Helping Your Child Make the “F” Sound
by Megan Mihalovich,
CCC-SLP
Photo by Keira Burton
Children sometimes struggle to make the “f” sound in words such as farm, feet, finger, etc. They often substitute the “f” sound with the “th” sound (e.g., “tharm,” “theet,” “thinger”).
To make the correct sound, have your child put their top teeth on their bottom lip and push air out — “ffffff.” You can give them the cue by pointing to your mouth, putting your top teeth on your bottom lip, and blowing — “ffffffffff.”
As mentioned previously, kids will sometimes use the “th” sound in place of the proper “f” sound.
You can eliminate this by telling your child, “We want to keep our tongues in our mouths, like this.”
Then, visually demonstrate to them
how to make the “f” sound again.
Car rides are also great for playing I Spy while practicing the “f” sound.
Repeat and Make It Fun!
Repeat these steps with your child by saying, “Keep your tongue in, put your top teeth on your bottom lip, and blow.”
If they forget and use “th,” encourage them by saying, “Remember to keep your teeth on your lip and tongue inside.”
Have fun at home with the “f” sound by playing I Spy. Using the words “find” and “found,” look around your house, and then say, “Hmmm . . . I fffound something yellow.” If you have pets, ask, “Can you fffind something fffurry?”
Keep emphasizing the “f” sound with these words “find” and “found” as well as the visual cue of pointing to your mouth and making the proper sound.
What Should I Do if My Child Gets Frustrated?
If your child seems to be getting frustrated, it’s always good to go back to the basics of the “f” sound!
Maybe you have been working on words like “farm” or “firetruck,” but your child keeps making the “th” sound—“tharm,” “thiretruck.”
You can wrap things up by saying, “Let’s just do one last big “fff” sound. Ready? ‘Ffffffffffffff.’” Do it together and then end your practice for the day.
Find Fun Ways to Encourage Your Child
Parents can say, “Ffffffantastic!” when their child uses the “f” sound correctly. It’s even more emphasis on the sound. You can use it as your “good job” word when working on the “f” sound.
Our skilled speech-language pathologist are available to help your family. Contact us today if you have any questions about your child’s needs. We’re here to help!
