L Tongue Twisters – 40 Lines, Start, Middle and End

How it works

These L tongue twisters are 40 lines written for this site, sorted by where the L falls: at the start of a word, in a blend such as bl or fl, in the middle, or at the end.

Read the full guide

Light L and dark L

In American and standard British English, L at the start of a word, as in lake, is light. At the end, as in bell, it is dark: the back of the tongue rises too. That is why the end chip feels different. Try "Nell's small bell fell in the well." slowly.

Blends and the middle

In a blend the L follows another sound with no gap, as in "Slow sleds slide down the slick slope." In the middle chip the L sits between vowels, as in yellow and jelly, and the words are longer, so keep the beat steady before you speed up.

Questions and answers

What are good tongue twisters with L?

Lines that put one kind of L in almost every word. This page has ten each for L at the start, L blends, L in the middle and L at the end. For a quick one, try "Liam licked a lime lolly by the lake."

Where are the R and L tongue twisters?

Lines that mix R and L in one breath are on the R tongue twisters page, under the R and L chip. The lines here are built on L, so you can practise it on its own first.

Can L tongue twisters help a child who says w for l?

They give practice with a sound a child can already say in single words; they do not teach it. If you are worried about how a child says L, ask a speech-language pathologist.

All 40 tongue twisters

L at the start 10

A lazy lizard lay on a lumpy leaf. Words to stress: lazy, lizard, lay, lumpy, leaf.
Lars left the ladder leaning on the lighthouse. Words to stress: Lars, left, ladder, leaning, lighthouse.
Lena lost her lunch but found a lucky ladybug. Words to stress: Lena, lost, lunch, lucky, ladybug.
Leo's little lamp lit the long lane. Words to stress: Leo, little, lamp, lit, long, lane.
Let the lion lie in the long, low light. Words to stress: let, lion, lie, long, low, light.
Liam licked a lime lolly by the lake. Words to stress: Liam, licked, lime, lolly, lake.
Lola lined up lemons along the ledge. Words to stress: Lola, lined, lemons, ledge.
Lottie loves lettuce, leeks and lentil loaf. Words to stress: Lottie, loves, lettuce, leeks, lentil, loaf.
Lucky llamas lunch on lavender and lilies. Words to stress: lucky, llamas, lunch, lavender, lilies.
Luke laughed as the lambs leaped over the log. Words to stress: Luke, laughed, lambs, leaped, log.

Show all 40 tongue twisters (30 more)

L blends: bl, cl, fl, pl 10

A plump plum plopped onto the plastic plate. Words to stress: plump, plum, plopped, plastic, plate.
Blair's black blanket blew off the bleachers. Words to stress: Blair, black, blanket, blew, bleachers.
Clever clams clatter on the cliff's clay. Words to stress: clever, clams, clatter, cliff, clay.
Clive clapped as the clown climbed the cliff. Words to stress: Clive, clapped, clown, climbed, cliff.
Fleas flee from the flag as the flock flies. Words to stress: fleas, flee, flag, flock, flies.
Flo flipped fluffy flapjacks on the flat plate. Words to stress: Flo, flipped, fluffy, flapjacks, flat, plate.
Glen's glossy glove glowed in the gloom. Words to stress: Glen, glossy, glove, glowed, gloom.
Glenda's glittery glue glued the globe. Words to stress: Glenda, glittery, glue, glued, globe.
Please place the plants on the plain plank. Words to stress: please, place, plants, plain, plank.
Slow sleds slide down the slick slope. Words to stress: slow, sleds, slide, slick, slope.

L in the middle 10

A lonely owl called hello to the hollow willow. Words to stress: lonely, called, hello, hollow, willow.
A pelican balanced a salad on a pillow. Words to stress: pelican, balanced, salad, pillow.
The bubbly volcano melted the chocolate. Words to stress: bubbly, volcano, melted, chocolate.
Eleven helpful elves polished the silver bells. Words to stress: eleven, helpful, elves, polished, silver, bells.
Ella's silly jelly wobbled on the melon. Words to stress: Ella, silly, jelly, wobbled, melon.
Holly's family hollered hello from the valley. Words to stress: Holly, family, hollered, hello, valley.
Molly sold a million lollipops in July. Words to stress: Molly, sold, million, lollipops, July.
The olive oil spilled on the gallery's railing. Words to stress: olive, spilled, gallery, railing.
Polly's yellow balloon floated to the ceiling. Words to stress: Polly, yellow, balloon, floated, ceiling.
Tulips and lilies fill the gallon jelly jar. Words to stress: tulips, lilies, fill, gallon, jelly.

L at the end of a word 10

A snail on a rail ate a whole meal. Words to stress: snail, rail, whole, meal.
Bill's full pail of shells spilled on the trail. Words to stress: Bill, full, pail, trail.
Cool pools feel dull in the chill of fall. Words to stress: cool, feel, dull, chill, fall.
Jill's doll sat on a pebble by the pool. Words to stress: Jill, doll, pebble, pool.
Mel's camel ate an oatmeal bagel. Words to stress: Mel, camel, oatmeal, bagel.
Neil's apple fell in the barrel. Words to stress: Neil, apple, fell, barrel.
Nell's small bell fell in the well. Words to stress: Nell, small, bell, fell, well.
The owl's towel hung on the steel wall. Words to stress: owl, towel, steel, wall.
Paul will call the tall school hall. Words to stress: Paul, will, call, tall, school, hall.
Will's wool shawl is still on the stool. Words to stress: Will, wool, shawl, still, stool.

How this list was compiled: Written for this site in September 2026: all 40 tongue twisters are our own wording, and none is copied or reworded from a published collection. Checked by script against every other tongue twister page on this site (no line on two pages and no run of five words shared by two lines) and against the key phrases of about 75 well-known published twisters, none of which appears. The words-to-stress line under each twister is worked out from the twister itself: the words that hold the chip's L (at the start, in a blend, in the middle, or at the end of the word). Licence: own work