Unnatural 'S' and 'Z' : Advance Ability

Unnatural 'S' and 'Z'

Dear Ruth,
I viewed your web site and found it interesting and very helpful. I am 17 years old and have a couple of questions about a speech problem with my 's' and 'z' sounds. I used to place my tongue between my upper and lower teeth, but it looked funny that way. So I changed it just recently and began to hold my tongue behind my teeth. It looks correct now but sounds very unnatural and artificial when I produce the 's' and 'z' words. What do you think the problem is? Can it be changed through speech therapy? I was told I have a narrow upper palate. Can this be causing the problem?

J.F.

Dear J.F.,

Congratulations on changing a speech habit yourself.

There are at least a couple of possibilities regarding your new /s/ and /z/ sounds. You may need to fine-tune the way you are making the sound--for example, by adjusting your tongue shape, or making sure the air is directed correctly. Or you may be so accustomed to the old way, that the new way does not sound right to you.
You need a face-to-face meeting with a speech/language pathologist experienced in articulation, so that she can hear and see you. She can figure out exactly where you are on your path to polished /s/ and /z/ sounds, and teach you any adjustments that may be needed.

I would not get too excited about the possibility of a narrow upper palate. People learn standard pronunciation with a wide variety of mouth shapes and sizes. The precise patterns for our muscles may a bit different for each of us, but we adjust according to the sound until we reach the target we want.

Best Wishes,
Ruth Alice Jurey, M.S., C.C.C.
Speech/Language Pathologist