Later sounds
S Sound
Teeth closed gently, tongue tip pointed up behind the top teeth (or down behind the bottom teeth - both work), sides of the tongue sealed against the back teeth. Blow a thin, steady stream down the middle.
- Sound
- /s/
- Typical age
- By age 4
- Voicing
- Voiceless
- Type
- Alveolar fricative
- Words here
- 284
How to elicit S Sound
Ways to help the child make the sound on its own, before practicing it in words.
Placement, step by step
Where the lips, tongue and teeth go.
- 1Close the teeth gently, almost together.
- 2Point the tongue tip up behind the top front teeth, OR down behind the bottom teeth - both produce a correct /s/, so use whichever the child finds.
- 3Seal the sides of the tongue against the upper back teeth so air cannot escape sideways.
- 4Blow a thin stream straight down the middle groove.
Elicitation strategies
Tips to help a child say this sound. Most need more than one.
Auditory
- Long thin "ssss" like a snake or a slow leak.
- Contrast with /th/ (sick / thick) for a frontal lisp.
- Listen for the slushy lateral version — it is not a substitution, it is a distortion.
Visual
- Teeth together and lips slightly spread is visible; the tongue groove is not.
- A drawing of the groove down the middle of the tongue helps more than words.
- Watch from the side for air escaping over the sides of the tongue.
Gestural
- Index finger gliding forward in a long smooth line away from your mouth, like a snake.
- Slow and straight — the straightness cues the central airstream.
- Keep the line on the midline; a curved path invites a lateral /s/.
- Let them trace the line themselves and hold the sound until the finger stops.
Tactile
- A straw at the midline in front of the teeth — the air should hit it square in the center.
- Hand in front for a thin cold stream rather than a wide warm one.
- Teeth closed, then smile: locking the jaw stops the tongue sliding forward.
- Start from a long /t/ and release it slowly into the hiss.
How to teach any soundThe practice ladder, shaping from a sound they have, and what to do when it stallsShowHide
The practice ladder
Speech practice climbs. Each step is harder than the one below it, and the jump that trips most people up is the one from single words to real talking. Work at the step where the child is right now - not the one you wish they were on.
- 1
Just the sound
“ssss”The sound on its own, with no word attached. If the child cannot make it here yet, this is the whole job for now.
- 2
The sound in syllables
“sa, so, see”The sound glued to a vowel. Nonsense syllables are useful precisely because they carry no meaning - nothing to get in the way.
- 3
Words that start with it
“sun, sock, soap”The easiest place in a word, because the child gets to set up their mouth before they begin.
- 4
Words with it anywhere
“sun, pencil, bus”Middle and end are harder - the sound has to be produced while the rest of the word is already moving.
- 5
Short phrases
“six silly socks”Two or three words together. This is the first step where the child has to think about something other than the sound.
- 6
Whole sentences
“Six silly socks sat in the sun.”A full sentence of their own. Expect the sound to slip here even though it was perfect in single words - that is normal, not backwards.
- 7
Reading and telling
“a paragraph, a story about their day”Longer stretches of talking, with the sound coming up over and over. Reading aloud is useful because the words are already chosen.
- 8
All the time
“in the car, at dinner, with friends”Real conversation with nobody reminding them. This is the goal, and the only step that actually counts as finished.
Two rules. Do not skip a step because the child is bored - go back one instead. And if the sound falls apart when you move up, that is information, not failure: drop down a rung, get a few easy wins, and try again in a day or two.
Start with a sound they already know
- /t/
- /z/
- /sh/
From /t/, hold the tongue in place and release the air slowly through it — a long “tsss” that turns into /s/. From /z/, whisper it. From /sh/, slide the tongue forward and spread the lips out of their round.
If it is not working
If a sound has not responded to several weeks of consistent work, stop and reconsider the target rather than drilling harder. There could be structural reasons a sound will not stabilize, and those need looking at before more practice will help.
Where this guidance comes from
- ASHA Practice Portal — Speech Sound Disorders: Articulation and Phonology — Treatment framework, cue taxonomy, and named treatment approaches.
- ASHA Practice Portal — Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders — Why a resting tongue posture or open bite may need addressing before sibilant therapy.
- Boyce (2015), Articulatory Phonetics for Residual Speech Sound Disorders: A Focus on /r/ — Bunched versus retroflex /r/, the obligatory pharyngeal constriction, and /r/ error patterns.
- Shriberg (1978), Utilization of the "Straw Technique" for Correction of the Lateral Lisp (LSHSS) — A straw at the midline as a tactile cue for lateral /s/.
Print it
Free to print, copy and share. No account needed.
Initial S
108 wordsThe sound is at the beginning of the word.
