Plain bun, plum bun
A short line about buns, and almost every word is made with the lips: P, B and M. The words are simple, but the vowel jumps from the long A of “plain” to the short U of “plum” and “bun”, and that is where the tongue twister catches you.
Plain bun, plum bun, bun without plum.
More tongue twisters for the same sounds
- Five vivid pictures of vast fields fill the front page.
- Proud Paul paid for both bags, but Bob put both bags back.
- A pelican flapped past the boat, then flew back to the foggy bay.
- Olivia prefers plain vanilla, but Felix favors fresh blueberry pie.
- Bob's brave brother brought a bright blue balloon to the big parade.
- Phoebe brings five fresh violets to her favorite aunt every February.
Other famous tongue twisters for these sounds
Where to breathe
- Plain bun, plum bun,
- bun without plum.
Where the lips lose track
P and B are both made by closing the lips and releasing a burst of air. P has no voice, B has voice. M also uses closed lips, but the air goes through the nose. This line keeps switching between the three: PL, B, PL, B, B, then the W of “without” and the PL and M of “plum”. The lips are busy every second.
The main slips are “blain bun”, “plum plun” and “bun without blum”. The P in “plain” and “plum” is followed by L, so it has to stay voiceless while the tongue moves to the ridge for L. Under speed, voicing from the B words spreads to it.
The vowels matter as well. “Plain” has the long A of “day”, “plum” and “bun” have the short U of “cup”. If the vowel in “plain” shortens, it starts to sound like “plen”, and the line loses its contrast.
How to learn it
Put your hand in front of your mouth. On P you should feel a small puff of air; on B much less. Say “plain, bun, plum, bun” slowly and check each puff.
Then practice the end, “bun without plum”. “Without” has a TH in the middle, which needs the tongue at the teeth. It is easy to say “wifout” or “widout” here.
Breathe after the second “bun”. Say the first part three times, then the second, then the full line three times in a row. Speed up only while the P and B stay different.
Questions about this tongue twister
- What is a plum bun?
- A sweet bread roll with dried fruit inside. In old English recipes “plum” could mean raisins or other dried fruit, so a plum bun need not contain plums at all. The tongue twister simply contrasts a plain bun with a fruit one.
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.