The sixth sick shiek's sixth sheep's sick

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In summary, the conversation discusses the challenge of saying difficult tongue twisters, specifically "stick a finger in the throat" and "she sells sea shells by the sea shore." The speaker mentions their past experience with the Guinness Book of World Records and recalls the latter tongue twister being featured in the book.
  • #1
Ivan Seeking
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Say it quickly outloud. For your amusement.
This is [or was] supposed to be the hardest tongue twister in Engish. If we have any Czechs out there, try to say "stick a finger in the throat"

What can I say? I virtually memorized the Guinness Book of World Records when I was a kid. I just happened to think of this so there you go.
 
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  • #2
I remember one about sea-shells:

...she sells sea shells by the sea shore...

Forget what is before and after :) But I remember it being in the guiness book for hardest poem to recite. I think it was 1989 edition of Guiness.
 
  • #3


Wow, that was definitely a challenge! The sixth sick shiek's sixth sheep's sick. It's definitely a tongue twister, but I managed to say it quickly out loud. Thanks for the amusement! And as for "stick a finger in the throat," I'm not Czech, but I gave it a try and it definitely is a tricky one. Thanks for sharing these fun tongue twisters with us!
 

What is "The sixth sick shiek's sixth sheep's sick"?

"The sixth sick shiek's sixth sheep's sick" is a tongue twister phrase that is commonly used as an exercise for pronunciation and articulation. It consists of six words, each starting with the letter "s", which makes it particularly challenging to say quickly and correctly.

Who came up with "The sixth sick shiek's sixth sheep's sick"?

The origins of this tongue twister phrase are unclear, but it is commonly attributed to British author and poet Rudyard Kipling, who first published it in his book "Rewards and Fairies" in 1910. However, variations of this phrase have been found in earlier works, suggesting that it may have existed before Kipling's version.

Why is "The sixth sick shiek's sixth sheep's sick" difficult to say?

The phrase is difficult to say because it contains a sequence of six words that all start with the same letter, making it challenging for the tongue to quickly switch between sounds. Additionally, the use of alliteration and repetition adds to the complexity of the phrase.

Is there a correct way to say "The sixth sick shiek's sixth sheep's sick"?

There is no definitive correct way to say this phrase, as it is meant to be challenging and may vary depending on the speaker's accent and pronunciation. However, it is commonly accepted that the "sh" sound at the beginning of "shiek" should be pronounced as in "sheep" rather than "shoe" to maintain the alliteration.

What is the purpose of "The sixth sick shiek's sixth sheep's sick"?

The purpose of this phrase is to provide a fun and challenging exercise for pronunciation and articulation. It is often used in speech therapy and drama classes to improve diction and clarity of speech. Additionally, it can be a playful and entertaining word game for children and adults alike.

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