Grita el grillo en la grama.
GRI-ta el GRI-llo en la GRA-ma
The cricket chirps in the grass.
🔊 Listen & Practice
Start with slow speed to master pronunciation, then gradually increase to challenge yourself.
🎨 Visualization
Listen to the cricket chirp in the grass! Can you say it as fast as he can sing?
🎯 Pronunciation Focus
The 'gr' Consonant Cluster
/gɾ/This is the main challenge. It requires a rapid switch from the 'g' sound (made in the back of your throat) to the tap 'r' sound (made with the tip of your tongue at the front of your mouth).
The Soft 'r' (vibrante simple)
/ɾ/Practice the single, quick tap of the tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind your teeth. Think of it as a very fast 'd' sound. It appears in 'grita', 'grillo', and 'grama'.
Linking Vowels (Sinalefa)
A key to sounding natural is linking words together. Notice how 'Grita el' flows together to sound almost like one word: 'gri-tael'.
📝 Practice Breakdown
Start by focusing on the 'gr' sound. Make a clear 'g' then immediately tap your tongue for the 'r'. Try to blend 'Grita el' together so it sounds like 'Gri-tael'.
Here's your final 'gr' challenge. Keep the rhythm steady and make sure your 'a' vowels are open and clear, like the 'a' in 'father'.
Key Words in This Tongue Twister:
📚 Background
This is a classic short tongue twister perfect for isolating and practicing the 'gr' consonant cluster. Because it's short and repetitive, it's a fantastic warm-up to build muscle memory for one of Spanish's trickier sound combinations.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using a 'Gargled' or English 'r'
Mistake: "Pronouncing the 'gr' sound from the back of the throat, similar to a French 'r' or a heavy English 'r', which can sound like you're gargling."
Correction: The Spanish 'r' in this cluster is a tap at the *front* of your mouth. First, make the 'g' sound (like in 'go'). Then, immediately tap the tip of your tongue against the ridge behind your top front teeth. It's a 'back-to-front' motion.
Putting a Hard Stop Between Words
Mistake: "Saying 'Grita... (stop)... el... (stop)... grillo'. This sounds very robotic."
Correction: Fluent Spanish connects vowels across words. Practice saying 'Grita el' as one smooth phrase. The 'a' at the end of 'grita' should flow directly into the 'e' of 'el'.
🌎 Where It's Used
General Spanish
This tongue twister is universally known and used as a pronunciation exercise across the entire Spanish-speaking world.
🔗 Related Tongue Twisters
The Cricket Chirp Challenge
Try to say it five times in a row, getting a little faster each time. Can you do it in under 7 seconds without the cricket getting stuck in the grass?
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the 'gr' sound in Spanish so hard for English speakers?
It's tricky because it combines two very different movements in your mouth that we don't combine in English. The 'g' sound is made in the back of your throat, while the Spanish tap 'r' is made with the tip of your tongue at the very front of your mouth. Doing them together quickly takes practice!
What's the difference between 'grama' and 'césped'?
They both mean 'grass' or 'lawn'! Their usage often depends on the region. 'Grama' is very common in the Caribbean and parts of South America, while 'césped' is more standard in Spain and Mexico. In many places, they are used interchangeably.