Tomate tu taza de té, Tito.
to-MA-te tu TA-za de TE, TI-to
Drink your cup of tea, Tito.
🔊 Listen & Practice
Start with slow speed to master pronunciation, then gradually increase to challenge yourself.
🎨 Visualization
Tito, it's time for your tea! Can you say this five times fast?
🎯 Pronunciation Focus
The Crisp Spanish 't' Sound
/t/The Spanish 't' is made with the tip of your tongue touching the back of your top teeth. Unlike the English 't' (like in 'top'), there's no puff of air. It's a clean, sharp sound.
Clear, Pure Vowels
/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/This phrase repeats the vowels a, e, i, o, u. Focus on making them short and crisp. For example, the 'o' in 'Tomate' is a pure 'oh' sound, not a sliding 'o-w' sound like in the English word 'go'.
📝 Practice Breakdown
Start here. Focus on making every 't' sound crisp and clean. Your tongue should tap the back of your top teeth. Avoid any puff of air.
Now for the vowels. The 'e' in 'té' is a quick 'eh' sound. The 'i' and 'o' in 'Tito' should be short and pure. Keep everything sharp!
Key Words in This Tongue Twister:
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📚 Background
This is a classic and simple 'trabalenguas' often used to help young Spanish speakers master the clean 't' sound. Because of its simplicity and focus on a single consonant, it's a perfect warm-up for learners at any level.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the Airy English 't'
Mistake: "Pronouncing the 't' with a puff of air, like you would in the English word 'tea'. You can feel this puff of air if you hold your hand in front of your mouth."
Correction: The Spanish 't' is 'dental' and unaspirated. This means your tongue touches the back of your teeth and there's no air burst. Try it: when you say 'Tito' correctly in Spanish, you should feel almost no air on your hand.
Sliding the Vowels
Mistake: "Letting vowels slide into other sounds, which is common in English. For example, pronouncing the 'o' in 'Tito' like the 'o' in the English word 'go' (which sounds like 'goh-oo')."
Correction: Spanish vowels are pure and clipped short. Say the sound and stop. Think 'oh', not 'oh-oo'. Think 'eh', not 'ay'. This will make your Spanish sound much more natural.
🌎 Where It's Used
General Spanish
This tongue twister is universally known and used for pronunciation practice across the entire Spanish-speaking world. It's a fundamental drill.
🔗 Related Tongue Twisters
The Tea Time Trial
The goal is clarity, not just speed! Can you say it clearly five times in a row without the 't' sounds getting lazy? Record yourself and listen for that crisp 't'!
🏷️ Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'tomate' the word for 'tomato' here?
Great question! In this phrase, 'tomate' comes from the verb 'tomar' (to take/drink) and is a command meaning 'Drink up!' or 'Have your...'. The word for the fruit, 'tomato', is 'el tomate'. They just happen to sound the same in this context!
Shouldn't the command form be written 'Tómate' with an accent?
You're absolutely right! In formal Spanish grammar, the command form is 'Tómate'. However, in informal tongue twisters and children's rhymes, accents and punctuation are often simplified or left out. For pronunciation, the sound is exactly the same.