Are you a speech-language pathologist looking for final s words for speech therapy practice? Then this blog is just what you need! It has over 230 final s words that will help strengthen your child or student’s /s/ sound.
Minimal Pairs
A great way to work on s articulation therapy is through minimal pairs.
A minimal pair is two words that differ by only one phoneme, in this case, the final /s/ sound.
For example, “lace” and “late”.
When you pronounce these words side by side, it’s easy to hear the difference in the speech sounds.
Having a list of practice words for final s minimal pairs is a great way for a speech therapist to work on the correct production of the s sound!
Correct Production
- Tongue Tip: The /s/ sound in the English language is made by lightly placing the tip of your tongue on the roof of the mouth on the alveolar ridge right behind your upper front teeth.
- Middle of the Tongue: Be sure to place the sides of the tongue against the upper side of your teeth to allow for the passage of air to go down the center of the tongue.
- Air: Then while smiling blow a skinny stream of air over the center of the tongue (you do not want the air to come out the sides of the tongue).
Lisps
- Lateral Lisp: A lateral lisp or lateral distortion happens when air escapes out the sides of your teeth. To help reduce a lateral lisp encourage your client or student to place the sides of their tongue against the upper side of their teeth to allow the passage of air to go down the center of the tongue instead of out the sides of the teeth. The lateral lisp sounds like a “slushy” s sound.
- Interdental Lisp or Frontal Lisp: An interdental lisp or frontal lisp happens when the tongue protrudes between the front teeth. This causes the s and z sound to be produced as the /th/ sound. The word ‘sleep’ is then produced as ‘theep’.
Phonological Processes
A phonological disorder is when a child’s speech makes multiple similar sound errors.
Be sure to consult with a certified Speech Pathologist if your child is experiencing a phonological speech disorder.
Consonant Clusters
For example, consonant cluster reduction, a type of phonological process, is when a child or student reduces a cluster, two or three consonants together also known as consonant clusters down to just one consonant, such as the “sm” blend down to simply the s sound.
For example, the word “smell” would become “sell”.
Age Range – School Years
According to the Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation 2 from 2000, most children have mastered the Final S sound by the time they are five years old. (This is a standardized sample from the GFTA-2 with 85% of children able to correctly produce that consonant by that age.)
If you are concerned about your child’s ability to produce this sound, it is best to consult a speech therapist about receiving speech services.
Final S Words Speech Therapy
Speech-language pathologists are always on the lookout for speech therapy final words organized by word positions. That’s why I’ve created this massive list just for you!
Target Sound Words
Here is a list of words to work on the final s articulation sound. Use the list below for therapy or at home practice to work on your student or child’s new skill.
- For Example: house, mouse, cactus, rhinoceros, necklace, bus, moose, dice, gas, octopus, fence, police, dress, nurse, lace
See full word lists, phrases, and sentences below.
Be sure to grab my one page freebie of final s sounds below. Simply scroll to the bottom of this post and grab your free copy!
Word Positions: Final S Words Speech Therapy
Initial Position of Words
The initial sound of the s sound is at the beginning of a word. For example, “salt” or “sock”.
Medial S Position of Words
Some words have the s sound in the medial position of a word, such as “baseball”, “faucet”, and “pencil”.
Final Position of Words
The final positions of words are when the target sound is at the end of a word. For example, “prince” or “miss”.
Final S Words Speech Therapy
Final Words at Word Level
Some ways to practice include having your child or student say each final /s/ word one by one as they go through a list.
Using a dot marker can also be a fun way to practice having your child put a dot under each final s sound.
In addition, I’ve compiled an easy-to-download one page overview of final s sounds below. Simply scroll down to the bottom of this post and download your free copy.
- 1 Syllable: less, bus, Chris, kiss, gas, mess, dress, cross, ross, miss, chaos, stress, boss, chess, oops, press, class, loss, yes, plus, diss, fuss, bliss, moss, joyous, thanks, bass, bless, gross, toss, floss, gloss, guess, ace, ice, once, peace, face, grace, dance, voice, nice, rice, race, place, chance, space, choice, prince, force, lace, sauce, bounce, price, lance, juice, dice, fence, France, vice, twice, slice, fierce, pierce, niece, since, brace, ounce, glance, house, mouse, mice, purse, worse, case, base, chase, loose, course, goose, nurse, moose, vase, verse, curse, dose, spouse, cease, morse, blouse
- 2 Syllable: Christmas, circus, Thomas, Paris, Venus, famous, iris, Texas, cactus, nucleus, jealous, physics, nervous, lyrics, focus, tennis, gracious, gorgeous, phonics, hummus, bonus, citrus, campus, walrus, canvas, Kansas, Elvis, Dallas, angus, precious, census, fungus, mucus, fetus, chorus, office, justice, silence, science, sentence, balance, distance, presence, police, service, palace, absence, advice, romance, surface, lettuce, embrace, resource, fragrance, notice, practice, finance, device, necklace, replace, purpose, promise, false, sense, purchase, tortoise, pulse
- 3 Syllable: happiness, business, dangerous, goddess, Uranus, cleanliness, octopus, politics, serious, curious, hopeless, genius, delicious, homeless, fabulous, wilderness, anxious, gymnastics, fireworks, generous, pajamas, Bahamas, bronchitis, emptiness, elements, wariness, loveless, closeness, statistics, obvious, frivolous, lifeless, powerless, genetics, ominous, glorious, obstacles, contagious, furious, bitterness, witness, Celsius, hibiscus, mischievous, arthritis, relentless, platypus, outrageous, hazardous, chrysalis, paradise, license, universe, nonsense
- 4 Syllable: forgiveness, loneliness, awareness, anonymous, ambidextrous, mathematics, meticulous, rambunctious, expressionless, emotionless, ambitious, diagnosis, hypothesis, victorious, economics, adventurous, paralysis
Practice in Flash Card Mode Right Here from Your Computer!
