44 tongue twisters

German Tongue Twisters with English Translation

Ten German tongue twisters come up at a press, each with an English translation and its sound under it.

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Der Flugplatzspatz nahm auf dem Flugplatz Platz. Auf dem Flugplatz nahm der Flugplatzspatz Platz.In English: The airfield sparrow took a seat on the airfield. On the airfield the airfield sparrow took a seat. Drills pl and tz.
Martha möchte morgens manchmal Marmorkuchen machen.In English: In the mornings Martha sometimes wants to make marble cake. Drills M.
Zwischen zwei Zwetschgenzweigen sitzen zwei zwitschernde Schwalben.In English: Between two plum-tree branches sit two twittering swallows. Drills zw.
Wenn Grillen Grillen grillen, grillen Grillen Grillen.In English: When crickets grill crickets, crickets grill crickets. (Grillen is both crickets and to grill.) Drills gr; one word said six times.
Der Gockel glotzt die Glucke an, die Glucke glotzt den Gockel an.In English: The rooster gawps at the broody hen; the broody hen gawps at the rooster. Drills G and gl against ck.
Klaus Knopf liebt Knödel, Klöße, Klöpse.In English: Klaus Knopf loves Knödel and Klöße, two kinds of dumpling, and meatballs. Drills kl and kn.
In Ulm, um Ulm und um Ulm herum.In English: In Ulm, around Ulm and all around Ulm. Drills U before l and m.
Es sprang ein Hirsch über den Bach und brach ein breites Bachpappelblatt ab.In English: A stag leapt over the brook and broke off a broad leaf of a brookside poplar. Drills br and bl, and the hard ch of ach in Bach and brach.
Teigwaren heißen Teigwaren, weil Teigwaren Teig waren.In English: Pasta is called Teigwaren, dough goods, because Teigwaren were dough: Teig waren. Drills W, said like an English V.
Die Katze tritt die Treppe krumm, krumm tritt die Katze die Treppe.In English: The cat treads the stairs crooked; crooked treads the cat the stairs. Drills tz and tr.

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All 44 tongue twisters

Sch, Sp and St 6

Ein Student in Stulpenstiefeln stand auf einem spitzen Stein und starrte stundenlang die stillen, stummen Sterne an. In English: A student in top boots stood on a pointed stone and stared for hours at the still, silent stars. Drills st and sp, said scht and schp at the start of a word.
Es lagen zwei zischende Schlangen zwischen zwei spitzen Steinen und zischten dazwischen. In English: Two hissing snakes lay between two pointed stones and hissed in between. Drills Z, zw and sch.
Schnecken erschrecken, wenn Schnecken an Schnecken schlecken, weil, zum Schrecken vieler Schnecken, Schnecken nicht schmecken. In English: Snails get a fright when snails lick snails because, to the horror of many snails, snails don't taste good. Drills schn, schr, schl and schm.
Schneiders Schere schneidet scharf. In English: The tailor's scissors cut sharply. Drills sch.
Schnellsprechsprüche spreche ich schwer schnell. In English: Fast-talking sayings are hard for me to say fast. Drills sch and spr.
Sieben Schneeschipper schippen sieben Schippen Schnee. In English: Seven snow shovellers shovel seven shovelfuls of snow. Drills sch and schn.

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Z, Zw and Tz 8

Am zehnten Zehnten zehn Uhr zehn zogen zehn zahme Ziegen zehn Zentner Zucker zum Zoo. In English: On the tenth of the tenth at ten past ten, ten tame goats pulled ten hundredweight of sugar to the zoo. Drills Z, said ts.
Der Flugplatzspatz nahm auf dem Flugplatz Platz. Auf dem Flugplatz nahm der Flugplatzspatz Platz. In English: The airfield sparrow took a seat on the airfield. On the airfield the airfield sparrow took a seat. Drills pl and tz.
Die Katze tritt die Treppe krumm, krumm tritt die Katze die Treppe. In English: The cat treads the stairs crooked; crooked treads the cat the stairs. Drills tz and tr.
Jeder Metzger wetzt sein Metzgermesser besser. In English: Every butcher whets his butcher's knife better. Drills tz against ss.
Schwarze Katzen kratzen mit schwarzen Tatzen. In English: Black cats scratch with black paws. Drills tz, the same ts sound as Z.
Zwanzig zerquetschte Zwetschgen und zwanzig zerquetschte Zwetschgen sind vierzig zerquetschte Zwetschgen. In English: Twenty squashed plums and twenty squashed plums are forty squashed plums. Drills zw and tsch.
Zwanzig Zwerge zeigen Handstand, zehn im Wandschrank, zehn am Sandstrand. In English: Twenty dwarfs show off handstands, ten in the wall cupboard, ten on the sandy beach. Drills Z and zw, then Handstand, Wandschrank, Sandstrand.
Zwischen zwei Zwetschgenzweigen sitzen zwei zwitschernde Schwalben. In English: Between two plum-tree branches sit two twittering swallows. Drills zw.

