What is the full Betty Botter tongue twister?

"Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter." Some versions continue: "If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter — that would make my batter better."

Why is Betty Botter hard to say?

B and T alternate with shifting vowels. In American English the T in "butter" and "bitter" becomes a flap (sounds like D), which makes the two words almost identical.

Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter.

At a glance

Difficulty: Medium
Target sounds: B, T
Words: 11
Reps to pass: 15 in 60s

Why this one is hard

B and T alternate with shifting vowels. In American English the T becomes a flap, which destabilises it further.

Pronunciation

/ˈbɛti ˈbɒtər bɔːt sʌm ˈbʌtər bʌt ʃiː sɛd ðə ˈbʌtərz ˈbɪtər/

Common mistakes

"Butter" and "bitter" differ by one vowel. At speed, both flatten to "budder" in American English because the T becomes a flap.

Practice tip

Emphasise the vowel difference between "butter" (ʌ) and "bitter" (ɪ). If you can hear the two vowels clearly in isolation, they'll survive at speed.

How to practise it

1
Say it once, slowly
Read the whole line aloud at half speed. Get every sound correct before you think about pace.
2
Break it into chunks
Split the line into two or three pieces. Repeat each piece on its own until it comes out clean every time.
3
Join the chunks back up
Say the full line again, still slowly. Accuracy first — speed is worth nothing if the words are wrong.
4
Start the timer
Hit start and push your pace. You need 15 clean repetitions in 60 seconds to pass medium.

Try these next

Browse all medium tongue twisters or practise more P and B sounds.

Frequently asked questions

What is the full Betty Botter tongue twister?: "Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter." Some versions continue: "If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter — that would make my batter better."
Why is Betty Botter hard to say?: B and T alternate with shifting vowels. In American English the T in "butter" and "bitter" becomes a flap (sounds like D), which makes the two words almost identical.