speech Helpers

Your speech helpers are the body parts you use to make speech sounds. Learn about them to help you understand your sounds and to better participate in speech therapy.

Lips

Put your lips together to make "P", "B", "M", and "W" or just use your bottom lip when you make "F" and "V".

2. Teeth

Close your teeth to make "S" and "Z" or put your top teeth on your bottom lip to make "F" and "V". Your tongue goes between your teeth for "th" (as in thin) and "TH" (as in the).

3. Alveolar Ridge

Your ridge is right behind your two front teeth. It's the right spot for "S", "Z", "L", "T", "D", and "N".

4. Hard Palate

Your hard palate is the front of the roof of your mouth. The front-roof is the right spot for "CH", "J", "SH", and "ZH" (as in measure).

5. Velum or Soft Palate

Your soft palate, also called your "velum" is the back of the roof of your mouth.
The back-roof is the right spot for "K", "G", and "R".

6. Tongue

The front of your tongue is used to make "T", "D", "S", "Z", "Y", "L", "Ch", "J", "SH", "th", "TH" and "ZH" (as in measure).
The back of your tongue is used to make "K", "G", and "R".

7. Vocal folds

Your vocal folds, also called vocal cords, vibrate to make ALL vowels and voiced sounds like "B", "D", "G", "Z", etc. They don't vibrate for voiceless sounds like "P", "T", "K", "S", etc.

8. Trachea

Your trachea is also called your "wind pipe" sometimes. It is like a straw that takes air from your nose and mouth to your lungs, and sends it back out again. Your vocal folds sit right at the top of the trachea. The air you breathe out goes through them to make them vibrate and make sound!

9. Epiglottis

The epiglottis is a flap at the back of your mouth and top of your throat. It goes up when you are breathing and talking. It goes down when you eat and swallow. It goes down over your trachea to keep food from going down your trachea. Air goes in the trachea, food goes in the esophagus.

10. Lungs

Your lungs give you air to make every sound - especially "H" because it's all air!

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