Russian tongue twisters (скороговорки) you can get scored on
Fourteen classic скороговорки with stress marks, an English meaning and the sounds each one trains. Listen to one, then say it: the recorder scores every word and every sound, so you can see which one tripped you.
- Classic скороговорки with stress marks and English meanings
- What each one trains: ш and с, the rolled р, ы, ж, the soft ч
- Say any twister and get a score per word and sound — free, no account
1.Шла Са́ша по шоссе́ и соса́ла су́шку.
Sasha walked along the highway sucking on a sushka (a small dry bagel).
Trains: ш against с
Шла Саша по шоссе и сосала сушку.
Tap to record
Every word and sound is scored. Stress itself is not.
2.Карл у Кла́ры укра́л кора́ллы, а Кла́ра у Ка́рла укра́ла кларне́т.
Karl stole corals from Klara, and Klara stole a clarinet from Karl.
Trains: the rolled р against л, and unstressed о said as а
3.На дворе́ трава́, на траве́ дрова́.
Grass in the yard, firewood on the grass.
Trains: тр and др clusters with a rolled р
4.Е́хал Гре́ка че́рез ре́ку, ви́дит Гре́ка — в реке́ рак. Су́нул Гре́ка ру́ку в ре́ку, рак за ру́ку Гре́ку цап!
Greka rode across the river and saw a crayfish in it. He put his hand in the river — and the crayfish grabbed his hand!
Trains: р before and after vowels, and the soft р in реку
5.Три́дцать три корабля́ лави́ровали, лави́ровали, да не вылави́ровали.
Thirty-three ships tacked and tacked, but could not tack out.
Trains: р and л in one long word
6.От то́пота копы́т пыль по по́лю лети́т.
From the clatter of hooves, dust flies across the field.
Trains: ы after п, and the soft л in полю
7.Жу́тко жуку́ жить на суку́.
It is scary for a beetle to live on a bough.
Trains: ж against ш and с
8.Четы́ре чёрненьких чума́зеньких чертёнка черти́ли чёрными черни́лами чертёж.
Four grubby little black imps drew a diagram in black ink.
Trains: the soft ч, again and again
9.Бык тупогу́б, тупогу́бенький бычо́к, у быка́ бела́ губа́ была́ тупа́.
The bull is blunt-lipped, a blunt-lipped little bull; the bull’s white lip was blunt.
Trains: ы against у, and б against п
10.Ма́ма мы́ла Ми́лу мы́лом.
Mum washed Mila with soap.
Trains: ы against и (мыла / Милу)
11.Куку́шка кукушо́нку купи́ла капюшо́н.
The cuckoo bought her chick a hood.
Trains: к and ш, and ю in капюшон
12.О́сип охри́п, Архи́п оси́п.
Osip got hoarse, Arkhip lost his voice.
Trains: х and the rolled р, unstressed о as а
13.Съел молоде́ц три́дцать три пирога́, да всё с творого́м.
The fine fellow ate thirty-three pies, all of them with cottage cheese.
Trains: unstressed о said as а (молодец, творогом)
14.Сы́воротка и́з-под простоква́ши.
Whey from under the curdled milk.
Trains: ы, and the cluster ст-кв
How to practise a скороговорка
Read it slowly first, with the stress where the marks put it. Russian twisters are built on pairs a learner merges: ш and с in Шла Саша по шоссе, р and л in Карл у Клары, ы and и in Мама мыла Милу. Say each pair clearly at half speed, then speed up until it breaks.
The stress matters even though it is not scored: an unstressed о is said close to а, so молодец sounds like "ma-la-DYETS". The Russian stress marker adds the marks to any text you paste.
What the score checks
The recorder scores every word and every sound of your reading against a native reference, including the reduced vowels. It does not judge stress. To work on one sound at a time, see the guide to the Russian ы or the guide to rolling the Russian р, and for your own sentences use the Russian practice page.
Russian tongue twisters: questions
What is the most famous Russian tongue twister?+
"Шла Саша по шоссе и сосала сушку" (Sasha walked along the highway sucking on a dry bagel) is the one every Russian child learns, followed by "Карл у Клары украл кораллы".
What is a сушка?+
A small, hard, ring-shaped bread, like a mini bagel, eaten with tea.
Is the scoring free?+
Yes, with a daily number of scored takes. Listening and reading are unlimited.
Does it check my stress?+
No. Each word and sound is scored, including the vowels that change with stress, but not the stress itself.
Practise Russian out loud every day
The TonePerfect app gives you short daily speaking sessions in Russian, with a score on every word and every sound.
Twisters: traditional Russian скороговорки (public domain). Stress marks: OpenRussian.org (CC BY-SA 4.0), checked by hand. Audio: your device’s Russian voice.