A lisp is what is known as a "Functional Speech Disorder" or FSD. This disorder is characterized by a difficulty learning to pronounce one or more specific speech sounds. The reason this is now referred to as a Functional Speech Disorder is that the cause or reason is unknown.
Some children have a natural difficulty pronouncing certain phonetic sounds, while others may have learned to mispronounce a sound or a group of sounds, and that mispronunciation has become ingrained as a habit. While the term "lisp" is usually used by non-professionals or lay people to refer to people who cannot pronounce the "s" or "z" sound, individuals with a functional speech disorder may also have a difficult time with the letters "r", "l" and the "th" sound.
Experts believe there are four types of lisp. The most common type of lisp describes a situation where, when a person lisps their tongue either protrudes between, or touches, their front teeth and the sound they make is more like a “th” sound than a “s” or a “z.” This type of lisp, with the protruding tongue between the front teeth while attempting “s” and/or “z” is referred to as interdental production, and touching the front teeth with the tongue while attempting to produce the “s” and/or “z” sound is called 'dentalised' production.
Additionally, there are two other types of known lisp - in a lateral lisp, a person produces the “s” and “z” sounds with the air escaping over the sides of the tongue, and in a palatal lisp a person attempts to make the sounds with the tongue while it is in contact with the palate.
Some children have a natural difficulty pronouncing certain phonetic sounds, while others may have learned to mispronounce a sound or a group of sounds, and that mispronunciation has become ingrained as a habit. While the term "lisp" is usually used by non-professionals or lay people to refer to people who cannot pronounce the "s" or "z" sound, individuals with a functional speech disorder may also have a difficult time with the letters "r", "l" and the "th" sound.
Experts believe there are four types of lisp. The most common type of lisp describes a situation where, when a person lisps their tongue either protrudes between, or touches, their front teeth and the sound they make is more like a “th” sound than a “s” or a “z.” This type of lisp, with the protruding tongue between the front teeth while attempting “s” and/or “z” is referred to as interdental production, and touching the front teeth with the tongue while attempting to produce the “s” and/or “z” sound is called 'dentalised' production.
Additionally, there are two other types of known lisp - in a lateral lisp, a person produces the “s” and “z” sounds with the air escaping over the sides of the tongue, and in a palatal lisp a person attempts to make the sounds with the tongue while it is in contact with the palate.
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