Pronunciation Q&A: My four year old has a lisp. Should I be concerned?

Question:

My four year old has a lisp. Should I be concerned?

Answer:

Lisps can be complicated. If her speech delay makes it difficult to understand her, then you should have her evaluated by a SLP.

More information about lisps:

• Frontal lisp – some sounds are pronounced like a “th” sound.
• Lateral lisp – some sounds are pronounced in a “slushy” way. For example, there might be a “hissing” sound when the child says, “Chair” instead of a “Ch”. This type of lisp is rare and usually requires speech therapy to overcome.
• If a four year old can pronounce most of her sounds correctly, but her /s/ and /z/ sounds are pronounced as “th” (For example, sun sounds like “Thun”), this is probably normal.
• If the “th” sound is affecting her “Sh” and “Ch” sounds, she may need speech therapy.