RESEARCH STARTER

Lisping

Lisping is a speech disorder characterized by the incorrect pronunciation of sibilants, specifically the sounds "s" and "z," which are often substituted with a "th" sound. This condition can arise from various physiological issues, dental problems, or missing teeth. There are different types of lisping, such as central or frontal lisp, which occurs when the tongue protrudes too far during speech, leading to the typical "th" sound. Lateral lisping produces a more blubbering sound due to air escaping on both sides of the tongue, often linked to missing upper front teeth. A recessive lisp is identified by the tongue being held too far back, resulting in "sh" sounds instead of "s."

Treatment for lisping generally involves speech therapy, where therapists employ methods like phonetic placement and auditory stimulation to help children learn the correct tongue positioning and sound production. These therapeutic techniques can effectively assist children in transitioning from practicing individual sounds to using them in spontaneous speech. While lisping may be short-term for some, it can also persist as a chronic condition, making early intervention important for effective communication skills.

Full Article

  • ANATOMY OR SYSTEM AFFECTED: Mouth, teeth, tongue
  • CAUSES: Physiological anomalies, jaw alignment problems, dental problems, tongue-tie, missing teeth
  • SYMPTOMS: Mispronunciation of sibilants s and z; sometimes affects sh, ch, and j sounds
  • DURATION: Typically short-term but may be chronic without intervention
  • TREATMENTS: Speech therapy

DEFINITION: The defective pronunciation of the sibilants s and z, usually substituted with a th sound.

Causes and Symptoms

An interdental or frontal lisp is caused by a child pushing the tongue past the teeth while speaking, which tends to occur in cases of an open bite. This produces the familiar lisp in which s and z sounds are pronounced like th. Sometimes, the child tries to correct the protrusion of the tongue by pulling it in, but lisping still occurs because the correct position of the tongue has not been learned.

A lateral lisp involves the escape of air on both sides of the tongue, yielding an unpleasant “blubbering” sound. A possible cause is missing teeth, particularly the two upper front teeth.

A palatal lisp is caused by holding the tongue too far back in the mouth. The s and z sounds come out sounding more like sh. This mild lisp is often associated in the popular media with the speech of an intoxicated person.

A dentalized lisp, also called an addental lisp, results partly because the front teeth touch the tongue. This distorts the airflow, creating flat or muffled s and z sounds.

Treatment and Therapy

Speech therapists work with individuals with lisps in several ways. In the phonetic placement method, the patient is asked to pronounce the t sound and then prolong it. Once this is learned, the bite is closed, and the patient then practices moving the lips in a slightly protracted position; the tongue is moved back and forth until the s sound is achieved. This same process is used in learning to pronounce z; the d sound, however, is used in practice instead of a t. In some cases, asking the patient to pronounce sh first and then move the tongue forward along the roof of the mouth will produce an s sound.

In the auditory stimulation method, the speech therapist pronounces the correct sound repeatedly and compares it to the incorrect articulation. This method is very successful in young children with lisps, but early intervention is critical.

During treatment, speech-language pathologists often incorporate mirrors, tongue depressors, diagrams, voice recording software, and auditory feedback devices. Game-centered, interactive platforms, such as Speech Blubs or Articulation Station, can make exercises engaging and offer immediate feedback to aid in speech therapy.

After a sound has been practiced by itself, the child attaches it to nonsense syllables and practices pronouncing them. Gradually, the sound is introduced in familiar words, followed by sentences. The final test is the use of the newly acquired sound in spontaneous conversation.


Bibliography

Bernthal, John E., et al. Speech Sound Disorders in Children: Articulation & Phonological Disorders. 9th ed., Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2022.

Bhatnagar, Subhash Chandra, et al. Neuroscience for Communicative Disorders. 6th ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2025.

Brennan, Dan. "What Is a Lisp?" WebMD, 18 Feb. 2024, www.webmd.com/children/what-is-a-lisp. Accessed 2 Sept. 2025.

Gordon-Brannan, Mary E., and Curtis E. Weiss. Clinical Management of Articulatory and Phonologic Disorders. 3rd ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007.

Hamaguchi, Patricia McAleer. Childhood Speech, Language, and Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know. 3rd ed., Wiley, 2010.

Lockenvitz, Sarah, et al. “The Sociolinguistics of Lisping: A Review.” Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, vol. 34, no. 12, 2020, pp. 1169–84, doi:10.1080/02699206.2020.1788167. Accessed 2 Sept. 2025.

"Types of Lisps: How to Identify and Address Them ." Connected Speech Pathology, connectedspeechpathology.com/blog/types-of-lisps-how-to-identify-and-address-them. Accessed 2 Sept. 2025.

