Home / Health Insurance / Wellness Corner / What Is a Lisp in Speech? Causes, Types & Treatment (EST READ TIME: 3 minutes)

What Is a Lisp?

Have you heard your child say "thun" instead of "sun"? That little slip is called a lisp. It's a common speech problem that many young children experience while learning to talk. Most kids grow out of it on their own, but sometimes a lisp persists and requires attention. This article explains why lisps occur, their various types, when treatment is necessary, and how speech therapy works. Read on to know more.

What Causes a Lisp?

Here are some reasons that can cause a lisp:

• Your child's tongue might push against or between their teeth when they talk, which can make sounds like “s” and “z” hard to understand.

• Limited tongue movement from a tongue tie.

• Kids with crooked teeth, gaps, or jaw problems like an overbite or underbite have a harder time making clear speech sounds.

• Your child may have also just learnt the wrong way to say a sound.

When Should You Be Concerned?

Many children develop a speech impediment like a lisp while learning to talk. Here are some signs that you might need to get help especially if you're exploring options like family health insurance to support speech therapy and related services.

• Your child is five or older and still has a lisp.

• Teachers or carers say they have trouble understanding your child.

• The lisp came on suddenly after an injury or illness.

Different Types of Lisps

There are four main types of speech disorder lisp, as follows:

1. Frontal or Interdental Lisp:

Your child sticks their tongue out too far, making a "th" sound instead of "s" or "z."

2. Lateral Lisp:

When making the "s" or "z" sounds, extra air slides over the sides of the tongue, making a wet, slushy sound like there's too much saliva.

3. Palatal Lisp:

Your child touches the roof of their mouth with their tongue when they try to say "s" or "z.

4. Dentalised Lisp:

This is similar to a frontal lisp, but the tongue presses against the teeth instead of pushing through them.

How is it Treated?

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are experts who help kids who have lisps. They will look at the type of lisp your child has and make a plan, which can include:

• Finding out which sounds are hard.

• Teaching where to put the tongue.

• Using mirrors, games, and doing things over and over.

• Watching progress over time.

When Is Surgery Required?

Most people with lisps don't need surgery. However, it might be helpful in some cases, such as tongue tie. A doctor might suggest a simple procedure called a frenotomy if your child's lisp is caused by a tongue-tie (ankyloglossia). A frenuloplasty may be necessary if the tongue tie gets worse. In such situations, having health insurance can ease the financial burden of diagnosis and treatment.

How to Choose a Speech-Language Pathologist?

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Check to see if the speech therapist is good with kids. You can learn this by going to their website, reading reviews, or watching a session.

• After the evaluation, the therapist should be able to tell you what kind of lisp your child has and suggest exercises to help fix it.

Other Common Speech Impediments

Here are some common speech impediments:

• Stuttering:

When they repeat sounds, syllables, or words

• Articulation Disorders:

Not being able to make certain sounds, like "k," "g," "t," "d," and "e."

• Apraxia of Speech:

When they have trouble planning and coordinating mouth movements for speech.

• Lambdacism:

When they find it difficult to pronounce the letter "l." They sometimes replace it with an "r" sound.

• Rhotacism:

Having trouble saying the letter "r."

• Cluttering:

Rapid, disorganised speech that can be hard to follow.

• Dysarthria:

Slurred or slow speech due to muscle weakness.

Home Remedies and Tips to Help

There are plenty of things you can do at home to support your child’s progress:

• Speak clearly and slowly, so your child can hear the right sounds.

• Use mirrors when your child is practising sounds, make sure they know where their mouth and tongue are.

• Read together and pay attention to words that have "s" and "z" sounds.

• Make practice fun by playing speech games, blowing bubbles or playing with horns.

• Encourage drinking through a straw; it builds up the muscles in the mouth, which can make it easier to speak clearly.

• Address allergies or sinus issues that may cause a lisp.

Conclusion

It can be worrying as a parent to see your child struggle with speech. However, keep in mind that most lisps can be fixed. The most important thing is to pay attention and act early. Don't be afraid to get professional help; it can help your child's communication, confidence, and happiness. It's worth checking to see if your health insurance covers speech therapy services. Many policies now do, which makes it easier to get professional help.

One of the important components of our overall wellness is also being financially secured. Healthcare emergencies can happen any time, but a good health insurance policy can protect you from such uncertain situations. To know more about Wellness and other health related tips, visit the wellness corner.

Sources: healthline.com, stamurai.com, connectedspeechpathology.com, betterspeech.com

Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website or any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Kindly contact your doctor before starting a new medicine or health regime.

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Published on August 25, 2025