1 Syllable60 words
- sun
- sock
- soap
- sit
- see
- six
- sand
- soup
- seal
- sing
- saw
- sail
- sad
- safe
- sag
- said
- salt
- same
- sat
- sauce
- save
- say
- scene
- sea
- seat
- seed
- seek
- seem
- sell
- send
- serve
- set
- sew
- side
- sight
- sign
- silk
- sink
- sip
- sir
- size
- so
- soak
- soar
- soft
- soil
- sold
- solve
- some
- son
- song
- soon
- sort
- sound
- south
- soy
- suit
- sum
- surf
- sack
2 Syllables43 words
- seven
- salad
- sister
- circle
- sofa
- silly
- city
- summer
- suitcase
- sandwich
- saddle
- sailor
- sample
- sandal
- sardine
- sausage
- science
- scissors
- seagull
- season
- second
- secret
- seesaw
- sentence
- settle
- sidewalk
- silver
- simple
- siren
- sixteen
- soccer
- solid
- sorry
- sunset
- sunshine
- super
- supper
- surprise
- soapy
- sunny
- sailboat
- sandals
- sour
3 Syllables5 words
- cereal
- celery
- safari
- September
- seventy
High-frequency initial S words
Some of these also sit in the lists above, and none of them are picture-card words - which is exactly why most lists leave them out. They are the words the child already says hundreds of times a day — so they carry more carryover value than any noun on this page. Target them in conversation, not in drill.
- so
- some
- something
- sorry
- someone
- saw
- since
- saying
- says
- soon
- somebody
- sister
- supposed
- seems
- send
- sometimes
- sort
- sent
- seem
- somewhere
- seeing
- suppose
- certainly
- seven
- sitting
- sad
- singing
- silly
- seemed
- several
Medial S
81 wordsThe sound is in the middle of the word.
2 Syllables57 words
- pencil
- castle
- whisper
- faucet
- muscle
- recess
- ice cream
- messy
- lesson
- bracelet
- whistle
- racer
- glasses
- dressing
- tasty
- absent
- aside
- asleep
- bassoon
- basket
- beside
- blossom
- classic
- dancing
- decide
- fussy
- guessing
- insect
- inside
- kissing
- lasso
- listen
- missing
- mustard
- outside
- passing
- princess
- racing
- rescue
- sausage
- seesaw
- tassel
- thirsty
- tossing
- useful
- wrestle
- classroom
- ice skate
- racecar
- spacesuit
- icing
- dresser
- sunset
- pieces
- baseball
- dancer
- fossil
3 Syllables19 words
- bicycle
- dinosaur
- eraser
- popsicle
- grocery
- gasoline
- fantasy
- grasshopper
- passenger
- pencil case
- possible
- recipe
- tissue box
- castle wall
- glasses case
- messy room
- sunset time
- whistle blow
- listening
4 Syllables5 words
- dinosaur bone
- eraser cap
- popsicle stick
- pacifier
- motorcycle
High-frequency medial S words
Some of these also sit in the lists above, and none of them are picture-card words - which is exactly why most lists leave them out. They are the words the child already says hundreds of times a day — so they carry more carryover value than any noun on this page. Target them in conversation, not in drill.
- understand
- yourself
- also
- myself
- inside
- sister
- outside
- himself
- asking
- absolutely
- yesterday
- instead
- especially
- listening
- themselves
- herself
- ourselves
- upstairs
- itself
- understood
- dancing
- downstairs
- chasing
- kissing
- uses
- beside
- listened
- thirsty
- guessing
- understands
Final S
95 wordsThe sound is at the end of the word.
1 Syllable71 words
- bus
- house
- mouse
- ice
- juice
- nice
- dress
- glass
- grass
- horse
- class
- face
- box
- moose
- goose
- purse
- rice
- gas
- pass
- dice
- kiss
- base
- bless
- boss
- brass
- case
- chess
- cross
- cups
- dance
- fence
- floss
- fox
- fuss
- geese
- grease
- guess
- hiss
- lace
- less
- loose
- mess
- mice
- miss
- mix
- moss
- niece
- nurse
- pants
- peace
- piece
- place
- plus
- price
- race
- rinse
- sauce
- six
- slice
- space
- spruce
- this
- toss
- twice
- us
- vase
- voice
- yes
- bounce
- chance
- lips
2 Syllables19 words
- princess
- police
- address
- cactus
- circus
- mattress
- office
- palace
- promise
- walrus
- balance
- distance
- entrance
- necklace
- staircase
- suitcase
- recess
- erase
- lettuce
3 Syllables4 words
- octopus
- ambulance
- fireplace
- orange juice
4 Syllables1 words
- pineapple juice
High-frequency final S words
Some of these also sit in the lists above, and none of them are picture-card words - which is exactly why most lists leave them out. They are the words the child already says hundreds of times a day — so they carry more carryover value than any noun on this page. Target them in conversation, not in drill.
- this
- yes
- us
- thanks
- once
- use
- since
- looks
- wants
- its
- makes
- gets
- perhaps
- piece
- worse
- unless
- thinks
- across
- twice
- starts
- keeps
- drinks
- talks
- helps
- puts
- lets
- asks
- breaks
- tastes
- fits
Phrases, sentences and reading
Using the sound in longer stretches of talking, once single words are easy.
Phrases 12
Most of these carry two targets, so each one is two chances to practice.
