Latin might be a ‘dead’ language, but that doesn’t mean it can’t trip you up. Try these tongue twisters to sharpen your pronunciation - or just to impress your classmates.
1. ‘In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni’
A palindrome that means ‘We go wandering at night and are consumed by fire.’ The rapid-fire ‘g’ and ‘m’ sounds make this a real challenge.
2. ‘Mala mala mala mala malo’
Translates to ‘Bad apples are bad for the apple tree.’ The repetition of ‘mala’ (which can mean ‘bad,’ ‘apples,’ or ‘cheek’) is a nightmare for beginners.
Mala
/ˈma.la/“Bad / Apples / Cheek”
3. ‘O Tite tute Tati tibi tanta tyranne tulisti’
From the Roman poet Ennius, this means ‘O Titus Tatius, you brought such great things upon yourself, tyrant.’ The alliteration is brutal.
4. ‘Sic sic sic sic sic sic sic’
Means ‘Thus, thus, thus…’ Repeated quickly, it sounds like a stuck record. Try saying it five times without stumbling.
5. ‘Roma tibi subito motibus ibit amor’
Another palindrome: ‘Rome, to you love will suddenly come through movements.’ The mirrored phrasing makes pronunciation extra tricky.
For more Latin challenges, check out our guide on Homeric Greek vs Latin.
