A noisy noise annoys an oyster
Most tongue twisters are built on consonants. This one is built on a vowel: the OI of “noise”, “annoys” and “oyster”, repeated over and over. Add a steady stream of Z sounds and an N at the start of almost every word, and the line turns into a hum.
A noisy noise annoys an oyster, but a noisier noise annoys an oyster more.
More tongue twisters for the same sounds
- The sushi chef slices fresh salmon, sprinkles sesame seeds and serves six small dishes to the hungry guests.
- Zach's cautious sister says he shouldn't sell the seaside house, so he shares it with his six cousins each summer.
- The busy shop assistant shows shoppers six shirts, seven scarves and a dozen shiny zippers, and sells them all by sunset.
- The zoo's zebras doze in the sun, the seals splash in the shallow pool and the visitors' shoes squeak on the shiny stones.
- Sam's shop sells sheets, shirts, socks and shoes.
- Rose's cousins use these reasons as easy excuses.
Other famous tongue twisters for these sounds
- She sees cheese
- Selfish shellfish
- Sheep should sleep in a shed
- Sure the ship's shipshape, sir
- Irish wristwatch, Swiss wristwatch
- Six slippery snails
- Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches
- If a dog chews shoes
- Should such a shapely sash
- Swan swam over the sea
- Susie works in a shoeshine shop
- She sells seashells by the seashore
Where to breathe
- A noisy noise annoys an oyster,
- but a noisier noise annoys an oyster more.
One vowel and a stream of Z sounds
The OI vowel is a glide: the mouth starts open and rounded, as in “law”, and moves toward a smile, as in “see”. When you repeat it many times quickly, the glide shrinks and “noise” starts to sound like “nose” or “nas”.
The Z sound is the second trap. “Noisy”, “noise”, “annoys” and “noisier” all have a Z, and it needs a buzz. If it turns into an S, you get “noicy noice”. The word “oyster” has a real S, so the line also tests whether you can switch from Z to S.
Then there is N: noisy, noise, annoys, an, noisier, all with an N said through the nose. So many in a row can make the whole line sound nasal and blurry.
How to learn it
First, practice the vowel: “noise, nose, noise, nose”. Feel the difference in your lips: “noise” moves from round to a smile, “nose” stays round. Then say “noisy, noise, annoys” slowly, with the full glide each time.
Second, practice the Z and S switch: “annoys an oyster”. Buzz on the Z of “annoys”, then a clean hiss on the S of “oyster”.
The line has two halves. The second repeats the first with “noisier” and “more”. Breathe at the comma, then say the second half a little louder, as if the noise were really growing. That helps with both the meaning and the rhythm.
Questions about this tongue twister
- Does a noise really annoy an oyster?
- The twister is a joke, not a fact about oysters. It was built around the sounds of “noise”, “annoys” and “oyster”, which share the same OI vowel.
- Why does this one sound so strange when I say it fast?
- Because there is very little variety. The same vowel and the same few consonants, N, Z and S, repeat again and again. Without contrast, the words blur into one long sound.
Keep practicing
Practice with a timer
In DramaLab, the speed ladder is an exercise: it gives you tongue twisters one by one, walks you up the five steps and keeps time. No sign-up needed.