Nov 2, 2009
On lisping: I learn so much being married to a speech-language pathologist. Part 3
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Molly showed me recently that if you can say T, you can say S, because S is a prolonged T.
Try it.
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Related:
- Paradoxical Vocal Fold Movement: I learn so much being married to a speech-language pathologist. Part 1
- Diplophonia: I learn so much being married to a speech-language pathologist. Part 2
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I did. My tongue is in a different place when I make the S sound than when I make the T sound.
Doesn’t that matter?
Yes, it can be in a different place. My understanding is that there’s wide variance in how people make different sounds. But the point is that you’re tongue doesn’t have to be in a different place. So if someone struggles with S, one way to help is to have them try prolonging a T.
I’m speaking beyond my pay grade here, though.
I’ve been a lisper all my life–I’ll try it!
When I was in grade school, I had a small gap between my two front teeth, and was told I say my S “incorrectly.” But, it sounded normal. The speech therapist at school was concerned that I’d develop a lisp once the gap in my teeth went away.
The gap is gone, I still say S the same way, and it still sounds normal.
Any tips for a 5 year old who’s struggling with her ‘ch’ and ‘j’ sounds. :)
My best friend’s daughter struggles with those sounds. I couldn’t figure out why she was going to be kitty litter for Halloween. She kept saying kitty litter – you know with pom-poms!
Oh cheer leader!
Well, for a start, I’m pretty sure ‘ch’ is unvoiced and ‘j’ is voiced.
In my class (of mainly 6 yr olds) I liken it to the engine of a motor bike in our throats – sounds strange, but they have fun with it!
Practising ‘ch’ with ‘motor-off’ voices (or just whispers) might help.
Someone just walked into my room while I was audibly deliberating on what advice to give. Embarrassing.
Maybe putting an ‘n’ before the ‘j’ will force it to be voiced. Whispering ‘j’ will force it to be a voiceless ‘ch’. Let me know if it helps.
I wonder how many folks are sitting at their computers making funny noises this morning…that thought makes me laugh!
Speech path is so very cool. I wish I’d gone into that…
Kathleen
Southforte Farms
I’m doing a lingustics course at the moment where we all had some very practical phonetics training. People sitting around making funny noises is everyday life for me :-)
I am! :-)
Guilty as well.
Speech pathology M.A. student here. It all has to do with co-articulation. Say “suit”…then “sick”….then try just prolonging the “s” sound in suit while you round your lips for the “oo” and then just the “s” sound in sick while you draw your lips back. Both are “s”…both sound different…both have a slightly different place of contact for the tongue to the roof of your mouth. A kid who is used to having his tongue closer to the front can learn “suit” faster than “sick”….start with “toot” and eventually they’ll get to “suit”.
That’s why when you teach your child sounds…you shouldn’t teach them “kuh” for the k sound. “Kuh” (like in “cut”) is different from “kI” (like in “kick”).
Oh….regional dialects may make the difference between these words less noticeable.
My comments here should not be taken as professional/medical advice and you should consult your pediatrician/speech pathologist if your child is having difficulty with these sounds.
that is rad!!!
They’re both aspirates, right?
Always learning something new from those Pipers! Great stuff!!
bleh, i wish molly lived over here in the seattle area. our oldest has a lateral lisp and it’s ridiculous how much it’s going to cost to take her to speech therapy. at least with molly it would be fun too. :)
I seem to remember someone coaching me to on T’s and Th’s as a child because I some lisping going on. They seemed to fix me… or at least that issue.
So I guess I can’t say I didn’t learn anything in public school anymore.
I blame the missing and randomly added words in that comment on my private education that came after the lisping was fixed at that Blessed Public School. Plus I remember only wanting to stay home 99% of the time during public school, compared to 100% of the time in private.
Whoa. It’s true. Weird!
P.S. I love this blog. It’s brilliant and original. (And I still count the words of each post I read!) What a cool way to make each word count.
Keep up the good work :)
i secretly hope my children have a lisp because it’s cute