In the world of advertising, words are king. I know there are some that say a picture is worth a thousand words but can you tell me the ingredients of a Big Mac just by looking at it? No, you can't. But because someone cleverly strung together the words, "two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun" you know what you're getting every time your order a Big Mac.

You just sang that, didn't you?

Song lyrics are nothing but words set to an accompanying melody. Because of the way our brain hears and interpret those words they become a memory. And when you've managed to earn a spot in someone's memory, as an advertiser or an artist, you have accomplished your job.

Those are the easy kinds of words to say. Then come those phrases that cause even plain-speaking individuals to sound as if they're trying to speak with a mouthful of boudin after a 12-pack of beer.  We call those words tongue twisters.

Mitchell Griest via Unsplash.com
Mitchell Griest via Unsplash.com
loading...

You probably have your favorite tongue twister that you like to use when you're showing off your enunciation skills. When you can nail those phrases your listeners are impressed. When you stumble and fumble, it's you who looks a little less scholarly.

But speaking of scholarly, the folks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, that's MIT to most of us have been doing some thinking about words and the way our mouths and tongues form them for speech. Because of that, those high-dollar rocket science robot building wizards have created what they're calling the world's hardest tongue twister.

Josh Frenette via Unsplash.com
Josh Frenette via Unsplash.com
loading...

Are you ready to give it a try? Here it is:

Pad kid poured curd pulled cod.

It doesn't look that menacing until you attempt to say it. Okay, until you attempt to say it fast and multiple times. The folks at MIT based their findings on a repeat of 10 times. I could only get through it three times without fumbling. How did you do?

163723680
ThinkStock
loading...

The researchers based their findings on phonic combinations that most people find difficulty in enunciating. I think they came up with a tough one. But certainly, there are other tongue twisters that are just as fun and enlightening to say.

Y'all open wide, stretch out your lips and limber up your tongue because we are about to get really twisted in a tongue sort of way.

11 Tough Tongue Twisters to Loosen Your Lips

 

 

 

 

More From Gator 99.5