How to get rid of a lisp: speak clearly and look smarter

Can having a lisp in speech be a big problem? This is especially true when people start asking you to repeat what you just said. It can also be a cause of bullying when people begin to copy your speaking gestures or voice.

To avoid the problems caused by a lisp, here are the things you can do.

First, you need to find out in what situations you are experiencing a lisp. Normally, people with a lisp do not experience the condition all the time. It only comes out during specific periods or emotions, such as when a person is excited or nervous about something. Knowing when your lisp manifests will help you avoid such situations and thus avoid lisping.

Next, always try to speak more slowly than usual. If the people around you are already becoming aware of the way you speak, then you need to start being very careful. Speaking slowly will allow you to articulate each word you are saying and will also allow you to pronounce the words better. It will also relax your muscles so you can control them more easily.

The third step is to get expert help. Some cases of lisping are quite extreme. For people who have them, it will be advisable to get help from the professions. There are certain speech therapy programs that are provided to correct the way people with a lisp speak.

If you have done the first two steps and are still not so willing to get help from a professional, then you can try the teeth smile method. This method is a kind of speech therapy that aims to allow the tongue to move more freely. The first thing you need to do for this method is smile. Your smile should be big and warm. It should be big enough that your teeth show through when you’re doing it.

Keeping that same smile, pick up a book and read it out loud. If you don’t have a book with you, then do a monologue. It may sound strange, but this is good practice for your tongue. Every time you say something out loud, your tongue gradually learns to position itself. Do this technique when you’re alone in your room and never try it in front of people or they might think you’re crazy.

You can also ask a friend or family member to help you overcome the lisp problem. Ask someone close to you to say some words that you find difficult to pronounce. Look carefully at his mouth and the movement of his tongue and then try to imitate them in front of a mirror. This will help you know how to correctly move your tongue to produce the correct sounds.

It may take some time to completely get rid of the lisp, but that’s okay. All you need is to practice hard and be patient. Do the best you can and trust yourself to get through it.