You may not have given much thought to it, but the /w/ sound involves shaping both lips into a circle. For some children, this may be a hard sound to articulate. According to our speech/sound charts, the /w/ is a sound that should be mastered by age 3.

Here are some tips if your child has trouble forming their lips into a circle to produce the sound:

1. Have your child smile then pucker their lips back and forth. By doing so, your child can hopefully feel the difference in their mouth movements and get a better idea of producing the sound appropriately.
2. A straw is a great tool in assisting children with this sound. Have your child place their mouth over a straw. Once their lips are wrapped around the straw, slide it out and have them look at the way their lips are positioned.
3. Bubbles are a great motivator! Have your child blow bubbles to form their lips into a circle. Have them voice the sound with their lips rounded before blowing the bubbles.

Have some other ideas? Have questions? Share with us on Speechbop!