Speech sound
The L sound: how to teach it
Everything you need to practise the L sound at home — how the mouth actually makes it, the age most children get there, the mistakes that are normal along the way, and 120 practice words grouped from easiest to hardest. Free, no sign-up.
- Written
- /l/
- Sound type
- liquid, voiced
- Usually mastered
- Age 4–6
- Kids call it
- the singing sound
- Practice items here
- 120 words · 20 phrases · 20 sentences
Hear it first
This is the same “Teach Me” clip the app plays before practice. Listen together, then copy it a few times before touching any words.
How the mouth makes the L sound
Put the tip of your tongue on the bumpy spot behind your top teeth. Let air flow around the sides.
- Tongue: Tip touches the ridge behind upper front teeth
- Lips: Relaxed and open
- Air: Air flows around the sides of the tongue
- Voice: On — put a hand on the throat and you should feel it buzz.
What usually goes wrong
These are patterns, not carelessness. Recognising which one your child is doing makes the practice far more targeted.
- Gliding — "lion" becomes "yion" or "wion".
- Dropping L at the end — "ball" becomes "baw".
- L blends collapsing — "blue" becoming "bue".
Three things that help
- The tongue tip goes on the bumpy ridge behind the top teeth and stays there while the voice runs. Ask your child to hold it and count to three.
- Let them look in a mirror. L is one of the few sounds you can actually see being made.
- Sing it. La-la-la in a familiar tune gets far more repetitions than a word list ever will.
120 L words to practise
Every word here starts with the L sound, which is where a new sound should begin. Once it is reliable at the start of a word, the phrases and sentences below put it in the middle and at the end too.
Start here — short words
One-syllable words. Easiest to get right, so this is where a new sound should begin.
- lamp
- leaf
- leg
- lip
- log
- lock
- lake
- look
- lace
- lamb
- land
- lane
- large
- last
- late
- laugh
- lawn
- leap
- learn
- leash
- left
- lend
- lick
- lid
- lift
- light
- like
- lime
- line
- link
- list
- loaf
- long
- lost
- loud
- love
- low
- lunch
- lungs
- lens
- lap
- leak
- load
- loop
- luck
- lark
- lash
- lynx
Next — two-syllable words
Once the short words are reliable, longer words keep the sound accurate under more load.
- lion
- lemon
- ladder
- lantern
- laptop
- laundry
- lava
- lazy
- leader
- leapfrog
- leopard
- lesson
- letter
- lettuce
- lighthouse
- lightning
- lily
- lipstick
- liquid
- listen
- litter
- little
- lizard
- llama
- lobster
- locker
- lonely
- lotion
- lovely
- lucky
- lumber
- lunchbox
- label
- ladle
- lagoon
- lamppost
- larva
- lasso
- layer
- leafy
- leggings
- lifeguard
- lightbulb
- lilac
- locket
- loyal
- luggage
- lunar
- lively
- lookout
- later
- laughing
- lunchtime
- lapdog
- leaky
Challenge — longer words
Three syllables and up. Save these for when the sound is solid everywhere else.
- ladybug
- lemonade
- library
- lollipop
- licorice
- lullaby
- lavender
- leprechaun
- limousine
- lumberjack
- litterbug
- lasagna
- lionfish
- lioness
- leftover
- loudspeaker
- lawnmower
L phrases
The step between single words and real talking. Say the phrase together first, then let your child do it alone.
- A little lion
- Look at the leaf
- A long log
- Lemon on a lip
- The lake is big
- Little lamb
- Loud lion
- Long ladder
- Lucky llama
- Lazy lizard
- Lovely lily
- Leafy lettuce
- Lions leap
- Llamas laugh
- Lost lamb
- Lick lollipops
- Low lamp
- Light the lamp
- A loud laugh
- Leap over logs
L sentences
The last step before everyday conversation. Each sentence packs the L sound in several times, so one sentence is worth several words.
- The little lion lays by the lake.
- Look at the lovely lemon leaf.
- The lamp is on the log by the lock.
- Lucy loves to look at the lake.
- The long leaf fell on the leg.
- The lion licks a lemon.
- The lamb leaps over the log.
- A ladybug lands on the leaf.
- The lizard lays on the log.
- I love my little llama.
- The lamp lights up the room.
- We laugh a lot at lunch.
- The leaf lands on the lake.
- My lunchbox is full of lemons.
- The lion looks at the lake.
- The little lamb licks a lemon lollipop.
- I lost my lucky leaf at lunch.
- The llama leaps over the long log.
- A ladybug lands on the lily pad.
- The lazy lizard lays in the light.
Three games for the L sound
Practice that does not feel like practice. A child will do fifty repetitions inside a game and refuse ten on a worksheet.
La-la song swap
Sing any song replacing every word with "la". Loud, quiet, fast, slow.
Lollipop hold
Tongue tip up on the ridge, hold for five seconds, then release into "la".
Look and label
Walk the house naming everything with an L — lamp, light, leg, ladder.
When to ask a professional
Most children have the L sound by around age 6. If your child is past that and it has not appeared, if people outside the family regularly cannot understand them, or if they are starting to avoid talking, book an appointment with a speech-language pathologist. One session will tell you whether this needs treatment or just time.
Help Me Talk is a practice app, not a diagnosis or a replacement for a licensed speech-language pathologist. If you are worried about your child’s speech, talk to your doctor or an SLP — this app is for the practice in between.
Age ranges follow the Iowa–Nebraska articulation norms (Smit, Hand, Bird & Bernthal), the same norms the app uses to suggest sounds by age.
L sound questions
- At what age should a child say the L sound?
- Most children have the L sound somewhere between four and six years old. It is one of the later sounds, so a younger child who has not got it yet is usually right on schedule. Age ranges follow the Iowa–Nebraska articulation norms (Smit, Hand, Bird & Bernthal), the same norms the app uses to suggest sounds by age.
- Why does my child say L wrong?
- The most common pattern is gliding. Dropping L at the end — "ball" becomes "baw". L blends collapsing — "blue" becoming "bue". These are patterns, not laziness — the mouth is doing something consistent, just not the thing English needs. Once you know which pattern it is, the practice becomes much more targeted.
- How do I teach the L sound at home?
- Put the tip of your tongue on the bumpy spot behind your top teeth. Let air flow around the sides. Start with the sound on its own, then short words, then phrases, then sentences — in that order. The tongue tip goes on the bumpy ridge behind the top teeth and stays there while the voice runs. Ask your child to hold it and count to three.
- How many words should we practise in one go?
- Ten to fifteen words is plenty. Five to ten minutes a day beats a long session once a week, and stopping while your child is still enjoying it is what makes them willing to do it again tomorrow. This page has 120 L words, so you can use a different handful every day for weeks.
- When should I see a speech therapist about the L sound?
- If your child is older than six and the L sound is still not there, if strangers regularly cannot understand them, or if your child is getting frustrated or avoiding talking — those are the moments to ask. A speech-language pathologist can tell you in one appointment whether it needs treatment or just time. This app is practice, not a diagnosis.