Amidst the mists and coldest frosts
A dramatic little verse about a man fighting ghosts in the cold, and almost every important word ends with ST or STS. It is the classic text for consonant clusters at the end of words, the sounds that disappear first in fast English.
Amidst the mists and coldest frosts, with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts, he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
More tongue twisters for the same sounds
- The cyclists crossed six fields, fixed a broken chain and reached the coast just as the last ferry left the docks.
- The chef's best soups start with fresh herbs, roasted roots and strong broths, and most guests ask for a second bowl.
- The friends' first camping trip ended with tents that sagged, hands that froze and laughs that kept the whole camp awake.
- The world's oldest maps mark coasts, cliffs and islands, but the experts still can't name the lands drawn at the far edges.
- His twelfth attempt worked best.
- The hosts left gifts on the guests' desks.
Other famous tongue twisters for these sounds
Where to breathe
- Amidst the mists and coldest frosts,
- with stoutest wrists and loudest boasts,
- he thrusts his fists against the posts
- and still insists he sees the ghosts.
Fourteen words that end in ST
Count the clusters: amidst, mists, coldest, frosts, stoutest, wrists, loudest, boasts, thrusts, fists, against, posts, insists, ghosts. Fourteen words end with ST or STS, and in “amidst” a D comes first. Each STS needs hiss, tap, hiss, with no vowel between. The T in the middle is the first to disappear: “misses”, “frosses”, “posses”.
There is a second type of mistake: adding a vowel. Some speakers, especially those whose first language does not allow such clusters, break them up: “mist-es”, “frost-es”. That makes the words easier but changes how they sound.
The text is also long, four lines of rhyming verse. The tongue gets tired, and the clusters in the last line are often weaker than those in the first.
How to learn it
Learn it line by line, as above, and breathe at each comma. The rhyme helps memory: frosts, boasts, posts, ghosts.
Then drill the clusters in a list: “mists, frosts, wrists, boasts, fists, posts, ghosts”. Say each one slowly, making the T audible. Then try them in pairs.
Say the whole verse at a moderate pace three times in a row. Listen to the last line most carefully. If “insists” and “ghosts” are as clear as “mists”, your tongue has the stamina for this text.
Questions about this tongue twister
- What does amidst mean?
- In the middle of, among. It is an older form of “amid”. So the man is in the middle of mists and frosts, fighting ghosts that only he can see.
- Why are STS endings so hard?
- Because they ask the tongue to make three sounds in the same place, the ridge behind the teeth, with only a split second for each: a hiss, a tap and another hiss. Most English speakers simplify them in casual speech.
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.