Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds

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“Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds” are essential for pronunciation practice because they challenge test-takers to articulate vowels accurately and rapidly. These tongue twisters help improve vowel clarity, intonation, and fluency by requiring precise pronunciation in challenging linguistic sequences. By mastering these exercises, TOEFL candidates can enhance their ability to enunciate vowels correctly in real-life conversations, presentations, and the speaking section of the exam. This practice promotes overall language proficiency and confidence, contributing to better TOEFL scores and effective communication in English.

Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds

Why is pronunciation of vowel sounds important for the TOEFL Exam?

Pronunciation of vowel sounds is crucial for the TOEFL exam for several reasons. Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds

  • First, it directly impacts the test-taker’s overall oral communication clarity, which assesses their ability to convey ideas effectively. Accurate vowel pronunciation enhances comprehension, reducing the risk of miscommunication.
  • Second, it demonstrates proficiency in English phonetics, reflecting a deeper understanding of the language’s nuances. Third, precise vowel articulation contributes to an authentic and natural-sounding speech, reinforcing a candidate’s language fluency.
  • Lastly, the TOEFL evaluates listening comprehension, so mastering vowel sounds aids in understanding various English accents and dialects, ensuring test-takers can adapt to different speakers and contexts effectively. Overall, vowel pronunciation is a fundamental component for success in the TOEFL exam.

Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds: /iː/ (as in “bee”)

  1. Tongue Position: Begin by positioning your tongue. For /iː/, the tongue should be high and close to the roof of your mouth. The front part of your tongue should be touching the upper front teeth or very close to them.
  2. Lip Shape: Your lips should be unrounded. Keep them relaxed and slightly spread apart.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be almost closed but not touching. Your mouth should be relatively small and tense.
  4. Airflow: Produce a steady flow of air through a narrow opening between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. This is essential for creating the high-pitched, front vowel sound.
  5. Length: The /iː/ sound is a long vowel, so hold the position for a longer duration compared to short vowels.
  6. Articulation: Practice saying “ee” as in “bee” with a high tongue position, unrounded lips, and a small, tense mouth opening. Ensure that the sound is clear and steady.
  7. Listen and Mimic: To perfect your pronunciation, listen to native speakers saying words containing the /iː/ sound, such as “bee,” “see,” or “tree.” Pay attention to the tongue position, lip shape, and overall articulation.
  8. Practice: Repeatedly practice the /iː/ sound in isolation and within words until you can consistently produce it accurately.

Remember that precise articulation and tongue placement are key to pronouncing /iː/ correctly. With practice and careful attention to these details, you can master the phonetic pronunciation of this vowel sound in American English. Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds

  1. Silly Sally swiftly sailed her sleek, silver ship to the sunny seaside.
  2. Three tiny turtles tried to tiptoe through tall, towering tulips.
  3. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers with a pointed stick.
  4. The bees in the breeze buzzed between the blooming cherry trees.
  5. A sheet of sweet, sticky taffy stretched and twisted beneath the heat.
  6. She sees shells by the seashore, sparkling in the soft moonlight.
  7. Five finicky felines in frilly frocks frolicked in the field of daisies.
  8. Lisa’s sleek, speedy skiis swiftly slid down the snowy slope.
  9. Giggling kids in the kitchen, quickly mixing thick, sticky icing.
  10. The keen, green geese greedily gleaned the wheat in the meadow.

Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds: /ɪ/ (as in “bit”)

To phonetically pronounce /ɪ/ as in “bit,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with the tongue in a high-mid position, but not as high as for /iː/. The tongue should be slightly lower than it would be for /iː/.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips relaxed and unrounded. They should not be pushed forward or pulled back.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be almost closed but relaxed, with a slight gap between your upper and lower teeth. Your mouth should be moderately open.
  4. Articulation: Quickly and briefly produce the sound by bringing your tongue to the high-mid position and making a short, sharp sound. It should be a relatively tense sound compared to /iː/.
  5. Length: The /ɪ/ sound is a short, lax vowel, so it’s not held for a long time. It’s a quick, crisp sound.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /ɪ/ sound, like “bit,” “sit,” or “ship.” Pay attention to the tongue position, lip shape, and overall articulation.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /ɪ/ sound and ensure you can consistently produce it accurately. Focus on maintaining a high-mid tongue position and a short, crisp articulation.

