Chema come chochos anchos.
CHE-ma CO-me CHO-chos AN-chos
Chema eats wide lupini beans.
🔊 Listen & Practice
Start with slow speed to master pronunciation, then gradually increase to challenge yourself.
🎨 Visualization
Chema is enjoying his wide chochos! Can you say it as fast as he can eat?
🎯 Pronunciation Focus
The Spanish 'ch' Sound
/tʃ/This sound is sharp and consistent. Make it exactly like the 'ch' in the English words 'cheese' or 'church'. Your tongue should quickly touch the roof of your mouth and release with a puff of air.
The Pure 'o' Vowel
/o/Spanish vowels are short and clean. The 'o' in 'come' and 'chochos' should sound like the 'o' in 'boat' but cut short, without the 'w' sound that English speakers often add at the end. Keep your lips rounded and the sound crisp.
📝 Practice Breakdown
Start with the rhythm. Focus on making the 'o' sound in 'come' short and crisp. Don't drag it out like in the English word 'home'.
Here's the main challenge! Make a sharp, identical 'ch' sound for both 'chochos' and 'anchos'. Try to link the words together smoothly.
Key Words in This Tongue Twister:
📚 Background
This is a simple, classic tongue twister perfect for beginners. It's often one of the first 'trabalenguas' Spanish-speaking children learn because it isolates the 'ch' sound in a fun, repetitive way. The shortness of the phrase makes it an excellent warm-up for pronunciation practice.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'sh' instead of 'ch'
Mistake: "Pronouncing 'chochos' like the English word 'show-shows' (/ʃoʊ.ʃoʊz/)."
Correction: The Spanish 'ch' is a harder, sharper sound. It's made by briefly stopping the air with your tongue and then releasing it, just like in the English word 'cheese'. It should never sound like 'sh'.
Lengthening the Vowels
Mistake: "Pronouncing 'come' or 'chochos' with a long 'oh' sound that fades out, like in the English word 'go'."
Correction: Keep your vowels short and pure. The Spanish 'o' is one clean sound. Form an 'o' with your mouth and say it quickly without changing the shape of your lips. Think 'o', not 'oh-w'.
🌎 Where It's Used
General Spanish
This tongue twister is universally known and used across the Spanish-speaking world. It's worth noting for adult learners that in some parts of Spain, the word 'chocho' can be a vulgar slang term, which adds a layer of humor for some speakers.
🔗 Related Tongue Twisters
The Fast Eater Challenge
Can you say it five times in a row, getting faster each time? The goal is to keep the 'ch' sound sharp and the 'o' vowels clean every single time, without getting them mixed up!
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly are 'chochos'?
'Chochos' are lupini beans, a type of legume that is a popular, high-protein snack in many parts of the Spanish-speaking world and the Mediterranean. They are typically sold pickled in brine and eaten on their own.
Is the Spanish 'ch' always pronounced this way?
Yes! The 'ch' in Spanish is very reliable. It is considered a single letter in the traditional Spanish alphabet and is always pronounced with that sharp /tʃ/ sound, just like in 'church' or 'champion'.