Tongue-twisters could be used to gauge alcohol-intoxication levels, study finds

Participants were given a large, weight-based dose of alcohol and subsequently asked to recite a tongue-twister each hour, up to seven hours after consuming alcohol. Photograph: Radius Images/Alamy

Whether it is the story of Peter Piper and his pickled peppers or a woman selling sea shells on the seashore, tongue-twisters tackled when sober can sound rather different after a drink.

Now researchers believe such changes, in particular those relating to pitch and frequency, could be used to alert people to their level of intoxication.