With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /ɪ/ sound in American English. Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds

  1. Fickle finches flicker and flit through the thickets.
  2. Six slippery fish swiftly swam past the shipwreck.
  3. Big Bill’s bicycle blitzed by the bustling bazaar.
  4. With a flick of his wrist, he lifted the little, kicking kitten.
  5. If thick bricks click, quick pickers pick the thickest bricks.
  6. The wicked witch wished for a switch to twitch her itchy, twitchy nose.
  7. His picky sister insists on tasting the crispy, crispy chips.
  8. A thick mist hid the frisky kitten in the dimly lit kitchen.
  9. Big Billy’s piggy bank is full of shiny, pink pennies.
  10. The quick chick flicked the wick and lit the thick candle.

Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds:/eɪ/ (as in “day”)

  1. Tongue Position: Start with your tongue in a mid-front position. The tongue should be relatively flat, and the front part should be raised, but not as high as for /iː/.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips unrounded and relaxed.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be open moderately, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /eɪ/ sound by gliding from the mid-front tongue position to a slightly more open position. It’s a diphthong, which means it starts with one tongue position and glides to another within the same syllable. In this case, it starts somewhat like /e/ and glides towards /ɪ/.
  5. Length: The /eɪ/ sound is longer than some other vowel sounds, so make sure to hold the glide for a bit.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /eɪ/ sound, such as “day,” “say,” or “way.” Pay attention to the tongue position and the gliding motion.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /eɪ/ sound, focusing on the glide from /e/ to /ɪ/. Make sure your tongue smoothly transitions from the mid-front to the somewhat more closed position.

With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /eɪ/ sound in American English. Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds

  1. Eight apes ate grapes on a sunny day in May.
  2. The playful grey jay made its way to the bay.
  3. A rainy day at the bay made the sailboats sway.
  4. She slayed the dragon with a single, daring display.
  5. Jay’s tray of lemonade swayed as he made his way.
  6. Grace’s face showed amazement as the parade went by.
  7. Jake takes cakes to the lake by the bay every Saturday.
  8. The brave escapee made a getaway on a sleigh.
  9. On a day with no delay, they played in the sun’s ray.
  10. May’s ray of sunshine brightened the gray, rainy day.

Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds:/ɛ/ (as in “bet”) 

To phonetically pronounce /ɛ/ as in “bet,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with your tongue in a mid-front position. The front part of your tongue should be raised, but not as high as for /iː/. It should be slightly more relaxed compared to /eɪ/.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips unrounded and relaxed.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be moderately open, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /ɛ/ sound by maintaining a relatively steady tongue position in the mid-front area without gliding or moving your tongue during pronunciation.
  5. Length: The /ɛ/ sound is a short, crisp vowel sound, so it’s not held for a long time. It’s a quick, single articulation.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /ɛ/ sound, such as “bet,” “red,” or “set.” Pay attention to the tongue position and the brief articulation.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /ɛ/ sound, focusing on maintaining a stable mid-front tongue position and producing a short, clear sound.

With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /ɛ/ sound in American English.

  1. Red Fred spread jam on his bread with zest.
  2. The chef deftly left the pepper on the shelf.
  3. Eleven clever elephants never forget to jest.
  4. Stella sells seashells by the messy riverbed.
  5. The best dressed guests at the fest were very impressed.
  6. Ed’s red sled sped past the bend in the river.
  7. A leopard leaped and crept through the dense forest.
  8. Jess’s pet ferret met a friendly parrot at the pet fair.
  9. The wren’s nest in the tree was the best of the rest.
  10. Jeff’s sketch of the sunset made the art contest a success.

