Often these days you can hear a disturbed pronunciation of the sound L. This violation is called labdacism. So, instead of the word “shovel”, they say, for example, “uvapata”, “ropata” and so on. If a child who is three years old talks like this, then sometimes it can even be touching. However, if an adult speaks like this, it is more likely to cause ridicule. To prevent this from happening, you need to consult a speech therapist in a timely manner. And this needs to be done as early as possible.
Speech therapists sometimes believe that incorrect pronunciation of the sound L can be corrected in primary school or senior preschool age. Believe me, such experts are wrong. After all, how correctly a child speaks depends on his mastery of reading, writing and sound-letter analysis of words. And in general, the development of a child as a successful person. And if this problem is still not cured in adults, then you should start taking action, and a start can be made with the help of our tips and recommendations.
What should be the position of the organs of articulation for the correct pronunciation of the sound L?
- The vocal cords vibrate.
- The soft palate should be positioned so that it covers the passage into the nasal cavity.
- The root of the tongue is raised.
- The sides of your tongue should not touch your upper molars to allow passages for the air you exhale.
- The tense tip of the tongue should rest against the gums or upper teeth.
- The lower and upper teeth should not be too far apart from each other.
- The position of the lips should change and depend on the vowel sounds that come after the sound L.
What is lambdacism and its varieties
Lambdaism is usually called the incorrect pronunciation of the sound L or its complete loss in speech.
There are several types of this violation:
- Nasal - when you exhale, the air flows through the nose. The reason for this pronunciation is that the soft palate is in contact with the root of the tongue. Instead of "lamp" it becomes "ngampa".
- Bilabial - when pronouncing, the labial muscles tense; instead of the desired sound, the child pronounces “u” - “uapata” instead of the word “shovel”.
- Interdental - the tip of the tongue falls out between the teeth.
- Lower - the tongue rests on the lower teeth. This variety is the most difficult to correct.
- Fricative - instead of the desired sound, a softened (“Ukrainian”) G is obtained.
Replacing the sound L with others is called paralambdacism.
The most common types of replacement:
- B - “vuk” instead of “bow”;
- D - “dozhka” instead of spoon;
- Y - “yampa” instead of “lamp”;
- soft L - “plait” instead of “raft”.
Some children experience a complete loss of the L sound. Instead of the word “fox,” they pronounce “isa.”
Preparing the speech apparatus to pronounce the sound L
- To perform an exercise called “Smile” you need to do the following: smile so that your lips stretch, and then return to their original state.
- The “tube” can be made using two methods. The first is to clench your teeth, pull your lips forward and transform them into a square. Second - imitate the pronunciation of the sound U (only without voice).
- “Needle” : smile and stick your sharp tongue out of your mouth.
- “Let's punish the naughty tongue” : Place a wide tongue on the lower lip. You can make a small hollow. It is important that the tongue is not too tense.
- “Turkey” : open your mouth slightly, place your tongue on your upper lip, and then make stroking movements with it from top to bottom. You can add the sound combination “bl-bl-bl”.
- “Ride a horse” : smile, lift your tongue up to the alveoli and “suck.” Then click it, imitating the “clatter of hooves.”
- “Let's go on a swing” : smile. First, lower the sharp tip of your tongue by the lower teeth, and then lift it by the upper ones.
How to make correct pronunciation automatic
Once the correct pronunciation has been established, it needs to be reinforced. This process is difficult and time consuming for children. At home, it is enough to practice a few minutes a day in the morning and evening. It will be better if the lessons take the form of a game.
Soft L
The child often misses the soft L and even entire syllables with its participation. Therefore, it is better to start speech therapy exercises for sound from this moment.
To begin with, the pronunciation of syllables is fixed. Then you can move on to words. Individual syllables can be reinforced using special tongue twisters.
