Ехал Грека через реку, видит Грека — в реке рак. (Yekhal Greka cherez reku, vidit Greka — v reke rak.) (Yekhal Greka cherez reku, vidit Greka — v reke rak.)

Meaning: A rolling 'r/k' drill where Greka, reku and rak keep trading the same two consonants.

Language: Russian

Literally: Greka was riding across the river; Greka sees a crayfish in the river.

Category: Tricky

Origin: One of the first twisters Russian children learn; the full version ends with the crayfish grabbing Greka's hand.

More tongue twisters — Tricky

• От топота копыт пыль по полю летит. (Ot topota kopyt pyl po polyu letit.) (Ot topota kopyt pyl' po polyu letit.) — A 'p/t' hammering that imitates the hoofbeats it describes.
• 八百标兵奔北坡，炮兵并排北边跑。(Bābǎi biāobīng bēn běipō, pàobīng bìngpái běibian pǎo.) (Bābǎi biāobīng bēn běipō, pàobīng bìngpái běibian pǎo.) — A pure b-versus-p drill, separating Mandarin's unaspirated b from its aspirated p.
• A aranha arranha a rã. A rã arranha a aranha. — Contrasts the soft single r of aranha against the hard rolled rr of arranha — one letter…
• 네가 그린 기린 그림은 못 그린 기린 그림이고 내가 그린 기린 그림은 잘 그린 기린 그림이다. (Nega geurin girin geurimeun mot geurin girin geurimigo, naega geurin girin geurimeun jal geurin girin geurimida.) (Nega geurin girin geurimeun mot geurin girin geurimigo naega geurin girin geurimeun jal geurin girin geurimida) — geurin, girin and geurim rotate through nearly the same syllables with only the vowel mov…
• Król Karol kupił królowej Karolinie korale koloru koralowego. — Every word starts with k, and król/Karol/korale/koloru keep re-ordering the same handful…
• Far, får får får? Nej, får får inte får, får får lamm. — får means both 'sheep' and 'gets' — seven identical-looking words carrying two different…

More Russian tongue twisters

• Четыре чёрненьких чумазеньких чертёнка чертили чёрными чернилами чертёж. (Chetyre chyornenkikh chumazenkikh chertyonka chertili chyornymi chernilami chertyozh.) (Chetyre chyornenkikh chumazenkikh chertyonka chertili chyornymi chernilami chertyozh.) — Seven consecutive words built on 'ch' — Russian's ч in every stressed position with barel…
• На дворе трава, на траве дрова. (Na dvore trava, na trave drova.) (Na dvore trava, na trave drova.) — A short but nasty 'tr/dr' blend — the consonant clusters that trip up every learner of Ru…
• Шла Саша по шоссе и сосала сушку. (Shla Sasha po shosse i sosala sushku.) (Shla Sasha po shosse i sosala sushku.) — A merciless 'sh/s/ss' collision — Sasha walking, sucking, and all those sibilants.
• Карл у Клары украл кораллы, Клара у Карла украла кларнет. (Karl u Klary ukral korally, Klara u Karla ukrala klarnet.) (Karl u Klary ukral korally, Klara u Karla ukrala klarnet.) — A 'kl/kr/r' drama — crime, countercrimes, and consonant clusters all at once.
• Корабли лавировали, лавировали, да не вылавировали. (Korabli lavirovali, lavirovali, da ne vylavirovali.) (Korabli lavirovali, lavirovali, da ne vylavirovali.) — One verb, three inflections, pure 'lav/vir' torture — the word grows with every repetitio…

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