Question:

My son is 11 years old. He was in speech therapy from pre-k through 3rd grade in our school systems. For approximately 18 months he received therapy and progressed well at a local university. His most significant continuing issue is the ending “R” sound. He makes an “or” sound in place of “er” — “for” when trying to articulate either “for” or “fur.” What is the difference in the tongue placement for the er instead of or ending sound. I cannot find any clear reference for this issue. He can say words such as terrific but I think he may be tagging onto the beginning r for “riffic”. Any help would be very appreciated.

Answer:

The difference between “or” and “er” is in the shape of the lips: we round the lips for “o” and have them more laterally shaped as in a smile for “e.” The tongue would be lower in the back for the “o” and broader and flatter on the “e.” Have your son practice smiling when he says the “er” and see if that helps. Because the movement of the tongue between these two sounds is so subtle it would be harder to make the desired change by focusing on the tongue.