Gatos grandes y gordos.
GA-tos GRAN-des y GOR-dos
Big and fat cats.
🔊 Listen & Practice
Start with slow speed to master pronunciation, then gradually increase to challenge yourself.
🎨 Visualization
Look at these big, fat cats! Can you describe them without tripping over your tongue?
🎯 Pronunciation Focus
The Hard 'g' Sound
/g/This is the 'g' sound you hear in 'gato' or 'gordo'. It's very similar to the English 'g' in 'go' or 'great'. The trick here is to say it clearly and consistently three times in a row, making the sound from the back of your throat.
The Spanish 'd' Sound
/d/In 'grandes' and 'gordos', this 'd' is made by placing the tip of your tongue right behind your top front teeth. It's a bit softer and further forward than the English 'd' in 'dog'. The challenge is to make it a distinct, crisp sound.
📝 Practice Breakdown
Start with the first two words. Focus on making a clear 'g' sound for both 'gatos' and 'grandes'. Feel the back of your tongue rise to make the sound.
Now add the last part. The challenge is the 'g-d' sequence in 'gordos'. Make sure the 'd' is crisp and doesn't get lost after the 'r'.
Key Words in This Tongue Twister:
📚 Background
This is a simple but highly effective tongue twister for beginners. It's often used with children to practice distinguishing the 'g' and 'd' sounds, which can sometimes be confused in rapid speech.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Letting the 'd' Disappear
Mistake: "In 'grandes' and 'gordos', the 'd' sound can get lost or sound mushy, especially when speaking quickly."
Correction: Make a conscious effort to tap your tongue firmly behind your top teeth for the 'd'. Think of it as a clear, distinct stop. Practice saying 'gran-DES' and 'gor-DOS' slowly to feel the sound.
Mixing Up 'g' and 'd'
Mistake: "When said fast, the repeated 'g' and 'd' sounds can blend, making 'gordos' sound like 'gorgos' or 'grandes' sound like 'granges'."
Correction: The 'g' sound is made in the back of your throat, while the 'd' sound is made with the tip of your tongue at the front of your mouth. Feel the difference as you say 'Ga-Go' (back) and 'Da-Do' (front) slowly. Then apply that to the tongue twister.
🌎 Where It's Used
General Spanish
A very basic and common practice phrase used everywhere. It's more of a phonetic drill than a classic, narrative tongue twister.
🔗 Related Tongue Twisters
The Fat Cats Challenge
This one is short, so the challenge is speed and clarity! Say it five times in a row as fast as you can without the words blending together. Ready, set, go!
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 'g' sound always hard like in 'gato'?
No. The Spanish 'g' has two sounds. It's a 'hard g' (like in 'go') before 'a', 'o', 'u', or a consonant. It becomes a 'soft g', which sounds like the Spanish 'j' (a raspy 'h' sound from the back of your throat), before 'e' or 'i', like in 'gente' (people) or 'gigante' (giant).
Why is the 'd' in 'grandes' sometimes hard to pronounce for English speakers?
The 'nd' combination can be tricky. In Spanish, the 'd' is pronounced clearly after an 'n'. For English speakers, it helps to think of it as starting a new syllable: 'gran-des'. Practice that separation first, then speed it up.