Oral English Practice
Exercises & Tongue Twisters
American Heteronyms
Heteronyms
• Words that are spelled identically but
that have different meanings and
(typically) different pronunciations
Practice these phrases:
• You will find fruits and vegetables in
the produce section. (adjective)
• Many factories produce too much
pollution. (verb)
Practice these phrases:
• Kielbasa, a famous Polish sausage, is
very popular in Minnesota. (adjective)
• Many women like fancy nail polish, and
they polish their fingernails before any
big event. (noun or verb)
Practice these phrases:
• It's very dangerous to use lead paint.
(adjective)
• You can lead a horse to water, but you
can’t make it drink! (verb)
Practice these phrases:
• The boy received a present from his
grandmother. (noun)
• We are going to present our idea at the
meeting. (verb)
Practice these phrases:
• The New Year’s Special TV show is always
broadcast live. (adjective)
• Kangaroos and koalas live in Australia,
and Pandas live in China. (verb)
Practice these phrases:
• A dove is a white bird that symbolizes
peace. (noun)
• The swimmers dove into the pool several
times. (verb)
Practice these phrases:
• The treasure hunter discovered a
valuable object in the tomb. (noun)
• Lawyers often object to questions during
a trial. (verb)
Practice these phrases:
• What was your favorite subject in
school? Math, science, history? (noun)
• New drugs are subject to many tests
before they are approved. (verb)
Practice these phrases:
• They had been lost in the desert for
almost a week. (noun)
• The soldier decided to desert the army
one day. (verb)
Practice these phrases:
• She is very close to finishing her essay
for literature class. (adjective)
• Please close the door and windows when
you leave. (verb)
Practice these phrases:
• Are you going to read the sports section
of the newspaper? (verb - present tense)
• I've already read this book three times.
(verb - past tense)
Practice these phrases:
• The little girl wore a pretty red bow in
her hair. (noun)
• The dancers always bow after their
performances. (verb)
Practice these phrases:
• She must have been sad because I
saw a tear on her cheek. (noun)
• Be careful not to accidentally tear
the paper. (verb)
And now…
Tongue Twisters
• Now try these words:
– Please
– polish
– the
– Polish
– silver
– sometime
– soon
Tongue Twisters
Please polish the Polish silver sometime soon
Tongue Twisters
Please polish the Polish silver sometime soon
Tongue Twisters
Please polish the Polish silver sometime soon
Tongue Twisters
Please polish the Polish silver sometime soon
Tongue Twisters
Please polish the Polish silver sometime soon
Tongue Twisters
Can you say it three times, fast?
Please polish the Polish silver sometime soon
Please polish the Polish silver sometime soon
Please polish the Polish silver sometime soon
Tongue Twisters
and…
Tongue Twisters
• Now try these words:
– He
– wanted
– to
– desert
– his
– dessert
– in
Tongue Twisters
Now try these words:
– the
– desert
Tongue Twisters
He wanted to desert
his dessert in the desert!
Tongue Twisters
He wanted to desert
his dessert in the desert!
Tongue Twisters
He wanted to desert
his dessert in the desert!
Tongue Twisters
He wanted to desert
his dessert in the desert!
Tongue Twisters
He wanted to desert
his dessert in the desert!
Tongue Twisters
He wanted to desert
his dessert in the desert!
Tongue Twisters
Can you say it five times, fast?
He wanted
He wanted
He wanted
He wanted
He wanted
to desert
to desert
to desert
to desert
to desert
his dessert
his dessert
his dessert
his dessert
his dessert
in the desert!
in the desert!
in the desert!
in the desert!
in the desert!
Tongue Twisters
again
Tongue Twisters
Please polish the Polish silver sometime soon
He wanted to desert his dessert in the desert!
two more phrases to help you …
Practice Diction & Enunciation!
That’s enough for
today!