Tongue twisters are not just playful word games; they are linguistic exercises that put your pronunciation skills and cognitive agility to the test. In the dynamic realm of language learning, Korean tongue twisters stand out as delightful challenges that offer both entertainment and educational value. From testing your diction to enhancing your language comprehension, let’s dive into 15 Korean tongue twisters that promise to give your mouth and mind an invigorating workout.
삼삼사사상사 (Sam-sam-sa-sa-sang-sa) – Three Three Four Four Business
소가 길을 건너간다 (So-ga-gil-eul-geon-neo-gan-da) – The Cow is Crossing the Street
파전 팔팔 파전 팔팔 (Pa-jeon pal-pal pa-jeon pal-pal) – Scallion Pancakes Eight Eight Scallion Pancakes Eight Eight
바나나 사과 사과 바나나 (Ba-na-na sa-gwa sa-gwa ba-na-na) – Banana Apple Apple Banana
서울 특별시 서울시 (Seo-ul teuk-byeol-si seo-ul-si) – Seoul Special City Seoul City
강남역 역삼역 삼강역 강삼역 (Gang-nam-yeok yeok-sam-yeok sam-gang-yeok gang-sam-yeok) – Gangnam Station Yeoksam Station Samgak Station Gangsam Station
빨래하러 빨래가다 빨래고객 빨래곳같이 (Bbal-lae-ha-reo bbal-lae-ga-da bbal-lae-go-gaek bbal-lae-got-ga-chi) – Going to Do Laundry, Laundry Customer, Like a Laundry Place
하얀 햇살 하얀 달빛 (Ha-yan haet-sal ha-yan dal-bit) – White Sunshine, White Moonlight
신발 세계 제일 (Sin-bal se-gye je-il) – Shoes, World’s Best
철창에 쇠창채창지창 (Cheol-chang-e soe-chang chae-chang ji-chang) – Iron Window, Iron Frame, Leafy Window Sill
굽네 기린은 기린 굽네 기린은 굽네 기린 (Gup-ne gi-rin-eun gi-rin gup-ne gi-rin-eun gup-ne gi-rin) – Gupne’s Giraffe is a Roasted Giraffe, Gupne’s Giraffe
베개에 베개깔고 베개속에 베개받이 (Be-gae-e be-gae-kkal-go be-gae-sog-e be-gae-ba-di) – Putting a Pillowcase on the Pillow, Pillow Inside the Pillowcase
어린 고양이 쥐 쫓아올 때 어려움 (Eo-rin go-yang-i jwi jjot-a-ol ttae eo-ryeo-um) – Difficulty When a Young Cat Chases a Mouse
가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다 (Ga-neun mal-i go-wa-ya o-neun mal-i gob-da) – If the Spoken Word is Beautiful, the Answering Word Will Be Beautiful
감나무 아래서 나무꾼이 나무를 쥐어보면 새가 날아온다 (Gam-na-mu a-rae-seo na-mu-kkun-i na-mu-reul jwieo-bo-myeon sae-ga na-la-on-da) – If a Lumberjack Holds a Tree Under a Persimmon Tree, Birds Will Fly Over
Embarking on the journey of mastering Korean pronunciation and fluency doesn’t have to be all serious. Incorporating tongue twisters into your language-learning routine infuses an element of playfulness while honing your linguistic skills. So, challenge yourself with these intriguing tongue twisters and experience the satisfaction of conquering their twists and turns. As your mouth dances with the rhythms of Korean language phonetics, your mind will celebrate the triumph of unraveling the complexities of language, one twist at a time.