Examples are given in the table
| The syllables are simple | Complex syllables | Example words | Tongue Twisters |
| La | Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah | Fields, Kolya, Tolya, poplars | La-la-la - cold earth |
| Liu | Slue, peck, spit, flu, glu | Lucy, buttercup, hatch | Lu-lu-lu - I light the stove |
| Lee | Sli, kli, pli, fly, glee | Lida, linden, fox, lemon | Li-li-li - found a lemon |
| Le | Sle, cle, ple, fle, gle | Lena, laziness, forest | Le-le-le - everything is in ash |
| Le | Sle, cle, ple, fle, gle | Flax, light, bag |
When the child begins to develop straight syllables, you can move on to reverse ones. First, individual sound combinations are worked out, then they move on to whole words and tongue twisters.
| Simple syllables | Example words | Tongue Twisters |
| Al | Coat, tracing paper | |
| Spruce | Drops, jelly | Spruce-spruce - drops outside the window |
| Ol | Mole, salt | Ol-ol - a moth flew in |
| Uhl | Glug, glug, glug | Ul-ul - hung tulle |
| Eul | Dust, soap | Eul-eul - palms soapy |
| Yul | July, tulle |
Solid L
It is somewhat more difficult to teach a child to say hard L. To automate the sound, the same techniques are used as for soft ones. But it may take more time to consolidate.
You need to master correct speech in stages:
- First, the baby learns to speak syllables - Le, Lo, Ly, La, Lu.
- Then the combinations can be complicated with other consonants - Sla, Fly, Klo, Glu, Ple, etc.
- After direct syllables they move on to reverse ones - Al, Ol, Ul, Yl, El.
- When the combinations of letters are firmly fixed, they move on to whole words - boat, lamp, skis, moon.
Children can be offered pure tongue twisters and tongue twisters:
- lu-lu-lu - a puddle on the floor;
- la-la-la - swept up the trash;
- lo-lo-lo - there was a broom;
- near London - the lair of a sorcerer;
- put the coal in the corner.
When training, it is advisable to avoid combinations with the letter R. These letters are especially difficult for children to pronounce, they are often confused.
Several ways to make the sound L
First way. Open your mouth wide. Make sure your upper and lower teeth are visible. Then stick your wide tongue out between your teeth, pronounce the sound A and immediately press it with your teeth. As a result, you will get a combination of the sounds A and L. As soon as you are able to pronounce the sound L in this position, move your tongue to the correct position - it should be raised up and rest against the gums or teeth.
Second way. Say the sound Y. Then say simple words that contain the syllable LY, for example, lyko, skis, and so on. When you are able to pronounce the sound L in the interdental position, move the tip of your tongue to the correct position.
1 Why a child may not pronounce the letter “L”
The main cause of such a speech problem may be adults who often come into contact with the child. Yes, in this situation everything is exactly the same as in the educational process. The baby copies the behavior of mom or dad (in this case, the manner of speech).
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This happens especially often in bilingual families (where two or more languages are spoken). It is difficult for a child to perceive both languages, as a result he begins to mix all the sounds.
If there is nothing like this in your family, then let’s move on to the physiological reasons:
- Disorders that arise during the development of speech hearing. In other words, the child simply incorrectly perceives what he hears and, accordingly, also reproduces the sound incorrectly.
- Pathologies of the hearing aid and speech breathing;
- Changes in the structure of the articulation apparatus. In the case we are considering, this may be due to a shortened frenulum of the tongue. Moms and dads should not be scared by this formulation. We'll fix everything. Moreover, now this no longer requires such a drastic measure as an incision. A modern non-surgical technique has been developed, with the help of which the frenulum is stretched to the required size. There are special exercises for this.
Important! Under no circumstances should parents make any diagnoses for their child. Otherwise, you can only do more harm and aggravate the situation. Before you begin to correct the defect yourself, you should definitely consult with a speech therapist.
Mistakes when trying to pronounce "l"
Among the errors when pronouncing “l” there are the most common ones. They occur in both children and adults, but it is best to correct them at a young age, when the speech apparatus is just subject to adjustment. The most popular mistakes:
- Instead of “l” it sounds “y”. For example, the word “lie down” will be pronounced “yoozhsya”. This happens because the tongue is pulled too far into the depths of the oral cavity.
