Many of us intuitively know what a lisp sounds like, with the most common form occurring when someone makes a “th” sound when trying to say a “s” or “z” sound. Lisps are caused because of the incorrect placement of a person’s tongue inside their mouth during speech. There are actually four distinct types of lisps: Palatal Lisp: As the name suggests, this lisp is associated with a person’s soft palette, more commonly referred to as the roof of the mouth. When a person’s tongue rolls back and touches the roof of their mouth during speech, they often have difficulty making “s” and “z” sounds. Lateral Lisp: This happens when a person’s tongue remains in a close-to-normal position, but airflow manages to escape from one or both sides of their mouth. Because of the way a person sounds, this is sometimes referred to as a “slushy lisp” because it can make the speaker’s words sound “wet” or “spitty.” What you’re hearing is a mix of air and saliva. Dentalized Lisp: With a dentalized lisp, a person’s tongue pushes against their front teeth, directing airflow forward. This commonly produces a “muffled” sound. Interdental Lisp: These are commonly referred to as frontal lisps. They happen when the tongue pushes forward or protrudes between the front teeth. What Causes Lisps? Lisps can be caused by a variety of factors including: -Learning to pronounce sounds and syllables incorrectly. -Problems with a person’s jaw alignment. -A tongue tie, which occurs when the tongue is attached to the bottom of the mouth and movement is subsequently limited. -A tongue thrust, where the tongue protrudes between a person’s teeth. How are Lisps Recognized and Diagnosed? In most cases, your doctor or another professional may refer you to a speech-language pathologist (SLP). Speech therapists are communication experts and are the most qualified professionals to help assess, evaluate, and treat children and adults with lisps. Many adults have lisps that were never properly treated in their younger years. They may express feelings of frustration, embarrassment, or low self-esteem, and want to improve their communication to feel more confident when speaking in their daily lives and workplace. We Achieve matches families with a certified speech therapist trained to effectively evaluate and treat speech impediments, like lisps. All therapy is delivered online via face-to-face video conferencing.