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Tongue Twisters                                                                                                               

If a woodchuck could chuck wood,

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck

If a woodchuck could chuck wood?

 

ɪf ə ˈwʊdtʃʌk kəd tʃʌk wʊd/

haʊ mʌtʃ wʊd wəd ə ˈwʊdtʃʌk tʃʌk/

ɪf ə ˈwʊdtʃʌk kəd tʃʌk wʊd/

 

A selfish shellfish smelt a stale fish.

If the stale fish was a smelt

Then the selfish shellfish smelt a smelt.

 

ə ˈselfɪʃ ˈʃelfɪʃ smelt ə steɪl fɪʃ/

ɪf ðə steɪl fɪʃ wəz ə smelt

ðen ðə ˈselfɪʃ ˈʃelfiʃ smelt ə smelt 

 

A jester from Leicester

went to see Esther,

but as Esther was taking her siesta

the jester from Leicester didn’t see Esther.

 

/ə ˈdʒestə frəm ˈlestə

went tə si: ˈestə/

bʌt əz ˈestə wəz ˈteɪkɪŋ hə ˈsɪəstə

ðə ˈʤestə frəm ˈlestə dɪdnt si: ˈestə//

 

TRANSCRIPTIONS                                                                                                            

  1. Last month I went to Canada with my friend Lucy, who is a champion snowboarder.

I was feeling nervous when we reached the top because it has started to snow heavily and I couldn't see much.

 

//lɑːst mʌnθ ˈaɪ went tə ˈkænədə wɪð maɪ frend ˈluːsi / huː z ə ˈtʃæmpɪən ˈsnoˌbɔːdə/

ˈaɪ wəz ˈfiːlɪŋ ˈnɜːvəs wen wi riːtʃt ðə tɒp bɪˈkɒz ɪt həz ˈstɑːtɪd tə snəʊ ˈhevɪli ənd ˈaɪ ˈkʊdnt siː ˈmʌtʃ //

   

     2. By an unlucky chance a Fox fell into a deep well from which he could not get out. A Goat passed by shortly afterwards, and asked the Fox

what he was doing down there.

"Oh, have you not heard?" said the Fox; "there is going to be a great drought, so I jumped down here in order to be sure to have water by me.

Why don't you come down too?"

The Goat thought well of this advice, and jumped down into the well. But the Fox immediately jumped on her back, and by putting his foot on her

long horns managed to jump up to the edge of the well.

"Good-bye, friend," said the Fox, "remember next time, never trust the advice of a man in difficulties."

 

/baɪ ən ʌnˈlʌki tʃɑːns ə fɒks fel ˈɪntə ə diːp wel frəm wɪtʃ hi kəd nɒt ɡet aʊt/ ə ɡəʊt pɑːst baɪ ˈʃɔːtli ˈɑːftəwədz / ənd

ɑːskt ðə fɒks wɒt hi wəz ˈduːɪŋ daʊn ðeə /

/əʊ / həv ju nɒt hɜːd / ˈsed ðə fɒks / ðə z ˈɡəʊɪŋ tə bi ə ˈɡreɪt ˈdraʊt / səʊ ˈaɪ

dʒʌmpt daʊn hɪər ɪn ˈɔːdə tə bi ʃʊə tə həv ˈwɔːtə baɪ mi: /

waɪ dəʊnt ju kʌm daʊn tuː/

ðə ɡəʊt ˈθɔːt wel əv ðɪs ədˈvaɪs / ənd dʒʌmpt daʊn ˈɪntə ðə wel / bət ðə fɒks ɪˈmiːdɪətli dʒʌmpt ɒn hə bæk / ənd baɪ ˈpʊtɪŋ

ɪz fʊt ɒn hə lɒŋ hɔːnz ˈmænɪdʒd tə dʒʌmp ʌp tə ði edʒ əv ðə wel // 

 /ɡʊdˈbaɪ / frend / ˈsed ðə fɒks / rɪˈmembə nekst ˈtaɪm /ˈnevə trʌst ði ədˈvaɪs əv ə mæn ɪn ˈdɪfɪkəltɪz //