잰말놀이는 각 발음이 서로 비슷해 빨리 발음하기 어려운 문장을 빨리 읽거나 반복해서 읽는 놀이를 말한다. 빠르게 발음하면서 말을 더듬지 않는 게 관건이라, 아나운서나 성우 등 언어 전달이 정확해야 하는 직업인들에게 필수적인 훈련이다.
“Tongue Twister”
- 잰말놀이
잰말놀이를 영어로는 “Tongue Twister”라고 하는데, 이를 직역해보면, “혀 꼬기” 정도가 된다. 비슷한 발음을 가진 단어를 빠르게 읽으려고 하다보면 혀가 꼬이는 것에서 붙은 이름으로 추정된다.
우리말의 대표적인 잰말놀이는 “간장공장 공장장”이라고 볼 수 있는데, 영어에서도 이와 유사한 잰말놀이를 찾아볼 수 있다. 아래에서 내용을 정리해 볼 수 있다.
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
- Betty Botter bought some butter, But she said the butter’s bitter, If I put it in my batter. it will make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter will make my batter better. So ‘twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood. As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood
- She sells seashells by the seashore
- How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?
- I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream
- I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop
- Susie works in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines she sits, and where she sits she shines
- Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?
- Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
- I have got a date at a quarter to eight; I’ll see you at the gate, so don’t be late
- You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York
- I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen
- If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
- I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you
- I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch
- Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear
- Eddie edited it
- Willie’s really weary
- A big black bear sat on a big black rug
- Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks
- He threw three free throws
- Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely
- So, this is the sushi chef
- Four fine fresh fish for you
- Wayne went to wales to watch walruses
- Six sticky skeletons (x3)
- Which witch is which? (x3)
- Snap crackle pop (x3)
- Flash message (x3)
- Red Buick, blue Buick (x3)
- Red lorry, yellow lorry (x3)
- Thin sticks, thick bricks (x3)
- Stupid superstition (x3)
- Eleven benevolent elephants (x3)
- Two tried and true tridents (x3)
- Rolling red wagons (x3)
- Black back bat (x3)
- She sees cheese (x3)
- Truly rural (x3)
- Good blood, bad blood (x3)
- Pre-shrunk silk shirts (x3)
- Ed had edited it. (x3)
- We surely shall see the sun shine soon
- Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
- Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread
- I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit
- A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk
- Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better
- Of all the vids I’ve ever viewed, I’ve never viewed a vid as valued as Alex’s engVid vid
