What is a Lisp?
I started my career as a speech therapist working with several children who had lisps. Jace struggled for years to be understood by his peers and teachers due to the severity of his lisp. Another student, Parker, corrected his lisp in less than a year. While these names are fictional, their stories are true.
From these clients, I learned that while some lisps are easily corrected, others pose significant challenges. As I have matured as a professional, I began to appreciate the importance of tailoring treatment to the type and severity of each lisp. I’ve also realized that many parents are unfamiliar with lisps and are eager to understand their child's struggles.
So, let's define a lisp, explore its types, understand its origins, and discuss what steps to take if you are concerned.
Definition of a Lisp
A lisp is a speech sound disorder (speech impediment) characterized by difficulty in producing the /z/ and /s/ for a variety of different reasons. As a speech sound disorder, a lisp can occur by itself or as one of many speech sounds in error. Lisps are one of the most common speech issues in children and can persist into adulthood, which can impact not only their speech but social interactions. Some lisps are part of typical development since many children have lisps and grow out of them while others are atypical can benefit from immediate intervention by a speech therapist near you.
The Four Types of Lisps
The Frontal Lisp
This type of lisp occurs when the tongue tip sticks out past the teeth, causing a /th/ sound. This particular type of lisp is considered part of normal development in many children. However, once children are five years old and they still aren’t using /s/ and /z/ correctly, you should speak with a speech-language pathologist to discuss your next move. Notable celebrities with frontal lisps include Michael Phelps, Mike Tyson, Drew Barrymore and Noah Kahan.
The Dental lisp
This type of lisp can sound similar to a frontal lisp. Instead of the tongue sticking out past the teeth, the tongue is pressed against the back of the front teeth. Interdental lisps are commonplace and may go unnoticed by most people. Many musicians, athletes and actors have this speech difference.
The Lateral Lisp
A lateral lisp occurs when the tongue is pressed up against the roof of the mouth which causes air to move over the sides of the tongue instead of over the tongue tip. This creates a slushy sound quality that is easily noticed. Lateral lisps are much less common than frontal lisps. If your child is making a “slushy” /s/ or /z/ sound, seek a speech therapist for assistance. Renowned Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz has this speech error.
The Palatal Lisp
Palatal lisps occur when the middle part of the tongue is raised to the roof of the mouth instead of the tongue tip toward front of the palate behind the teeth. Palatal lisps sound like something between an /s/ and an /sh/ sound. If your child is producing a palatal lisp, talk with a speech therapist near you about your concerns. Palatal lisps are considerably rare and are not regularly depicted in media.
Causes of a Lisp
Some lisps may be caused by tongue ties. A Tongue tie (ankyloglossia) happens when the tissue tethering the underside of the tongue to the jaw is shorter than normal. This connection forms before a baby is born. This may cause difficulty with raising the tongue tip to the roof of the mouth or sticking the tongue out of the mouth. Not all tongue ties cause a lisp. If a child has ankyloglossia and they cannot raise the tip of their tongue to the roof of their mouth, it is likely a contributing factor to their speech errors. Part of the treatment for a tongue tie often includes the use of a scalpel or laser to release this connection under the tongue. This minor procedure, called a frenotomy, is usually completed within minutes without anesthesia."
Tongue thrust (or an orofacial myofunctional disorder) is a swallowing condition where a child pushes their tongue forward in their mouth during swallowing, speech, or while at rest. Children begin to feed with this pattern but slowly develop a different, adult-like swallow patterns. For no obvious reason, some children maintain the original swallowing pattern. Your child may have a tongue thrust if they put their tongue against their teeth while they swallow or talk. For some children, this can create a lisp.
Whether due to a cleft palate repair, a genetic condition or other fator, some children have a physical difference in the way their lips, jaw, tongue and palate. Differences in any or a combination of these structures may result in distorted speech sounds.
Other children may have a hearing loss which may impact the speech sound development. If high frequency sounds are impacted (such as /s/), this can lead to a lisp.
For many children who have a lisp, there is no known cause of their speech errors. For these children, they simply struggle to position their tongue, lips, teeth and jaw correctly to say speech sounds. Genetics can play an important role in developing a lisp. Approximately 60% of children with a speech sound disorder will have a family member with similar problems and siblings of children with a speech sound disorder will usually score lower on measures related to phonological awareness and reading skills - both of which are highly related to speech sound development.
Treatment for a Lisp
Speech therapists are professionals who can help children with lisps. They can evaluate the type of lisp and develop a treatment plan or refer to a dentist or physician in the case of a suspected tongue tie or hearing loss for additional support.
Treatment for a lisp can take a few months to several years depending on each child’s unique needs. Treatment may involve recognition of /s/ and /z/ sounds and learning how to position their tongue correctly. Once children learn how to correctly place their tongue, they will perform exercises with these sounds in words, phrases, sentences and eventually conversation. With enough dedication and practice, many children will resolve their lisp and no longer need speech therapy.
Contact a Speech Therapist for Help
Although he complexities of a lisp can be daunting, you are not alone. At Precision Speech and Language Therapy, we understand. Your child's voice matters, and we're dedicated to help it shine. Don’t wait for your child’s lisp to resolve itself - early intervention can lead to more effective and faster results. Unlock your child’s potential. Contact us today to book an evaluation to begin the journey toward clearer, more confident speech.
