Practice your diction with a mouthful
Practice diction by reciting tongue twisters slowly and clearly, exaggerating mouth movements, timing attempts, and recording progress to improve clarity and confidence.
Step-by-step guide to practice your diction with a mouthful
How To Use A Dictionary? Fun Ways To Teach Kid's Dictionary Skills
Step 1
Find a quiet spot and sit with your mirror and notebook in front of you.
Step 2
Pick three tongue twisters from your list and write each one on a separate line in your notebook.
Step 3
Do a one-minute mouth warm-up by opening wide yawning style and saying long vowel sounds slowly.
Step 4
Read the first tongue twister silently to yourself to notice which words look tricky.
Step 5
Say the first tongue twister slowly while watching your mouth in the mirror and exaggerate each movement.
Step 6
Time how long it takes you to say the twister by starting the timer when you begin and stopping it when you finish.
Step 7
Write the time and give yourself a clarity score from 1 to 5 in your notebook.
Step 8
Repeat the first twister three times, making each try a little faster while keeping the words clear.
Step 9
Write down any words that got jumbled and circle them so you can focus on them next.
Step 10
Repeat Steps 4 to 9 for the second and third tongue twisters.
Step 11
Choose your favorite twister and practice until you can say it clearly three times in a row.
Step 12
Write a short note in your notebook comparing your first attempt time and score to your best attempt.
Step 13
Share your practice progress and favorite clear performance on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use if I don't have a mirror, notebook, or timer?
Use your phone's front-facing camera as a mirror, a blank sheet of paper or a notes app for the notebook, and your phone clock or a kitchen timer to time each attempt.
My words get all jumbled when I try to go faster—what should I do?
If words jumble when speeding up in Step 7, slow the twister down, exaggerate the mouth movements while watching the mirror as in Step 6, and practice the circled problem words from Step 9 slowly in syllables until they sound clear.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children, pick shorter, simpler tongue twisters from Step 2, shorten the mouth warm-up in Step 3 and practice with a parent, while older kids can choose harder twisters, add a speed target to Step 5, and track improvement across sessions in Step 11.
How can we make this activity more challenging or personal?
To extend the activity, record video of your mirror practice during Steps 4–9 to study mouth shapes, create a progress chart in your notebook comparing times and clarity scores from Step 11, and invent personalized tongue twisters to add to your Step 2 list.
Watch videos on how to practice your diction with a mouthful
15 Minute Morning Pronunciation Practice for English Learners
4 Videos
15 Minute Morning Pronunciation Practice for English Learners
![[NEW] 12. Pronunciation Practice -Tongue Twisters (English Dialogue for Kids)](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NERvH60UcHQ/mqdefault.jpg)
[NEW] 12. Pronunciation Practice -Tongue Twisters (English Dialogue for Kids)
BOX SET: The complete guide to English Pronunciation 👄 Learn ALL 44 sounds of English in 75 minutes!
How to Improve Children's English Pronunciation | 7- Minute Method
Facts about speech and pronunciation exercises for kids
⏱️ Timing your attempts (and trying for both speed and clarity) is a simple way to measure progress over days and weeks.
🎭 Actors, singers, and broadcasters regularly use tongue twisters as vocal warm-ups to improve clarity and reduce mumbling.
🧠 Exaggerating mouth movements during practice trains the brain and facial muscles to coordinate for clearer pronunciation.
🎧 Recording practice sessions lets you hear tiny improvements you might miss while speaking and builds confidence.
🗣️ Tongue twisters are designed to challenge articulation — saying them slowly helps train the exact mouth movements needed for clear speech.
How do you practice diction with a mouthful activity?
What materials do I need for a diction practice activity?
What ages is diction mouthful practice suitable for?
What are the benefits and safety tips for diction practice?
One subscription, many ways to play and learn.
Only $6.99 after trial. No credit card required