Do you know what tongue twisters are?
In Japanese they are called 早口言葉, and in Chinese, they are called 繞口令 ràokǒulìng.
They are words or phrases with similar sounds that are made with similar parts of our mouths. Because of that, our human brains are not good at making our mouths say them clearly when several of them need to be said close together. They are even harder when the order is suddenly changed.
Maybe every language has them, and they are really fun to try to say. Please try some in a few different languages:
1) English
The first of these is very common. The second is a bit rare, but even more difficult:
・She sells seashells by the seashore. She sells seashells by the seashore.
・Susie works in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines she sits, and where she sits she shines.
2) Japanese
Please say this word three times fast:
・放射線照射装置照射操作室
3) Chinese
This one is quite famous in China, and the meaning is also funny.
・吃 葡萄 不吐 葡萄皮，不吃 葡萄 倒 吐 葡萄皮。
Chī pútao bù tǔ pútaopí, bù chī pútao dào tǔ pútaopí.
(ブドウを食べるのにブドウの皮を吐き出さない、
ブドウを食べないのに、ブドウの皮を吐き出す。)