- Instead of “l”, a combination of “uva” sounds is pronounced. So, “took” will turn into “took”. The lips are placed incorrectly here.
- Replacing “l” with the sound “r”. For example, “medicine” instead of “medicine”.
- Instead of “l”, a sound similar to “f” or “n” is heard. This occurs due to a sharp, forced exhalation and participation in the articulation of the cheeks or nose.
Causes of impaired sound pronunciation in adults
Most often, impaired sound pronunciation in adults is the result of speech problems that were not eliminated in childhood. As a rule, a speech disorder is accompanied by low tone and slight incoordination of the articulatory organs: tongue, lips, jaws.
Various anomalies in the structure of the speech apparatus are often noted: an incorrectly formed bite, a short hyoid ligament, an inflated or narrow palatine vault. They can be diagnosed by a dentist or orthodontist. Also, the state of speech is affected by factors such as deterioration of physical hearing and neurological problems. Speech problems can occur due to injury or severe stress.
How to conduct classes correctly?
In order for a child to master a stubborn letter, it is necessary to move from very simple to complex. Begin by pronouncing a single letter “l”. Then it comes to syllables. After that, to the words. After this sentence, and then speak as normal life.
The duration of classes depends on the age of the child. A small child cannot concentrate for more than 5 minutes.
If parents want to force their son or daughter to exercise longer, they will encounter resistance, disobedience of the offspring and reluctance to take classes again. After a maximum of 5 minutes of exercise, you should take a break:
- entertain the baby;
- play;
- watch cartoons;
- just sit.
If a child refers to a family member who pronounces the letter “l” incorrectly, you should explain to the child: this adult is pronouncing the letter incorrectly. Now another adult will teach you how to do it correctly.
Don't expect quick success. It will not take you 1 day to pronounce a harmful letter. Parents should be patient. Even if after a week of classes there is still no progress, you should continue them or contact a specialist. Experts usually have more patience, because they understand how difficult it is for a child who is exploring the world to learn to pronounce all sounds correctly. Also, normal specialists understand child psychology and the peculiarities of children's learning.
If the offspring pronounces even a soft “l”, this is already progress. It’s easier to get a soft “l”, since the speech apparatus is less tense. Over time, a child who already says “l” will learn to pronounce “l.”
When to contact a speech therapist?
By the age of 4, the sound L is easy for the child, he begins to correctly pronounce words with this letter. However, for a number of reasons, kids can distort words:
- forget, skip or not hear “L” (instead of “spoon” says “ozhka”);
- change “L” to “U” or “V” (“lamp” - “uampa”, “Larissa” - “Varisa”);
- instead of “L” say “Y” (“kolobok” - “koyobok”);
- confuse soft and hard “L”.
These errors usually resolve on their own or after a few practice sessions at home. In cases where a child’s speech defect is accompanied by malocclusion or a neurological disease, you should consult a specialist. An experienced speech therapist will prescribe an effective training program and help the child pronounce words correctly.
Exercises to improve speech hearing
To develop speech hearing, speech therapists recommend playing games with your child:
- They suggest speaking the words first quietly, then with medium force, then loudly. You can show toys and give tasks - a small toy speaks quietly, a large one speaks loudly, then vice versa.
- They read fairy tales by role, where the characters speak in different voices - quietly or loudly, in a low or high voice.
- The child is shown pictures and named them. Some names are misspelled. If the player notices a mistake, he raises his hand or claps his hands.
- An adult shows a picture and says several similar words. Among them you need to choose one correct one (bow - meadow - hatch).
- The parent or teacher names a generalizing word. Children are asked to name examples of words from the named group. They should contain the letter L (fruits - lemons, apples, trees - maple, linden, etc.).
Training must be carried out systematically. Game activities can be supplemented with musical accompaniment.
