A lisp is a common speech sound error where the S and Z sounds are mispronounced due to incorrect tongue placement and airflow control. While some children naturally outgrow a lisp, others may need speech therapy to correct it, especially if it persists beyond age 5-6.
Proper tongue placement is essential for clear and accurate speech. The tongue plays a crucial role in forming sounds, controlling airflow, and articulating words, and incorrect tongue positioning can lead to speech sound errors, articulation difficulties, and unclear pronunciation.
The R and S sounds are among the most challenging for children to master. Many struggle with pronouncing these sounds correctly, leading to common speech errors such as lisping (for S) or substituting W for R (e.g., "wabbit" instead of "rabbit").
Speech development is a gradual process, and every child learns to pronounce sounds at their own pace. While some speech errors are normal in early childhood, most children should be able to pronounce all speech sounds correctly by a certain age.
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