BRZALICE I PESMICE (poems and tongue twisters)

(in the photo ODŽAČAR - ОЏАЧАР)


R ---- na vrh brda vrba mrda

LJ--- ljubim Ljubu i ljubicu i ljujam se

Č ---- čuči čavka na čađavom čotu, pričajte nam priče o životu

NJ--- njegova njuška njuška li njuška

Ž ---- od jednoga žira, pa do neke ruže puž dva dana puže, a možda i duže

H --- hvala lepo, lepo hvala, šala mala

Ć --- po dvorištu ćuran šeće, vazda pućka i blebeće

DŽ vs. Đ razvedri se nebo sivo, prevari se vrabac Dživo, pa izete iz odžaka na oluku da podžaka. Narogušen, sav u čađi - iako je s njom u svađi - dira macu 'Čik izađi'

A willow moves on a hill, a jackdaw crouches on a sooty chimney and an indignant turkey crosses the yard. Serbian tongue twisters build absurd little pictures because the picture helps the sound stay in your mouth.

Give every difficult sound its own comic scene

Accuracy comes before speed. Separate Č from Ć, and DŽ from Đ, by practising short contrasts rather than racing through an entire verse. Keep LJ and NJ joined as single sounds. For syllabic R in vrh and mrda, avoid adding an extra vowel. A slow clean version is more valuable than a fast blurred one.

Five brand-new twists for brave tongues

LatinicaĆirilicaEnglish
Četiri čavke čuvaju čudan čamac.Четири чавке чувају чудан чамац.Four jackdaws guard a strange boat.
Ljilja ljulja Ljubu pored ljiljana.Љиља љуља Љубу поред љиљана.Ljilja rocks Ljuba beside the lilies.
Njegov konj njuška dunje na njivi.Његов коњ њушка дуње на њиви.His horse sniffs quinces in the field.
Đorđe džezvu drži pored džaka.Ђорђе џезву држи поред џака.Đorđe holds a coffee pot beside a sack.
Šest žutih puževa žuri kroz šiblje.Шест жутих пужева жури кроз шибље.Six yellow snails hurry through the bushes.

Climb the speed ladder without slipping

Choose one line. Say it in three pieces, then join the pieces. Repeat at slow, medium and lively speed. If a target sound disappears, return one step; speed is the reward for clarity, not its replacement.

Untangle the sound knots

  1. Which sound contrasts with Č in the set?
  2. Write Latin DŽ in Cyrillic.
  3. Find the word containing syllabic R in the original lines.
  4. Which paired letters form the sound Њ?
  5. Read the line about Đorđe twice without merging Đ and DŽ.

The knots come loose

  1. Ć
  2. Џ
  3. vrh or mrda
  4. NJ
  5. The last item is oral: Đ begins Đorđe; DŽ begins džezvu and džaka.