30+ L Tongue Twisters for Pronunciation
Natalie Fitzgerald SLP
06/02/25 | Last modified: 06/11/25
Tongue twisters are a valuable tool in speech therapy to help children start to learn how to generalize their speech sounds to more complex phrases and sentences. Because tongue twisters are often designed to repeat similar sounds, they are a very effective way to practice the “L” sound in a way that is silly, engaging, and fun!
In this article, we will provide you with a list of tongue twisters for “L” as well as tips for practicing these tongue twisters at home.
30+ L Tongue Twisters for Speech Therapy
Easy L Tongue Twisters
| 1. | Big black bug. |
| 2. | Blue bluebird. |
| 3. | Eleven elves. |
| 4. | Lily likes lemon lollipops. |
| 5. | Larry the lion loves to laugh. |
| 6. | Linda-Lou Lambert loves lemon lollipop lip gloss. |
| 7. | Elizabeth has eleven elves in her elm tree. |
| 8. | A flea and a fly flew up in a flue. |
| 9. | Little Larry likes licking lollipops lazily. |
| 10. | Two tiny turtles tumbled tactfully toward the tall tulips. |
| 11. | Freshly fried flying fish. |
| 12. | Flash place. |
| 13. | Argyle gargoyle. |
| 14. | Friendly fleas and fireflies. |
| 15. | Lola loves lively lullabies. |
Intermediate L Tongue Twisters
| 1. | Red leather, yellow leather. |
| 2. | Red lorry, yellow lorry. |
| 3. | Eleven benevolent elephants. |
| 4. | The blue bluebird blinks. |
| 5. | Double bubble gum bubbles double. |
| 6. | Silly Sally swiftly slides down the slippery slope. |
| 7. | Slimy snails silently slither through the slimy swamp. |
| 8. | Six slippery snails slid silently seaward. |
| 9. | A big black bear sat on a big black rug. |
| 10. | Babbling baby boys blurted boldly. |
| 11. | Really leery, rarely Larry. |
| 12. | Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nuts. |
| 13. | Clean clams crammed in clean cans. |
| 14. | I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet, I sit. |
| 15. | Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better. |
Challenging L Tongue Twisters
| 1. | Billybob blabbered boldly. |
| 2. | A black bug bleeds black blood, while a blue bug bleeds blue blood. |
| 3. | Really rural rabbits rarely run rapidly. |
| 4. | Great glass globes glow greenly. |
| 5. | Friendly frogs frolic freely by the flowing brook. |
| 6. | Sheena leads, Sheila needs. |
| 7. | Walter’s whimsical walrus waltzed with wily woodland weasels. |
| 8. | Priscilla’s perplexing puzzle pieces perfectly puzzled her playmates. |
| 9. | Geraldine gracefully glided through the grand gala, garnering great applause. |
| 10. | Rory’s lawn rake rarely rakes right. |
| 11. | Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep. |
| 12. | On a lazy laser raiser lies a later ray eraser. |
| 13. | Lions lie and liars lie. Lions lie limply alive and liars lie liberally alive. Lions likely lie liberally but liars are likely liable for liking lying and light libel. |
| 14. | Luke’s Luck likes lakes. Luke’s duck likes lakes. Luke’s Luck licks lakes. Luck’s duck licks lakes. |
| 15. | Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread. Spread it thick, say it quick! Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread. Spread it thicker, say it quicker! Yellow butter, purple jelly, red jam, black bread. Don’t eat until you are spreading it like a spread. |
Why the “L” Sound Is Challenging
The “L” sound is typically mastered between 4 to 6 years of age. However, because of the precise tongue placement required to make the “L” sound, it’s also one of the most common articulation errors in children.
Common errors when producing the “L” sound include substituting “W” or “Y”, a process known as gliding. For example, the word “light” may sound like “white” or “little” may sound like “yittle”. These difficulties occur because “L” is considered a later-developing sound and requires more muscle coordination than “easier” sounds like “w” and “y”.
To correctly produce the “L” sound, there are several steps that must be followed:’
- Elevation: The tip of the tongue is elevated and placed behind the front teeth on the top of the mouth.
- Phonation: The voice turns on and sound come through the mouth (if sound comes through the nose, it will sound like “N” instead of “L”)
- Release: The tongue is released down to the floor of the mouth while pronation continues.
It’s important to remember that the top of the tongue is being used to produce the sound, not the back of the tongue (which will result in a “y” sound) or the lips (which will result in a “w” sound).
Benefits of Using L Tongue Twisters for Speech Practice
Tongue twisters are an effective speech therapy practice in a way that is sillier and often more engaging than practicing words or sentences by themselves. The challenge of mastering tricky phrases and the humor of the phrases can often be more motivating and help children stay focused on their sounds.
Furthermore, practicing tongue twisters helps children develop better control over their motor speech patterns, often by contrasting the sound they are working on with other similar sounds, and by using their target sound repeatedly in a short duration. For example, the tongue twister “Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better” contrasts “L” and “W”, which will make it trickier for children who use “W” instead of “L” when they are speaking.
Tips for Practicing L Tongue Twisters
If you want to practice L tongue twisters with your child, there are several things you will want to keep in mind before you get started.
Start Slowly and Clearly
Choose simple tongue twisters that emphasize the “L” sound, like “Lucy likes lemons” or “Lions love licking lollipops.” Begin by saying the phrase slowly and clearly, modeling correct “L” placement with your tongue behind your upper front teeth. You may even want to practice each word in the tongue twister one at a time before attempting to put the entire phrase together.
Use Visual and Tactile Cues
Show children where their tongue should go using a mirror or gestures. You can also have them touch the spot behind their upper teeth with a clean finger or tongue depressor before practicing the sound.
Make It Fun and Interactive
Turn it into a game! See how many times they can say it in a row without messing up, use silly voices, or add movement (like clapping or jumping) to keep engagement high.
Record and Replay
Let the child listen to recordings of themselves saying the tongue twister to help with self-monitoring. Compare early attempts to later ones so they can hear their progress.
Using Forbrain to Practice L Tongue Twisters
Forbrain is an auditory stimulation headset designed to improve speech, articulation, and language skills by helping individuals hear their own voice more clearly and accurately as they speak. The device uses bone conduction technology and a dynamic filter to enhance the sound of the speaker’s voice, providing immediate auditory feedback. This real-time feedback helps the brain better process speech sounds, which can be especially helpful when practicing challenging sounds like “L”.
When children practice tongue twisters with L while wearing Forbrain, they receive immediate auditory feedback that helps them hear the clarity (or distortion) of their /l/ sound more distinctly.
The repetitive nature of tongue twisters also pairs well with Forbrain’s auditory stimulation, which in turn supports the development of consistent speech patterns. Repeating phrases while using Forbrain strengthens neural pathways involved in speech production and auditory processing, which can lead to faster progress in articulation.
Final Words
Practicing the “L” sound doesn’t have to be boring or repetitive! Tongue twisters offer a creative and motivating way to build speech skills while keeping children engaged. With the right approach, even the trickiest phrases become playful challenges that reinforce correct tongue placement and sound awareness.
When paired with tools like Forbrain, these tongue twisters can provide even greater support by enhancing auditory feedback and helping children fine-tune their pronunciation in real time. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or speech therapist, incorporating “L” tongue twisters into your speech practice routine is a fun, effective way to help children strengthen their articulation and build confidence in their communication.