Tito, toma tu té.
TI-to, TO-ma tu TÉ
Tito, drink your tea.
🔊 Listen & Practice
Start with slow speed to master pronunciation, then gradually increase to challenge yourself.
🎨 Visualization
Tito is taking his tea! Can you say it without puffing out air on the 't's?
🎯 Pronunciation Focus
The Pure Spanish 't' Sound
/t/The main goal here is the Spanish 't'. Unlike the English 't' (like in 'top'), there should be no puff of air. To make it, touch the tip of your tongue to the *back of your top front teeth*. It's a crisp, clean sound.
Pure Vowels
/i, o, u, e/Notice the clean, short sounds of 'i', 'o', 'u', and 'e'. Spanish vowels are always pronounced the same way, without the gliding sound common in English.
📝 Practice Breakdown
Start with the name. Focus on making a crisp 't' sound by touching your tongue to the back of your teeth. No puff of air!
Now for the repetition. Keep that 't' sound clean and consistent for all three words. Feel how your mouth makes the pure 'o', 'u', and 'e' sounds.
Key Words in This Tongue Twister:
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📚 Background
This is a very simple but incredibly effective 'trabalenguas' for beginners. It's designed to drill the pure, unaspirated Spanish 't' sound, which is a foundational element for achieving a clear Spanish accent.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the English 'Puffy' T
Mistake: "Pronouncing the 't' in 'Tito' or 'toma' with a puff of air, like in the English word 'tea'."
Correction: Try this trick: hold your hand an inch from your mouth. When you say the English word 'tea', you'll feel a puff of air. When you say the Spanish 'té' correctly, you should feel almost no air. The secret is placing your tongue right on the back of your teeth, not on the ridge behind them.
🌎 Where It's Used
General Spanish
This is a universal practice phrase used across the Spanish-speaking world to teach the pure 't' sound, essential for clear pronunciation.
🔗 Related Tongue Twisters
The Tea Time Test
Say 'Tito, toma tu té' five times in a row. The goal isn't speed, but perfect, crisp 't' sounds every single time. Try not to let any English 'puffs of air' sneak in!
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Spanish 't' sound so important to practice?
Getting the 't' sound right is a key step to sounding more natural in Spanish. The 'unaspirated' 't' (without the puff of air) is one of the first things native speakers notice, and mastering it makes your overall accent much clearer and easier to understand.
Is 'Tito' a common name?
Yes, 'Tito' is often a nickname for names like Roberto, Alberto, or Ernesto. It's a friendly and very common nickname in many Spanish-speaking countries.