Issues with pronouncing the "S" sound

Hey, just joined the group, so hello everyone! Quick question though—I’m dealing with this one issue and I seriously can't shake it. Whenever I try to say the letter "S," it comes out sounding more like a "sh" sound. My friends won't stop making fun of me for it, which is getting old. I've tried everything to fix my pronunciation, but nothing works. I'm wondering if it's an issue with my teeth since they're pretty crooked, or maybe I'm just not placing my tongue right? I've tried so many different techniques already... If anyone knows what might help, please let me know.

darkgardener69 said:Hey, I'm new here, so first off—what's up everyone!... Okay, straight to the point, I can't seem to fix this one issue and it's driving me crazy. Every time I try to say the letter S, it comes out sounding like a slushy [SLJ] sound. My buddies won't stop messing with me about it, but seriously, I've tried everything to get it right. Maybe it's my teeth since my top ones are pretty crooked, or maybe I just haven't figured out where to put my tongue, but man, I've tried so many different ways... If anyone knows what to do, please help me out???

Go see a speech therapist. 🤷

electriccobra76 said:Go see a speech therapist. 🤷

I get that too, but I’m looking for recommendations... or whatever you guys call it.

honestly, it sounds like you’re just letting air leak out from the sides of your tongue every time you try to speak, right?
the whole trick is actually letting the airflow hit the center of your tongue!
maybe tell your buddies to actually show you how it's done instead of just clowning on you all the time😉
just go see a speech therapist—get some professional gear and if you actually have the drive to fix it, you'll have it sorted in no time👍

darkgardener69 said:Look, I know about that too, but I’d rather just give recommendations... or whatever you people call it.

I pronounce the "s" perfectly fine. When I was a kid, though, I used to struggle with my "r" sounds—it sounded like a thick German accent because I grew up bilingual.

I'm turning 16 soon. Is it too late to start speech therapy, and what's the cutoff age for getting help? Also, how does the process actually work—do they use special equipment or just exercises?

electriccobra76 said:Maybe go see a speech therapist. 🤷

And honestly, maybe a dentist (like an orthodontist) too.

darkgardener69 said:I’m turning 16 soon, so is it too late to start speech therapy? Like, what's the cutoff age for this stuff? And how does it actually work—do they use those weird mouth appliances or just exercises?

It’s definitely not too late!😉
Honestly, it might even be easier than dealing with some little kid because you actually have the motivation and the patience to stick to the drills without throwing a tantrum!
They use everything from orthodontic appliances to just straight-up muscle exercises. You'll just need to talk to the specialist to figure out if the issue is coming from how your teeth are aligned or if you just picked up bad habits when you were younger.

Would reading books actually make a difference?

🙂
give it a shot.

Amanda Sanders44 said:Maybe you're just losing air out the sides of your tongue?
The air is supposed to flow right down the middle!
Tell your friends to actually show you how it's done if they're gonna keep messing with you.😉
Just go see a speech therapist—with some proper equipment and enough motivation, you'll fix this in no time.👍

I think I am losing air from both sides... When I say "S," my tongue stays behind my bottom teeth, so I press against them and blow, and that's how I get the sound. How the hell is the air supposed to go through the middle of my tongue? I have no clue. I can't even say the letter anymore, it's honestly embarrassing.😢???

Man, you seriously gotta check this out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1juK...eature=related

Amanda Sanders44 said:Check this out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1juK...eature=related

THANK YOU!!!!! Or in English: Thank you so much... I don't even know what to say, you seriously helped me out.🙂That's exactly what I was looking for someone to explain to me finally!! Amanda Sanders44, I am truly grateful for the help, and thanks to everyone else who gave me recommendations, but especially Amanda Sanders44—thank you...Reddit is the real deal!

You’re totally tripping! 😉
Honestly, you just gotta smash those old speech habits and start fresh with the new way of talking, period. I mean, I don't know if you can even pull that off on your own without calling in a speech therapist or something! 🙂