What Is a Lisp? Understanding Speech Sound Difficulties in Children
August 12, 2025 - Ray of Joy Therapy Team
Learn about the different types of lisps, when they're part of normal development, and when your child might benefit from speech therapy support.
When children are learning to talk, it's normal for them to make speech errors. One of the most recognisable speech errors is a lisp. Children with a lisp often have difficulty saying certain consonants, especially the /s/ and /z/ sounds. Parents often wonder, "Will my child grow out of a lisp?" or "Does my 4-year-old need speech therapy for their lisp?" The answer depends on the type of lisp and your child's age. A frontal (interdental) lisp can be a normal developmental phase for some children, while a lateral lisp is not part of typical development and usually requires speech therapy to resolve. In this article, we'll focus on the two most common types of lisps in children — interdental and lateral — what causes them, when to seek help, and how speech therapy can support clearer, more confident communication. If you'd like to learn more about general speech sound...
