfortable, gradually increase your speed.
- Use Mirror Technique: Practice in front of a mirror to observe your mouth movements and ensure you are shaping your lips and tongue correctly for each sound.
- Repeat Often: The key to mastering challenging English sounds is repetition. Repeat each tongue twister multiple times, using the shadowspeaks method to mirror the speaker.
- Focus on Clarity: Prioritize clarity over speed. Ensure you are pronouncing each sound correctly, especially focus on the "R" sound, keeping your tongue curled back without touching anything.
- Record Yourself: Record your voice while you practice to evaluate your progress. Listening to your pronunciation will help you identify areas for improvement and track your success.
Practicing these tips will significantly improve English pronunciation and help you master the nuances of English speech. Enjoy the journey, and remember to have fun while learning!
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
☕ Buy us a coffee
ShadowingEnglish remains 100% free thanks to your support. Server and AI costs are high — your coffee keeps us going! 🙏