- six silly socks
- sit in the sun
- a glass of juice
- stop the bus
- sand in my shoes
- a sister and a brother
- some ice
- pass the salad
- a soft seat
- seven seeds
- sing a song
- this house
Sentences 12
- 1.Six silly socks sat in the sun.
- 2.My sister spilled the glass of juice.
- 3.Stop the bus at the last house.
- 4.Sam saw a seal swimming past the sand.
- 5.Please pass the salad and the sauce.
- 6.There is sand in my sandals.
- 7.The mouse ran across the grass.
- 8.Sit in this seat beside me.
- 9.Sarah sang a song on the school bus.
- 10.The circus has seven silly clowns.
- 11.Put the pencils inside the pencil case.
- 12.The ice in my glass has almost melted.
Reading passage
Sandcastles
Sam and his sister spent Saturday at the seaside. They sat in the soft sand and built a huge sandcastle with seven towers. A seagull swooped past and startled them both. Just as they finished, a wave washed across the sand and the castle slipped away. Sam was sad for a second, then he smiled and said they should start a bigger one.
Phonological awareness
Hearing and playing with the sounds inside words — the listening skill that reading is built on.
Rhyming
Word families built on words from the list above. Say the family out loud, then ask for one more that fits.
rhymes with “sun”
sun, done, run, fun, none, bun
-ock family
sock, rock, knock, lock, block, clock, dock, flock
rhymes with “soap”
soap, hope, rope
rhymes with “sit”
sit, bit, fit, kit, knit, mitt
rhymes with “see”
see, free, key, tea, tree, knee, bee, pea
-ix family
six, fix, mix
Syllable counting and blending
Clap or tap once per syllable. To blend, say the parts with a gap and let the child put the word back together.
- sun1
- seven2
- cereal3
- dinosaur bone4
- sock1
- salad2
- celery3
- eraser cap4
Sound blending
You say the separate sounds, the child says the word. Start with the two- and three-sound words.
- /s/ /ee/see
- /s/ /aw/saw
- /s/ /ay/say
- /s/ /ee/sea
- /s/ /oh/sew
- /s/ /er/sir
- /s/ /oh/so
- /s/ /oy/soy
- /eye/ /s/ice
- /uh/ /s/us
- /s/ /uh/ /n/sun
- /s/ /ah/ /k/sock
Sound segmenting
The reverse, and the harder one. You say the word, the child breaks it into its separate sounds.
- see/s/ /ee/
- saw/s/ /aw/
- say/s/ /ay/
- sea/s/ /ee/
- sew/s/ /oh/
- sir/s/ /er/
- so/s/ /oh/
- soy/s/ /oy/
- ice/eye/ /s/
- us/uh/ /s/
- sun/s/ /uh/ /n/
- sock/s/ /ah/ /k/
Generalization
Word lists get a sound into a child’s mouth. Generalization is what gets it into their life. These are activities where the target words come up on their own, so nobody has to be talked into practicing.
Play-based ideas for young children
Snake in the sand
A toy snake that slithers through sand, rice or a sensory bin. Make it hiss - the hiss IS the sound.
Words that come up
snake, sand, sss, silly, see, sit, stop, slow, soft, inside, hiss, this, yes, bus
Bus stop
A toy bus that picks up passengers. Say where each one is going as it climbs aboard.
Words that come up
bus, stop, sit, seat, so, see, six, yes, us, this, please, off, outside, house
Silly soup
Put ridiculous things into a pretend soup pot - a sock, a spoon, a star. The sillier the better.
Words that come up
soup, sock, spoon, sun, star, silly, some, stir, see, yes, this, gross, mess, taste
Conversation and verbal games for older kids
Same and different
Compare two things in three ways. "Same," "similar" and "different" are all /s/, and so is most of the comparison language.
Words that come up
same, different, similar, sort, see, side, both, this, that, guess, sure, yes
Story starters
Draw a random object and start a story with it. "So," "said," "suddenly" and "someone" run through every story.
Words that come up
story, start, suddenly, said, saw, sister, some, last, first, next, best, yes
Sports scores
Talk through a game, real or invented. Score, save, pass, season, start and stats are all targets.
Words that come up
sports, score, save, pass, season, start, soccer, best, last, lost, yes, fastest
Play it
- Patchy's Slides & LaddersRoll, count your way along, say the word. Ladders climb; land on Patchy and slide back down.Choose position and play
- Enchanted ForestBeat dragons, trolls and witches at rock, paper, scissors on the way to the finish.Choose position and play
- Crazy EightsMatch the color or the animal, say the word to play the card, go out first.Choose position and play
- Build a CreatureMix heads, bodies, tails, wings and extras into something silly. Two words per part.Choose position and play
- Color PatchyColor him in one piece at a time. Every area costs one word.Choose position and play
- Sticker ScenePick a place, then drag people, things and clothes onto it. Best game for phrases and sentences.Choose position and play
Each game opens with S Sound selected. Choose a word position before playing. Score every production with Yes! or Not quite and a percentage appears at the bottom. Nothing is sent anywhere, and nothing is saved beyond this browser.