The P sound is an early-developing sound in the English language. It is a bilabial sound made by placing the lips together and releasing a puff of air. It is also a fun sound to teach at home and in speech therapy. If you’ve been wondering how to say the P sound, scroll below for more information.
P Sound
The P sound is a voiceless bilabial stop. It is one of the first sounds a child will learn to say, and there are many words in the English language with P in them.
This sound is a great one to teach young children, as it is easy to see and a fun one to make! Whether you’re working on speech sounds in speech therapy or at home, this post can help your children learn to say the P sound like a pro!
Are you looking for a way to work on the P sound with a child or client in speech therapy? Check out my Mega P Sound Activity Packet! It’s jam-packed with over 20 worksheets and activities to practice the P sound in isolation, syllables, words, phrases, sentences, reading, and conversation!
When Does P Sound Develop?
The P sound is acquired between 2-3 years old. Some children may continue to “master” this sound beyond the age of 3, but most young children are able to say the P sound very early.
For more information on when speech sounds develop, please refer to the Speech Sound Development post on this website.
How to Make the P Sound
The P sound is made by pressing the lips together and releasing a puff of air in an explosive manner. Here’s how to make the P sound:
- Lips together. Press the lips gently together. Allow a small amount of air to build in the mouth behind the closed lips.
- Release a puff of air. Open the lips quickly to release a puff of air.
- Voice turned OFF. The vocal cords do NOT vibrate. If you place your fingertips on your throat and make the P sound, your larynx, or voice box does not vibrate.
If you’re interested in more in-depth information on the production of speech sounds, please refer to this post on Place Manner and Voicing.
How to Teach the P Sound
The P sound is a relatively easy sound to teach, and there are many ways you can help or “cue” children to say it correctly.
As always, when helping to teach your child something new, provide positive encouragement when your child is trying their best. Learning new speech sounds can be hard!
Verbal Cues
Verbal cues are things you say to a child to help them understand what they need to do to say the P sound.
One way you can cue your child is by giving the sound a fun or “silly” name. We can call the P sound the “popping sound” or the “popcorn sound” to remind them to release a puff of air when saying the sound. It also “pops” out of our mouth quickly, just like popcorn when it pops.
You can give other verbal cues to children by saying things like:
- “Lips together.”
- “Let a tiny puff of air out of your mouth.”
- “Make the sound pop!”
- “Voice turned off.”
Visual Cues
A visual cue is something a child can look at that shows them how to make the P sound.
You can give a visual cue by pointing to your lips when making the P sound, so children or clients can see what it looks like. You can also show them illustrated images of the mouth showing what the sound looks like.
Here is a basic visual cue for the P sound:
Cue cards are also a great way to help children remember how to say each sound correctly. If you’re on the hunt for some bright and colorful cue cards, look no further than my complete set of Speech Sound Cue Cards here. They’re great for use in speech therapy and on the go!
Tactile Cues
A tactile cue involves using physical touch or some sort of sensory feedback to help a child produce a speech sound correctly.
To give a tactile cue to your child, hold their hand over your mouth while you say the P sound to let them feel the lips closed and the puff of air that is released when you say the sound.
You can show them that the voice is turned off by placing their fingers on your throat and noticing that there is no vibration or “buzz” when saying the P sound.
Tips for Saying the P Sound
Looking for some fun ways to help teach the P sound? These are my favorite activities to do when helping to elicit the P sound.
Dancing Tissue
Place a tissue in front of the child’s mouth, or have the child hold the tissue themselves. Have them practice saying the P sound and making the tissue “dance” with each puff of air.
Feel the Puff
Place your hand in front of your mouth while saying the P sound. Feel the puff of air on your hand as you say the sound.
Popcorn Lips
Make your lips “pop” just like popcorn while saying the P sound over and over again. You can even pop some popcorn in the microwave and practice making the P sound every time a kernel pops!
Activities to Practice the P Sound
Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to practice the P sound? This MEGA P Sound Activity Packet is full of 20 worksheets and activities to practice the P sound in a variety of ways. It also includes data sheets and informational handouts to help elicit the P sound.
This resource is extremely comprehensive and is the absolute best to practice the P sound in speech therapy, at home, or at school.
P Sound
The P sound develops between 2 and 3 years old. If your child is 4 or older and still having difficulty pronouncing P correctly, it is recommended that you consult a speech-language pathologist to determine if your child’s speech is delayed.
Looking for other great resources from The Speech Guide? Check out these other great posts:
Looking for more in-depth resources and activities to support speech and language therapy? Check out my speech therapy products! They’re super handy for speech pathologists, family members, teachers, and others to assist in the proper development of speech.
