Speech sound
The SH sound: how to teach it
Everything you need to practise the SH sound at home — how the mouth actually makes it, the age most children get there, the mistakes that are normal along the way, and 122 practice words grouped from easiest to hardest. Free, no sign-up.
- Written
- /ʃ/
- Sound type
- fricative, voiceless
- Usually mastered
- Age 4–6
- Kids call it
- the quiet sound
- Practice items here
- 122 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 SH sound
Round your lips like you're saying 'shh'. Push air out gently.
- Tongue: Pulled back slightly, wide and flat
- Lips: Rounded and pushed forward
- Air: Broad stream of air through rounded lips
- Voice: Off — the throat stays quiet, it is air only.
What usually goes wrong
These are patterns, not carelessness. Recognising which one your child is doing makes the practice far more targeted.
- Substituting S — "shoe" becomes "sue". The tongue is too far forward.
- Stopping — "ship" becoming "tip".
- Adding a lisp when the tongue slides between the teeth.
Three things that help
- SH already has a job your child knows: telling someone to be quiet. Start there, with a finger to the lips.
- Lips push forward and round, like blowing out a candle. If the lips stay flat you will get an S.
- Contrast pairs help — "sip" and "ship", "save" and "shave". Let your child be the judge of which you said.
122 SH words to practise
Every word here starts with the SH 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.
- ship
- shoe
- shell
- sheep
- shop
- shape
- shut
- shine
- share
- she
- shark
- shirt
- shorts
- shed
- shelf
- shade
- shake
- shave
- shawl
- sheet
- shin
- shore
- shout
- shove
- shrimp
- shrub
- shrug
- shush
- shy
- shack
- show
- shoo
- shield
- short
- sharp
- shears
- shred
- shrew
- shrink
- shells
- shoes
- ships
- sharks
- shirts
- shapes
- shelves
- shared
- shrugged
- shushed
- shaved
- shopped
- shipped
- shoved
- shined
Next — two-syllable words
Once the short words are reliable, longer words keep the sound accurate under more load.
- shadow
- shampoo
- shovel
- shower
- shiny
- shoulder
- shepherd
- sherbet
- shimmer
- shiver
- shuffle
- shutter
- shoelace
- shortcake
- sheepdog
- shellfish
- shopping
- shopper
- sharing
- shouting
- shining
- shaggy
- shallow
- shelter
- shaker
- shoebox
- shoreline
- shortstop
- shortbread
- shuttle
- shady
- sharpen
- sheriff
- shamrock
- shaking
- showtime
- shimmy
- shinbone
- shorter
- shorten
- shadows
- showers
- shovels
- shutters
- shamrocks
- shoulders
- shouted
- shivered
- shuffled
- shredded
- shaded
- shaving
- shipmate
- shorebird
- shushing
- shrinking
- shredding
Challenge — longer words
Three syllables and up. Save these for when the sound is solid everywhere else.
- sharpener
- shoemaker
- shopkeeper
- shimmering
- shivering
- shadowy
- shrubbery
- showering
- shoelaces
- sheltering
- shoveling
SH phrases
The step between single words and real talking. Say the phrase together first, then let your child do it alone.
- A shiny shell
- She has a shoe
- The sheep shop
- Shut the shade
- Share a shape
- Shiny shoes
- Shy sheep
- Sharp shears
- Short shorts
- Shell shop
- Shoe shelf
- Shady shore
- Shiny shield
- Shaggy sheepdog
- Shrimp shell
- She shares
- Sheep shape
- Ship shape
- Shore shells
- Shut tight
SH sentences
The last step before everyday conversation. Each sentence packs the SH sound in several times, so one sentence is worth several words.
- She found a shiny shell on the shore.
- The sheep shop is shut today.
- Shane shares his shoe with Sheila.
- The shape of the ship shines bright.
- She should shut the shade now.
- She shines her shiny shoes.
- The shy sheep shivers outside.
- Put the shells on the shelf.
- The sheepdog shakes off water.
- She wears shorts and a shirt.
- The shark swims near the shore.
- Shut the shed door, please.
- We shop for new shoes.
- The shell shop sells shiny shells.
- The shepherd shears the sheep.
- Show me your shiny shield.
- She shampoos her shaggy dog.
- She sells sea shells on the shore.
- The sheep rest in the shady shed.
- She shakes the shaker at the show.
Three games for the SH sound
Practice that does not feel like practice. A child will do fifty repetitions inside a game and refuse ten on a worksheet.
Shhh the toys
Put teddies to bed one at a time, each with a long shhh.
Sip or ship
Say one of the pair; your child points to the picture. Then swap roles.
Shopping list
"I went shopping and bought a shoe / shirt / shell…" adding one item each turn.
When to ask a professional
Most children have the SH 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.
SH sound questions
- At what age should a child say the SH sound?
- Most children have the SH 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 SH wrong?
- The most common pattern is substituting s. Stopping — "ship" becoming "tip". Adding a lisp when the tongue slides between the teeth. 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 SH sound at home?
- Round your lips like you're saying 'shh'. Push air out gently. Start with the sound on its own, then short words, then phrases, then sentences — in that order. SH already has a job your child knows: telling someone to be quiet. Start there, with a finger to the lips.
- 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 122 SH words, so you can use a different handful every day for weeks.
- When should I see a speech therapist about the SH sound?
- If your child is older than six and the SH 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.