Classic
Traditional, well-known tongue twisters
💡 Practice Tips
These are the trabalenguas every Spanish speaker knows. Learning them connects you to Spanish-speaking culture.
Bebo vino bien bebido.
I drink very well-drunk wine.
Blas habla con blusa blanca.
Blas speaks with a white blouse.
Bota la pelota, Pepe.
Bounce the ball, Pepe.
Busco el vasco bizco.
I'm looking for the cross-eyed Basque.
Cae la clave del clavo.
The key of the nail falls.
Clara aclara el cloro.
Clara clarifies the chlorine.
Coco canta con su primo.
Coco sings with his cousin.
Cómelo, Cosme, con calma.
Eat it, Cosme, calmly.
Con un cuchillo de acero.
With a steel knife.
Coro canta, corre, coro.
A choir sings, runs, a choir.
Cruza el cristal sin crispar.
Cross the crystal without tensing up.
Cuesta subir la cuesta.
It's hard to climb the hill.
De dos, dicen dados.
They say 'dice' for two.
Dime diez dichos.
Tell me ten sayings.
El ajo picó a la col, la col picó al ajo.
The garlic bit the cabbage, the cabbage bit the garlic.
El jarrón rojo de Juana.
Juana's red vase.
El jinete jineteaba.
The rider was riding.
El obispo obispó.
The bishop performed his bishoply duties.
El que poco coco come, poco coco compra.
He who eats little coconut, buys little coconut.
El sapo se sentó solo.
The toad sat alone.
El vino vino, pero el vino no vino vino.
The wine came, but the wine did not come as wine.
El yate de Yaya yace.
Yaya's yacht lies down.
El zapatero Sapatín zapateaba los zapatos de la zapatera Zapatona.
The shoemaker Sapatín was tapping the shoes of the shoemaker Zapatona.
El zueco de Suecia es sucio.
The clog from Sweden is dirty.
Flora fleta flotas.
Flora charters fleets (of ships).
Francisco fríe fabada.
Francisco fries fava bean stew.
Grita el grillo en la grama.
The cricket chirps in the grass.
Había un perro debajo de un carro.
There was a dog under a car.
Hilario hila hilos.
Hilario spins threads.
Jamás jamé jamón.
I never ate ham.
Juan junta juncos junto a la zanja.
Juan gathers reeds next to the ditch.
Kilo de lila laca.
A kilo of lilac lacquer.
La rata roe la ropa.
The rat gnaws the clothes.
La sal del salero sale sola.
The salt from the salt shaker comes out by itself.
Lado, ledo, lido, lodo, ludo.
Side, happy, I read, mud, I play.
Lirios lilas le gustan a Lilia.
Lilia likes lilac lilies.
Lola la lila la lía.
Lola the lilac lady messes it up.
Memo el mimo menea la mano.
Memo the mime moves his hand.
Nueve naves nuevas navegan.
Nine new ships are sailing.
Pablito clavó un clavito en la calva de un calvito.
Little Pablo hammered a little nail into the bald head of a little bald man.
Pablito piso el piso, pisando el piso Pablito.
Pablito stepped on the floor, stepping on the floor, Pablito.
Paco Peco, chico rico.
Paco Peco, a rich boy.
Pancha plancha con cuatro planchas.
Pancha irons with four irons.
Pepe pela patatas para una tortilla.
Pepe peels potatoes for an omelette.
Pide perdón por piedad.
Ask for forgiveness out of pity.
Por la puerta va Pedro.
Pedro goes through the door.
¿Quién quiere que le quiera?
Who wants me to love them?
Quique quiere queso.
Quique wants cheese.
R con R, cigarro.
R with R, cigar.
Rápido corren los carros.
The cars run fast.
Rosa Rizo reza en ruso.
Rosa Rizo prays in Russian.
Si la sierva no te sirve, no sirve como sierva.
If the maid isn't of service to you, she is of no use as a maid.
Si sanaras hoy, sanarías mañana.
If you were to get well today, you would be well tomorrow.
Siete serpientes serenas.
Seven serene snakes.
Tengo un tío cajonero.
I have an uncle who is a box/drawer maker.
Tito, toma tu té.
Tito, drink your tea.
Tomate tu taza de té, Tito.
Drink your cup of tea, Tito.
Tuve un tubo y lo retuve.
I had a tube and I kept it.
Un burro comía berros.
A donkey was eating watercress.
Un ratón reptó risueño.
A smiling mouse crept.
Un tren tras otro tren.
One train after another train.
Un tubo tiró un tubo.
A tube threw a tube.
Zorro, zorro, pide socorro.
Fox, fox, asks for help.