F, Fl and Fr 5

Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische, frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritz. In English: Fritz, the fisherman's son, catches fresh fish; fresh fish is what Fritz, the fisherman's son, catches. Drills F and fr against sch.
Flotte flinke Fellflicker flicken flink feine Felle. In English: Brisk, nimble fur menders nimbly mend fine furs. Drills fl.
Fünf Ferkel fressen frisches Futter. In English: Five piglets eat fresh feed. Drills F and fr.
Im dichten Fichtendickicht picken die flinken Finken tüchtig. In English: In the dense spruce thicket the nimble finches peck away busily. Drills the soft ch of ich against ck.
Wenn hinter Fliegen Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach. In English: When flies fly behind flies, flies fly after flies. (Fliegen is both flies and to fly.) Drills fl; one word said six times.

B, Bl and Br 5

Bäcker Braun backt braune Brezeln. Braune Brezeln backt Bäcker Braun. In English: Baker Braun bakes brown pretzels. Brown pretzels are what Baker Braun bakes. Drills B and br.
Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut und Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid. In English: Red cabbage stays red cabbage and a wedding dress stays a wedding dress. Drills bl against br.
Die Bürsten mit den schwarzen Borsten bürsten besser als die Bürsten mit den weißen Borsten. In English: The brushes with the black bristles brush better than the brushes with the white bristles. Drills B with rst.
Es sprang ein Hirsch über den Bach und brach ein breites Bachpappelblatt ab. In English: A stag leapt over the brook and broke off a broad leaf of a brookside poplar. Drills br and bl, and the hard ch of ach in Bach and brach.
Wer anderen eine Bratwurst brät, hat wohl ein Bratwurstbratgerät. In English: Whoever fries a bratwurst for others must have a bratwurst fryer. Drills br.

K, Kn and G 6

Der Cottbuser Postkutschkutscher putzt den Cottbuser Postkutschkasten. In English: The Cottbus mail coach driver cleans the Cottbus mail coach box. Drills K against tsch and tz.
Der Gockel glotzt die Glucke an, die Glucke glotzt den Gockel an. In English: The rooster gawps at the broody hen; the broody hen gawps at the rooster. Drills G and gl against ck.
Im Keller kühlt Konrad Kohlköpfe aus Kassel. In English: In the cellar Konrad chills heads of cabbage from Kassel. Drills K.
Klaus Knopf liebt Knödel, Klöße, Klöpse. In English: Klaus Knopf loves Knödel and Klöße, two kinds of dumpling, and meatballs. Drills kl and kn.
Kleine Kinder können keine Kirschkerne kauen. In English: Small children cannot chew cherry stones. Drills K.
Kritische Kröten kauen keine konkreten Kroketten. In English: Critical toads chew no actual croquettes. Drills kr.

Ch: ich and ach 3

Echte Dichter dichten leichter bei Licht. Auch freche Fechter fechten mitternachts nicht. In English: Real poets write poetry more easily by light. Cheeky fencers, too, do not fence at midnight. Drills the soft ch of ich; auch and mitternachts have the hard one.
Sechzig tschechische Chemiker checken rechnerisch technische Schemata. In English: Sixty Czech chemists check technical diagrams by calculation. Drills ch beside tsch and sch.
Wenn du Wachsmasken magst, Max macht Wachsmasken. In English: If you like wax masks, Max makes wax masks. Drills chs, said ks, against the hard ch of macht.

