Lisping children may be adorable. But as we discussed in the last chapter, studies have shown that people perceive adults who lisp their s or r sounds (with the exception of a regional or foreign dialect) as not being very bright.
Adult lispers are often made fun of. Those who lisp tend to be perceived as weaker and less intelligent than those who don’t lisp. As I have seen throughout the years in my private practice, this can affect one’s social and business standing.
Some lisping is due to ill-fitting crowns, dentures, braces or other dental appliances, missing teeth, spaces between the teeth, or the position of the jaw. Other causes of lisping are significant underbites or overbites. If this applies to you, consult an orthodontist immediately. On the other hand, lisping may be due to poor tongue placement. To make a proper s sound, place the tip of your tongue against your lower teeth, slightly open your jaw, and push out the hissing air. To make a proper r sound, curl the tip of your tongue all the way back to the roof of your mouth.
Consonants are produced by the positions of the tongue, lips, teeth, and the back of the throat. The following exercises will help improve your consonant pronunciation. Repeat them in rapid succession in the order listed here:
• Lips: pa pa pa ba ba ba ma ma ma wa wa wa
• Lower lip against teeth: fa fa fa va va va
• Tongue between teeth: the the the thin thin thin
• Tongue tip against back of upper teeth: ta ta ta na na na da da da la la la
• Tongue tip against back of lower teeth: sa sa sa za za za
• Tongue tip against roof of mouth: cha cha cha sha sha sha ja ja ja ra ra ra
• Tongue tip against back of throat: ka ka ka ga ga ga ung ung ung
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