A proper copper coffee pot.
Four of the words share the same vowel, so the main things that change are P and K. Swap one and pot turns into cot.
👅 Sounds to Practise
- P /p/, as in proper, copper and pot. Press your lips together, then pop them open with a puff of air.
- K /k/, as in copper and coffee. The back of your tongue touches the roof of your mouth and lets go.
- F /f/, in coffee. The top teeth touch the bottom lip.
The short o is the same in all four of the main words. It is said with the mouth open and relaxed.
🐢 Start Slow
Say each chunk slowly.
A proper
copper
coffee pot.
🚶 Normal Speed
Say it at a natural pace, with the stressed syllables in capitals:
a PROPer COPper COFfee POT.
🚀 Tongue-Twister Mode
Say it three times in a row, as fast as you can:
A proper copper coffee pot.
If it falls apart, that is normal. Slow down and try again. Pop the P with a puff, and keep the K at the back of the mouth.
🤯 Why Is This So Difficult?
The same vowel appears four times, so your mouth does not move much. That makes you hurry, and the P and K blur together.
proper / copper / coffee / pot
- P is made with the lips, and K is made at the back of the tongue. The twister keeps switching between them.
- Copper has two P letters, but only one P sound.
- Coffee has two F letters, but only one F sound.
👀 Words to Notice
These pairs change when P becomes K:
- pot / cot
- pop / cop
- pup / cup
- pan / can
Say each pair slowly. Use the lips for P and the back of the tongue for K.
🏆 OddLingo Challenge
- Round 1: say it slowly, one chunk at a time, with no mistakes.
- Round 2: say the whole twister once at normal speed.
- Round 3: say it three times fast without stopping.
Bonus round: if you survived all three, try this one:
A copper cup in a proper coffee pot.
🔗 Related Practice
- Peter Piper: another P twister with a lot of puffs.
- Greg's Grey Goat: G against K, two sounds made in the same place.