Fun for the whole mouth

There are still a few of the Georgian letters that I cannot pronounce correctly. In an attempt to work at the sounds, I asked Tea for some Georgian tongue-twisters. She gave me two tonight with promises of more when she remembers them.

ბაყაყი წყალში ყიყინებს -- with English letters: baqkhaqkhi ts'qkhalshi qkhiqkhinebs. This is something about a frog croaking in the water. This is the one I really need to practice.

ჩემოდანი, ჩანთა, ჩალმა, ტახტი, ტაბლა, რუქა -- with English letters: chemodani, chanta, chalma, t'akht'i, t'abla, ruqa. This is a list of objects: suitcase, bag, something, sofa, something, map. I don't know what two of them are.

I am close to being able to say the "qkh" letter (ყ). I almost had it tonight after trying about 20 times. If I keep practicing the first tongue twister, I'll have it. The sound happens down at the top of the throat with the tongue flat across the middle of the mouth. My throat is not used to creating sounds that are supposed to be communicative! I'll keep at it.

In the meantime, I also practice tongue-twisters in English with Tea and some of my students who come to my house each week for pronunciation practice. Elene likes trying them, too.

After you try the Georgian ones a few times, you'll feel much more comfortable with these.... but you have to say them out loud for the real effect --

    She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

    Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

    Freshly fried frying fish

    Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

    How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? (This is Elene's favorite one.)

   The epitome of femininity

    White eraser? Right away, sir!

    Many an anemone sees an enemy anemone.

    The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne through Thursday.

    Roberta ran rings around the Roman ruins.

    Four furious friends fought for the phone.

And the grand finale -- the most difficult one in the English language....

    The sixth sick Sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

Say that one as fast as you can ten times in a row!