"Understanding What Causes a Lisp in Adults & Strategies for Improvement ." Connected Speech Pathology, 29 Jan. 2024, connectedspeechpathology.com/blog/understanding-what-causes-a-lisp-in-adults-strategies-for-improvement. Accessed 2 Sept. 2025.

Williams, A. Lynn. Speech Disorders Resource Guide for Preschool Children. Thomson/Delmar Learning, 2003.

Full Article

  • ANATOMY OR SYSTEM AFFECTED: Mouth, teeth, tongue
  • CAUSES: Physiological anomalies, jaw alignment problems, dental problems, tongue-tie, missing teeth
  • SYMPTOMS: Mispronunciation of sibilants s and z; sometimes affects sh, ch, and j sounds
  • DURATION: Typically short-term but may be chronic without intervention
  • TREATMENTS: Speech therapy

DEFINITION: The defective pronunciation of the sibilants s and z, usually substituted with a th sound.

Causes and Symptoms

An interdental or frontal lisp is caused by a child pushing the tongue past the teeth while speaking, which tends to occur in cases of an open bite. This produces the familiar lisp in which s and z sounds are pronounced like th. Sometimes, the child tries to correct the protrusion of the tongue by pulling it in, but lisping still occurs because the correct position of the tongue has not been learned.

A lateral lisp involves the escape of air on both sides of the tongue, yielding an unpleasant “blubbering” sound. A possible cause is missing teeth, particularly the two upper front teeth.

A palatal lisp is caused by holding the tongue too far back in the mouth. The s and z sounds come out sounding more like sh. This mild lisp is often associated in the popular media with the speech of an intoxicated person.

A dentalized lisp, also called an addental lisp, results partly because the front teeth touch the tongue. This distorts the airflow, creating flat or muffled s and z sounds.

Treatment and Therapy

Speech therapists work with individuals with lisps in several ways. In the phonetic placement method, the patient is asked to pronounce the t sound and then prolong it. Once this is learned, the bite is closed, and the patient then practices moving the lips in a slightly protracted position; the tongue is moved back and forth until the s sound is achieved. This same process is used in learning to pronounce z; the d sound, however, is used in practice instead of a t. In some cases, asking the patient to pronounce sh first and then move the tongue forward along the roof of the mouth will produce an s sound.

In the auditory stimulation method, the speech therapist pronounces the correct sound repeatedly and compares it to the incorrect articulation. This method is very successful in young children with lisps, but early intervention is critical.

During treatment, speech-language pathologists often incorporate mirrors, tongue depressors, diagrams, voice recording software, and auditory feedback devices. Game-centered, interactive platforms, such as Speech Blubs or Articulation Station, can make exercises engaging and offer immediate feedback to aid in speech therapy.

After a sound has been practiced by itself, the child attaches it to nonsense syllables and practices pronouncing them. Gradually, the sound is introduced in familiar words, followed by sentences. The final test is the use of the newly acquired sound in spontaneous conversation.


Bibliography

Bernthal, John E., et al. Speech Sound Disorders in Children: Articulation & Phonological Disorders. 9th ed., Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2022.

Bhatnagar, Subhash Chandra, et al. Neuroscience for Communicative Disorders. 6th ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2025.

Brennan, Dan. "What Is a Lisp?" WebMD, 18 Feb. 2024, www.webmd.com/children/what-is-a-lisp. Accessed 2 Sept. 2025.

Gordon-Brannan, Mary E., and Curtis E. Weiss. Clinical Management of Articulatory and Phonologic Disorders. 3rd ed., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007.

Hamaguchi, Patricia McAleer. Childhood Speech, Language, and Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know. 3rd ed., Wiley, 2010.

Lockenvitz, Sarah, et al. “The Sociolinguistics of Lisping: A Review.” Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, vol. 34, no. 12, 2020, pp. 1169–84, doi:10.1080/02699206.2020.1788167. Accessed 2 Sept. 2025.

"Types of Lisps: How to Identify and Address Them ." Connected Speech Pathology, connectedspeechpathology.com/blog/types-of-lisps-how-to-identify-and-address-them. Accessed 2 Sept. 2025.

"Understanding What Causes a Lisp in Adults & Strategies for Improvement ." Connected Speech Pathology, 29 Jan. 2024, connectedspeechpathology.com/blog/understanding-what-causes-a-lisp-in-adults-strategies-for-improvement. Accessed 2 Sept. 2025.

Williams, A. Lynn. Speech Disorders Resource Guide for Preschool Children. Thomson/Delmar Learning, 2003.

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