Sure the ship's shipshape, sir
A sailor's reply to an officer, packed into five words. It sounds like a real sentence, which makes it a good warm-up for adults, and it puts SH and S side by side in tight clusters where the tongue has very little room.
Sure the ship's shipshape, sir.
More tongue twisters for the same sounds
- His dozen dazzling designs pleased the busy business owners.
- Ships sail, sails shift and the tall masts sway in the breeze.
- Sixty-six sizzling sausages sat side by side in a shiny steel pan.
- The shy musician closes her eyes, then sings the soft, easy phrases.
- Sofia's husband chooses zesty sauces and seasons the soup with sea salt.
- Zoe's sister surely shouldn't share these secrets, so she says she's sorry and sits in silence.
Other famous tongue twisters for these sounds
- She sees cheese
- Selfish shellfish
- Sheep should sleep in a shed
- Irish wristwatch, Swiss wristwatch
- Six slippery snails
- Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches
- If a dog chews shoes
- Should such a shapely sash
- A noisy noise annoys an oyster
- Swan swam over the sea
- Susie works in a shoeshine shop
- She sells seashells by the seashore
Where to breathe
- Sure the ship's shipshape,
- sir.
Where the sounds collide
Four of the five words start with a hissing sound: “sure” and “ship's” and “shipshape” with SH, “sir” with S. The word “sure” is a trap of its own, because it is spelled with S but said with SH: “shoor” or “shur”.
The hardest spot is “ship's shipshape”. The sound run is SH, P, S, SH, P, SH, P. The S in “ship's” sits between two P sounds and a SH, so it is often lost or turned into SH: “ship shipshape” or “shipsh shipshape”.
The last word, “sir”, is a test of control. After four SH words, the tongue expects another, and many people say “shir”.
How to learn it
Start with “ship's shipshape”. Say it slowly, separating the parts: “ship's · ship · shape”. Make the S in “ship's” crisp and short. Then join them without losing it.
Next, practice the ending, “shipshape, sir”. After the last SH, relax the lips and bring the tongue forward for S. If you put a slight smile on “sir”, the S comes out more clearly.
Breathe before the line, not during it. It is short enough to say on one breath. Speed it up only while “sir” still starts with a plain S. Read it like a real answer, calm and confident, and the rhythm will help.
Questions about this tongue twister
- What does shipshape mean?
- Neat, clean and in good order. The word comes from the sea, where everything on a ship had to be tidy and properly stowed. Today people use it about any place or task: “the office is shipshape”.
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.