How to Pronounce Lisp

To pronounce "lisp", say LISP — one syllable, IPA /lɪl͡sp/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

lisp

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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Syllable

Letters

/lɪl͡sp/

IPA

"lisp" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with crisp and chrisp, if that helps it stick.

noun

The habit or an act of lisping.
“He used to have a terrible lisp before going to a speech therapist.”

verb

To pronounce the consonant ‘s’ imperfectly; to give ‘s’ and ‘z’ the sounds of ‘th’ (/θ/). This is a speech impediment common among children.
To speak with imperfect articulation; to mispronounce, such as a child learning to talk.

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

How many syllables are in "lisp"?▾

"Lisp" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "lisp"?▾

The IPA transcription of "lisp" is /lɪl͡sp/.

What does "lisp" mean?▾

Lisp: The habit or an act of lisping.

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