Tough TOEFL Tongue Twisters for Vowel Sounds: /aɪ/ (as in “time”)

To phonetically pronounce /aɪ/ as in “time,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with your tongue in a mid-low front position. The front part of your tongue should be lower and further forward in the mouth compared to /eɪ/.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips unrounded and relaxed.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be moderately open, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /aɪ/ sound by gliding from the mid-low front tongue position to a higher front position. It’s a diphthong, which means it starts with one tongue position and glides to another within the same syllable. In this case, it starts somewhat like /a/ and glides towards /ɪ/.
  5. Length: The /aɪ/ sound is longer than some other vowel sounds, so make sure to hold the glide for a bit.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /aɪ/ sound, such as “time,” “high,” or “fly.” Pay attention to the tongue position and the gliding motion.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /aɪ/ sound, focusing on the glide from /a/ to /ɪ/. Ensure your tongue smoothly transitions from the mid-low front position to the higher, more closed position.

With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /aɪ/ diphthong in American English.

  1. Sly Ryan tried to fly his kite high in the sky.
  2. Bright white mice hide inside the tiny pipe.
  3. The wise guide’s advice helped the climbers stay alive.
  4. Mike’s hike by the lakeside was quite a delightful ride.
  5. Shy Irene’s eyes spied five pies by the window.
  6. The pirate’s life is rife with strife and a knife.
  7. The choir’s joyful choirboys enjoyed their toy.
  8. My, oh my! The sky-high price is quite a surprise!
  9. The prize for the wise guy is to ride the tide.
  10. Fireflies in the night sky make a magical sight.
/æ/ (as in “cat”)

To phonetically pronounce /æ/ as in “cat,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Start with your tongue in a low front position. The front part of your tongue should be lowered, and it should be positioned toward the front of your mouth.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips unrounded and relaxed.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be open moderately, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /æ/ sound by maintaining a steady tongue position in the low front area without gliding or moving your tongue during pronunciation. It’s a single, steady sound.
  5. Length: The /æ/ sound is a short, crisp vowel sound, so it’s not held for a long time. It’s a quick, single articulation.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /æ/ sound, such as “cat,” “hat,” or “bat.” Pay attention to the tongue position and the brief articulation.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /æ/ sound, focusing on maintaining a stable low front tongue position and producing a short, clear sound.

With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /æ/ sound in American English.

  1. Cats in hats sat on the mat, looking fat and flat.
  2. Dan ran to catch the black cat as it spat.
  3. Sam’s bag of candy had a map and a cap.
  4. Pat and Jack had a chat about the fast rat.
  5. A crab in a cab grabbed a crab leg and stabbed.
  6. Bad Brad had a bad day, feeling sad and mad.
  7. Max and his dad had a blast in the sand.
  8. The black ants attacked the apple in a flash.
  9. The handstand champ danced on the trampoline.
  10. A jackrabbit in a black jacket jumped and ran.

/oʊ/ (as in “go”)

To phonetically pronounce /oʊ/ as in “go,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with your tongue in a mid-back position. The back part of your tongue should be slightly raised, and it should be positioned toward the back of your mouth.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips rounded. Pucker your lips as if you were going to whistle or say “oo” as in “food.”
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be moderately open, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /oʊ/ sound by maintaining a steady tongue position in the mid-back area and simultaneously rounding your lips. It’s a single, steady sound.
  5. Length: The /oʊ/ sound is a relatively long vowel sound, so hold it for a bit longer than shorter vowel sounds.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /oʊ/ sound, such as “go,” “no,” or “boat.” Pay attention to the tongue position and lip rounding.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /oʊ/ sound, focusing on maintaining a stable mid-back tongue position and rounded lips while producing a somewhat longer sound.

With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /oʊ/ sound in American English.

  1. Joe’s boat goes slow in the flow of the shallow brook.
  2. Flowing slowly, the old oak grove grows by the road.
  3. Zoe chose to show her rose to those who know.
  4. Crowded rows of yellow tulips grow below the window.
  5. Soak the coat in soap, and then go row by row.
  6. Moe and Jo rowed the boat to the stone below.
  7. Over the old stony road, the goats go home.
  8. Snowflakes blow and flow in the glow of the sunset.
  9. The crows know where to go to follow the flow.
  10. Below the rainbow, the tomato plant’s growth is slow.

