Of all the felt I ever felt
A tongue twister built on a pun. “Felt” is both a soft fabric and the past tense of “feel”, and this line uses it nine times in both senses. The sound itself, an LT ending, is easy to lose, and the double meaning makes it easy to lose count.
Of all the felt I ever felt, I never felt a piece of felt that felt the same as that felt felt, when I first felt that felt.
More tongue twisters for the same sounds
- The scouts packed the tents, lit the lamps and watched the sparks drift.
- The artists' first sketches lacked depth, but their next drafts were striking.
- The scientist collects the insects, inspects their nests and records the results.
- He wants the costs, she wants the dates and the hosts want lists and charts before the first rehearsal starts.
- 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.
Other famous tongue twisters for these sounds
Where to breathe
- Of all the felt I ever felt,
- I never felt a piece of felt
- that felt the same as that felt felt,
- when I first felt that felt.
Nine felts and an LT ending
The LT ending in “felt” needs the tongue to touch the ridge for L and then tap there for T, with no vowel in between. In fast speech the L darkens and the T is cut short, so “felt” becomes “fel” or “feut”. Over nine repeats, many of them vanish.
The second challenge is memory. The line follows a logic of its own: of all the fabric I have touched, none felt the same as that fabric did when I first touched it. The phrase “that felt felt” means “that fabric felt”. If you lose the meaning, you lose the order.
There is also the voiced TH in “the”, “that” and the V in “ever” and “never”. They are small, but they come between “felt” words and need to stay clear.
How to learn it
First, understand which “felt” is the fabric and which is the verb. Read the line slowly and mark the nouns. Knowing the structure is half the work.
Then drill the word itself: “felt, felt, felt”. Make the L clear and the T audible. Try it in a whisper: the T should pop.
Learn the four parts, as above, and breathe at each comma. The phrase “that felt felt” is the hardest spot, so practice it alone a few times before linking everything.
Questions about this tongue twister
- What is felt?
- Felt is a thick, soft fabric made by pressing wool or other fibers together, without weaving. It is used for hats, crafts and the tops of pool tables. The word is also the past tense of “feel”, which is the joke of this tongue twister.
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.