More sounds and word play 11

Acht alte Ameisen aßen am Abend Ananas. In English: Eight old ants ate pineapple in the evening. Drills A at the start of every word.
Der Leutnant von Leuten befahl seinen Leuten, nicht eher zu läuten, bis der Leutnant von Leuten seinen Leuten das Läuten befahl. In English: The lieutenant of Leuten ordered his men not to ring the bells until the lieutenant of Leuten gave his men the order to ring. Drills L; eu and äu are one sound.
Esel essen Nesseln nicht, Nesseln essen Esel nicht. In English: Donkeys don't eat nettles; nettles don't eat donkeys. Drills S and ss.
Hinter Hermann Hansens Haus hängen hundert Herrenhemden raus. Hundert Herrenhemden hängen raus hinter Hermann Hansens Haus. In English: Behind Hermann Hansen's house a hundred men's shirts hang out. A hundred men's shirts hang out behind Hermann Hansen's house. Drills H.
In Ulm, um Ulm und um Ulm herum. In English: In Ulm, around Ulm and all around Ulm. Drills U before l and m.
Martha möchte morgens manchmal Marmorkuchen machen. In English: In the mornings Martha sometimes wants to make marble cake. Drills M.
Tante Trude tanzt mit Theo Tango, Twist und Tarantella. In English: Aunt Trude dances the tango, the twist and the tarantella with Theo. Drills T.
Teigwaren heißen Teigwaren, weil Teigwaren Teig waren. In English: Pasta is called Teigwaren, dough goods, because Teigwaren were dough: Teig waren. Drills W, said like an English V.
Wenn Grillen Grillen grillen, grillen Grillen Grillen. In English: When crickets grill crickets, crickets grill crickets. (Grillen is both crickets and to grill.) Drills gr; one word said six times.
Wenn Hessen in Essen Essen essen, essen Hessen Essen in Essen. In English: When Hessians eat food in Essen, Hessians eat food in Essen. (Essen is a city, the word for food and the verb to eat.) Drills ss; H is all that tells Hessen from Essen.
Wir Wiener Waschweiber würden weiße Wäsche waschen, wenn wir wüssten, wo weiches, warmes Wasser wäre. In English: We Viennese washerwomen would wash white washing if we knew where there was soft, warm water. Drills W, said like an English V.

How this list was compiled: Traditional German tongue twisters (Zungenbrecher): sayings with no known author, handed down by word of mouth. The German wording of every line was checked on 15 October 2026 in a published collection: 33 in German Wikiquote (de.wikiquote.org/wiki/Zungenbrecher) and eleven in the article Zungenbrecher of German Wikipedia (de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zungenbrecher). The English under each line is our own plain translation, written for this page to give the meaning and not to rhyme; none is taken from a collection. How Z, W, st, sp, tz, chs and the two ch sounds are said follows Wikipedia (German orthography; Standard German phonology), read the same day. Licence: Traditional sayings with no known author, in the public domain. The selection, the groups and the English translations are own work. Wordings were checked in German Wikiquote and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).

How it works

These German tongue twisters with English translation are 44 traditional Zungenbrecher in seven groups by sound: sch, sp and st; Z and tz; F; B; K and G; the two ch sounds; and plays on one word.

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Letters that trip an English reader

Z and tz are said ts, so zehn begins like the end of cats. W is said like an English V. At the start of a word st and sp are said scht and schp, which is why the student on his pointed stone sits in the Sch group.

Two sounds for ch

After a, o and u the ch is the rough sound of Bach, macht and auch. After other vowels and after consonants it is the softer sound of ich, Licht and Fichten. Chs is said ks, as in Wachs.

Questions and answers

What is a tongue twister called in German?

Ein Zungenbrecher. The word is built from Zunge, tongue, and Brecher, breaker, so a German tongue twister is a tongue breaker.

What does Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische mean?

Fritz, the fisherman's son, catches fresh fish. The second half turns the words round: frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritz. The trap is the switch between fr and sch, word after word.

What does Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut mean in English?

Red cabbage stays red cabbage, and a wedding dress stays a wedding dress. Blaukraut and Brautkleid swap bl and br, so the tongue reaches for the wrong one.

What is a short German tongue twister?

"Schneiders Schere schneidet scharf", the tailor's scissors cut sharply, is four words. "In Ulm, um Ulm und um Ulm herum" means in Ulm, around Ulm and all around Ulm.