/ɑ/ (as in “cot”)

To phonetically pronounce /ɑ/ as in “cot,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with your tongue in a low back position. The back part of your tongue should be lowered, and it should be positioned toward the back of your mouth.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips unrounded and relaxed. Do not round your lips for this sound.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be open moderately, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /ɑ/ sound by maintaining a steady tongue position in the low back area without gliding or moving your tongue during pronunciation. It’s a single, steady sound.
  5. Length: The /ɑ/ sound is a short, crisp vowel sound, so it’s not held for a long time. It’s a quick, single articulation.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /ɑ/ sound, such as “cot,” “hot,” or “rock.” Pay attention to the tongue position and the brief articulation.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /ɑ/ sound, focusing on maintaining a stable low back tongue position and producing a short, clear sound.

With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /ɑ/ sound in American English.

  1. At the black cat’s command, Sam sang a jazz band.
  2. The calm llama chatted with the farmer’s grandma.
  3. Max napped in the hammock, strumming his guitar.
  4. Dad had a bad back and a stack of old hats.
  5. In the vast grassland, the black ant ran fast.
  6. Pat had a bath with a fat, lazy cat.
  7. The class laughed at the blast from the brass band.
  8. The happy actor clapped his hands in the barn.
  9. A giant panda sat and ate bamboo in the sand.
  10. In the park, Clark and Mark had a hard start.

These tongue twisters will help you practice the /ɑ/ sound and improve your pronunciation skills. Enjoy the challenge!

/ʌ/ (as in “cup”)

To phonetically pronounce /ʌ/ as in “cup,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with your tongue in a mid-central position. The tongue should be relatively neutral, neither raised nor lowered, and it should be positioned in the middle of your mouth.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips unrounded and relaxed.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be open moderately, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /ʌ/ sound by maintaining a steady tongue position in the mid-central area without gliding or moving your tongue during pronunciation. It’s a single, steady sound.
  5. Length: The /ʌ/ sound is a short, crisp vowel sound, so it’s not held for a long time. It’s a quick, single articulation.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /ʌ/ sound, such as “cup,” “luck,” or “shut.” Pay attention to the tongue position and the brief articulation.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /ʌ/ sound, focusing on maintaining a stable mid-central tongue position and producing a short, clear sound.

With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /ʌ/ sound in American English.

  1. A funny, plump duck jumps up and down.
  2. Bumpy roads make the cups jump up from the tray.
  3. Chuck plucks a bunch of plump, fuzzy peaches.
  4. The hungry pup dug up a bunch of lunch crumbs.
  5. Buck the truck got stuck in the muddy rut.
  6. The sun’s up, but the grumpy chump won’t get up.
  7. A clumsy fox runs through the thick, thorny brush.
  8. Trust Gus to adjust the crust on his crusty sandwich.
  9. A hunchback hunches under the crunch of a heavy lunch.
  10. The ducks lucked out, plucking plump bugs from the muck.

/uː/ (as in “blue”)

To phonetically pronounce /uː/ as in “blue,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with your tongue in a high back position. The back part of your tongue should be raised close to the roof of your mouth.
  2. Lip Shape: Round your lips. Create a tight circle with your lips, similar to the shape you would use when saying “oo” as in “food.”
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be slightly open, with your mouth in a small, rounded shape.
  4. Articulation: Create the /uː/ sound by maintaining a steady tongue position in the high back area and keeping your lips rounded. It’s a single, steady sound.
  5. Length: The /uː/ sound is a relatively long vowel sound, so hold it for a bit longer than shorter vowel sounds.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /uː/ sound, such as “blue,” “shoe,” or “new.” Pay attention to the tongue position, lip rounding, and the relatively longer duration of the sound.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /uː/ sound, focusing on maintaining a stable high back tongue position, rounded lips, and producing a somewhat longer sound.

With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /uː/ sound in American English.

  1. A funny, plump duck jumps up and down.
  2. Bumpy roads make the cups jump up from the tray.
  3. Chuck plucks a bunch of plump, fuzzy peaches.
  4. The hungry pup dug up a bunch of lunch crumbs.
  5. Buck the truck got stuck in the muddy rut.
  6. The sun’s up, but the grumpy chump won’t get up.
  7. A clumsy fox runs through the thick, thorny brush.
  8. Trust Gus to adjust the crust on his crusty sandwich.
  9. A hunchback hunches under the crunch of a heavy lunch.
  10. The ducks lucked out, plucking plump bugs from the muck.

