S, Z and SH sounds: lisp exercises for kids

Lisps and SH swaps: what you might hear

• Frontal (interdental) lisp: the tongue pokes between the teeth, so S sounds like TH – “thun” for “sun” – and Z like the TH in “this”. Very common in young children.
• Lateral lisp: the air escapes over the sides of the tongue, giving a wet, slushy S, a bit like the Welsh “ll”. This isn’t a usual stage of development.
• SH replaced by S: “sip” for “ship”, “sue” for “shoe”. Common while SH is still developing.

Z is S with the voice switched on, so it usually follows S.

What’s typical, and when to see an SLT

Many children have a frontal lisp when they’re small, and it often fades by about 5. SH usually comes along by about 5–6, sometimes a little later. Around 6–7, when the front baby teeth fall out, S can turn whistly or lispy for a while; that usually settles once the new teeth grow in.

Ask a speech and language therapist (SLT) if:

• you hear a lateral lisp at any age – it’s worth a check rather than waiting;
• a frontal lisp is still there after about 5 and isn’t fading;
• your child is 6 or older and SH is still missing;
• your child is hard to understand, or unhappy about their speech.

Warm-ups for S, Z and SH

• Teeth fence: smile with the teeth gently together; the tongue hides behind the “fence”. Hold for 5 seconds, 5 times.
• Snake: through the smile, let out a long, thin “sssss”. Hold a finger in front of the middle of the lips: the cool air should come out right there, not from the sides.
• Bee: same position, voice on: “zzzzz”. Feel the buzz on the throat.
• Quiet please: for SH, push the lips forward like a trumpet and pull the tongue a little further back: “shhhh”.
• Feather blow: blow a feather or a scrap of tissue across the table with one steady stream of air.

These are playful warm-ups, not a lisp treatment on their own. For more, see tongue exercises for speech.

Step by step

1. Listen: use minimal pairs – sea/she, sip/ship, sock/shock, save/shave for SH; sink/think, sum/thumb, mouse/mouth for a frontal lisp. You say one; your child points to the picture.
2. Find the sound: tongue behind the teeth. A handy trick for S: say a quiet “t” and stretch it into “t-sssss”. For SH, lips forward like a trumpet.
3. Syllables: sa, see, soo; sha, shee, shoo.
4. Words: at the start (sun, sock, zoo, shoe, ship), at the end (bus, house, buzz, fish, wish), then in the middle (pencil, dinosaur, washing). Some children find the end of a word easiest – start wherever it works.
5. Sentences: “Six silly snakes”, then “She sells seashells” once both sounds are steady.
6. Everyday talk: listen out for S or SH during one routine a day.

Games for S, Z and SH

• Snake or bee? Point to a snake picture for “sss” and a bee for “zzz”, switching faster and faster.
• Sea or she? Take turns saying one word while the other points. Mix-ups get a laugh.
• Shopping list: collect things with S or SH around the house – soap, socks, shampoo, shoes.
• Steam train: “shh-shh-shh” as a train chugs round the room; it stops when the driver says “sss”.

How Chatterbox helps

Chatterbox has games for the S, Z and SH sounds, tongue warm-ups with pictures that show where the tongue should be, breathing exercises, and tongue twisters and chants. A friendly animal reads every task aloud and the microphone hears when your child speaks – a few minutes a day, with stars and streaks.

Common mistakes

• Waiting on a lateral lisp. Get it checked by an SLT.
• “Stop lisping!” Modelling the word clearly works better than pointing out the mistake.
• Too long, too serious. A few minutes, lots of fun.
• Tongue twisters too early. Get single words steady first.