I've been told that I do this weird thing with my s's where it sounds like I'm blowing a lot of air out when I say it. Some people call it a "slush." What can I do about it?
- Stacey*

This sounds like a lisp known as a lateralized lisp. It's a type of where air leaks out from the sides of the tongue. This can make a person's speech sound slushy.

The best way to treat a lateralized lisp is to see a speech therapist. (You can ask your doctor to refer you to one.) The speech therapist will check where your tongue is positioned. After learning more about your mouth structure, the speech therapist will suggest some things you can do to remedy the problem based on your individual needs. These will probably include mouth and speech exercises to help lessen the lisp.

Reviewed by: Amy Nelson, MA, CCC-SLP
Date reviewed: July 2011

*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.