/ʊ/ (as in “book”)

To phonetically pronounce /ʊ/ as in “book,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with your tongue in a high-mid back position. The back part of your tongue should be raised, but not as high as for /uː/. It should be positioned somewhat lower and closer to the mid area.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips relaxed and unrounded. Do not round your lips for this sound.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be moderately open, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /ʊ/ sound by maintaining a steady tongue position in the high-mid back area without gliding or moving your tongue during pronunciation. It’s a single, steady sound.
  5. Length: The /ʊ/ sound is a short, crisp vowel sound, so it’s not held for a long time. It’s a quick, single articulation.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /ʊ/ sound, such as “book,” “put,” or “look.” Pay attention to the tongue position and the brief articulation.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /ʊ/ sound, focusing on maintaining a stable high-mid back tongue position and producing a short, clear sound.

With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /ʊ/ sound in American English.

  1. The cook took a look at the book by the brook.
  2. Good wood should look good and cook like it should.
  3. The woolly woolly bully stood fully in the pulley.
  4. Put sugar in the pudding for a good, sugary mood.
  5. Hooded hooligans could push and pull the hood.
  6. The butcher couldn’t put sugar in the pudding.
  7. The rookie took a cookie and put it in the nook.
  8. The shook-up cook shook the book by the brook.
  9. Look at the foot and put a cushion in the bush.
  10. A cookie crook took the nook’s cookie and shook.

/ɝ/ (as in “bird”)

To phonetically pronounce /ɝ/ as in “bird,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with your tongue in a rhotic position. The back part of your tongue should be raised towards the roof of your mouth, similar to the /ɜː/ sound, but with more tension. This is a distinctive rhotic sound in American English.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips unrounded and relaxed.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be slightly open, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /ɝ/ sound by maintaining a steady rhotic tongue position, where the back of your tongue is raised, but also adding tension to the tongue. It’s a single, steady sound, and the tongue may be slightly tense compared to /ɜː/.
  5. Length: The /ɝ/ sound is a relatively long vowel sound, so hold it for a bit longer than shorter vowel sounds.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /ɝ/ sound, such as “bird,” “hurt,” or “work.” Pay attention to the tongue position, tension, and the longer duration of the sound.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /ɝ/ sound, focusing on maintaining a stable rhotic tongue position with added tension and producing a somewhat longer sound.

Mastering the /ɝ/ sound may take practice as it’s a distinctive and somewhat complex sound, especially for non-native English speakers. With consistent practice and attention to the details mentioned, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /ɝ/ sound in American English.

  1. The first bird in the forest heard the word.
  2. Thirty dirty birds turned and stirred in the third.
  3. Her purse burst with the worst curse word.
  4. The girl with the curls swirled pearls in the whirlpool.
    1. The squirrel twirled and swirled on the burl.
  5. Myrtle’s fertile turtle crawled through the hurdle.
  6. The firm nurse sternly turned the worm in the churn.
  7. The world’s mirth swirled around the girth of the Earth.
  8. The furry bird stirred and purred as it perched on the fern.
  9. Bert flirted with the expert in the concert with the convert.

/ɚ/ (as in “butter”)

To phonetically pronounce /ɚ/ as in “butter,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with your tongue in a mid-central, neutral position. The tongue should be neither raised nor lowered and should be positioned in the middle of your mouth.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips relaxed and unrounded.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be moderately open, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /ɚ/ sound by maintaining a steady tongue position in the mid-central area and a relaxed mouth. This is a rhotic sound, which means it’s pronounced with an “r” quality.
  5. Length: The /ɚ/ sound is typically relatively short in duration. It’s not held for a long time.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /ɚ/ sound, such as “butter,” “water,” or “better.” Pay attention to the tongue position, the “r” quality, and the relatively short duration of the sound.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /ɚ/ sound, focusing on maintaining a stable mid-central tongue position and producing the “r” quality without tension, in a relatively short, clear sound.

The /ɚ/ sound is a unique and important sound in American English, especially in words like “butter” and “water.” With practice and attention to the details mentioned, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /ɚ/ sound.

  1. The utter butter on the counter was neither bitter nor better.
  2. The clever professor offered her lecture on the texture of butter.
  3. Her brother, the farmer, gathered the butter and the clutter.
  4. The squirrel didn’t utter a murmur as it scampered over the butter.
  5. By the cluttered gutter, we watched the fluttering butterfly.
  6. The mother and her daughter shared a platter of peanut butter.
  7. The thunder made the shutter flutter, but the butter stayed putter.
  8. The sturdy worker stirred the pot of butter with a butter cutter.
  9. The cluttered cupboard had jars of butter, jam, and peanut butter.
  10. The mutter of the shutter caught the attention of the fluttering bird.

These tongue twisters will help you practice the /ɚ/ sound and improve your pronunciation skills. Enjoy the challenge!

/ɔɪ/ (as in “boy”)

To phonetically pronounce /ɔɪ/ as in “boy,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with your tongue in a mid-back position, similar to /ɔ/ but slightly more closed.
  2. Lip Shape: Round your lips slightly, but not as much as for /uː/.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be moderately open, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /ɔɪ/ sound by gliding from the mid-back tongue position to a somewhat more closed, mid-front position. It’s a diphthong, which means it starts with one tongue position and glides to another within the same syllable.
  5. Length: The /ɔɪ/ sound is a relatively longer diphthong, so ensure you hold the glide for a bit longer than you would for single vowel sounds.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /ɔɪ/ sound, such as “boy,” “coin,” or “join.” Pay attention to the tongue position and the gliding motion from /ɔ/ to /ɪ/.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /ɔɪ/ sound, focusing on the glide from /ɔ/ to /ɪ/. Ensure your tongue smoothly transitions from the mid-back to the somewhat more closed, mid-front position.

The /ɔɪ/ sound is a diphthong with a unique gliding quality. With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /ɔɪ/ sound in American English.

  1. Enjoy the buoyant joy of playing with a toy.
  2. Roy’s loyal coyote enjoys going on a joyous voyage.
  3. The noisy boys with toys made quite a joyful noise.
  4. Floyd and his friend, Roy, found a toy that brings joy.
  5. The cowboy named Boyd deployed a joyous decoy.
  6. Avoid the annoying noise from the toys of those boys.
  7. The royal palace’s loyal guards voiced their choice.
  8. Lloyd’s joyful voice echoed across the wide foyer.
  9. Troy and his coyote, Floyd, enjoyed a day of play.
  10. The alloy of copper and tin brought them joy.

/ɔ/ (as in “dog”)

To phonetically pronounce /ɔ/ as in “dog,” follow these steps:

  1. Tongue Position: Begin with your tongue in a mid-back position. The back part of your tongue should be raised slightly, but not as high as for /uː/.
  2. Lip Shape: Keep your lips unrounded and relaxed.
  3. Jaw and Mouth: Your jaw should be open moderately, with your mouth in a relaxed, mid-sized position.
  4. Articulation: Create the /ɔ/ sound by maintaining a steady tongue position in the mid-back area without gliding or moving your tongue during pronunciation. It’s a single, steady sound.
  5. Length: The /ɔ/ sound is a relatively long vowel sound, so hold it for a bit longer than shorter vowel sounds.
  6. Listen and Mimic: Listen to native speakers saying words containing the /ɔ/ sound, such as “dog,” “hot,” or “box.” Pay attention to the tongue position and the longer duration of the sound.
  7. Practice: Practice saying words with the /ɔ/ sound, focusing on maintaining a stable mid-back tongue position and producing a somewhat longer sound.

With practice and attention to these details, you can improve your phonetic pronunciation of the /ɔ/ sound in American English.

  1. The dog saw a frog hopping on the log.
  2. Bob brought a box of rocks to the top of the hill.
  3. The fog on the bog made the joggers log their run.
  4. Don locked the door and forgot to unlock it.
  5. The fox trotted across the rocky, mossy forest.
  6. Tom’s job is to mop the shop’s dirty floor.
  7. The songbird sang a long, strong song all day long.
  8. The hot pot of broth was not for the dog to drink.
  9. Rob saw a bobcat and hopped on a log to dodge it.
  10. On the foggy morning, the dog and the frog jogged.

Michael Buckhoff, mbuckhoff@aol.com

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