Final S Words Speech Therapy
1 Syllable | 2 Syllable |
---|---|
less | Christmas |
bus | circus |
Chris | Thomas |
kiss | Paris |
gas | Venus |
mess | famous |
dress | iris |
cross | Texas |
ross | cactus |
miss | nucleus |
chaos | jealous |
stress | physics |
boss | nervous |
chess | lyrics |
oops | focus |
press | tennis |
class | gracious |
loss | gorgeous |
yes | phonics |
plus | hummus |
diss | bonus |
fuss | citrus |
bliss | campus |
moss | walrus |
joyous | canvas |
thanks | Kansas |
bass | Elvis |
bless | Dallas |
gross | Angus |
toss | precious |
floss | census |
gloss | fungus |
guess | mucus |
ace | fetus |
ice | chorus |
once | office |
peace | justice |
face | silence |
grace | science |
dance | sentence |
voice | balance |
nice | distance |
rice | presence |
race | police |
place | service |
chance | palace |
space | absence |
choice | advice |
prince | romance |
force | surface |
lace | lettuce |
sauce | embrace |
bounce | resource |
price | fragrance |
lance | notice |
juice | practice |
dice | finance |
fence | device |
France | necklace |
vice | replace |
twice | purpose |
slice | promise |
fierce | false |
pierce | sense |
niece | purchase |
since | tortoise |
brace | pulse |
ounce | |
glance | |
house | |
mouse | |
mice | |
purse | |
worse | |
case | |
base | |
chase | |
loose | |
course | |
goose | |
nurse | |
moose | |
vase | |
verse | |
curse | |
dose | |
spouse | |
cease | |
morse | |
blouse |
3 Syllable | 4 Syllable |
---|---|
happiness | forgiveness |
business | loneliness |
dangerous | awareness |
goddess | anonymous |
Uranus | ambidextrous |
cleanliness | mathematics |
octopus | meticulous |
politics | rambunctious |
serious | expressionless |
curious | emotionless |
hopeless | ambitious |
genius | diagnosis |
delicious | hypothesis |
homeless | victorious |
fabulous | economics |
wilderness | adventurous |
anxious | paralysis |
gymnastics | |
fireworks | |
generous | |
pajamas | |
Bahamas | |
bronchitis | |
emptiness | |
elements | |
wariness | |
loveless | |
closeness | |
statistics | |
obvious | |
frivolous | |
lifeless | |
powerless | |
genetics | |
ominous | |
glorious | |
obstacles | |
contagious | |
furious | |
bitterness | |
witness | |
celsius | |
hibiscus | |
mischievous | |
arthritis | |
relentless | |
platypus | |
outrageous | |
hazardous | |
chrysalis | |
paradise | |
license | |
universe | |
nonsense |
SEE ALSO: 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy
Short Sentences or Phrases
When working on final s sound production, it’s important to work on short phrases once your child or student has mastered the sound at the word level at or near 80% or higher accuracy.
Here is a list of final s word phrases to try:
Final S Words for Speech Therapy in Phrases
1 Syllable | 2 Syllable |
---|---|
much less | Christmas time |
bus stop | go to see the circus |
Chris smiled | Thomas waved |
big kiss | trip to Paris |
gas light | Venus is bright |
mess up | famous person |
dress up | beautiful iris |
hot cross buns | Texas Roadhouse |
ross ate | cactus spikes |
miss me | studied the nucleus |
chaos going on | jealous of her |
try not to stress | physics class |
boss called | feel nervous |
chess game | great lyrics |
ops mission | focus on this |
press down | tennis ball |
class started | gracious host |
at a loss | gorgeous sunset |
say yes | learn her phonics |
plus his friends | hummus dip |
diss me | yearly bonus |
fuss a lot | citrus flavor |
feel bliss | new campus |
moss covered | walrus played |
joyous moment | blank canvas |
thanks for the gift | drove through Kansas |
bass fishing | Elvis sang |
bless me | Dallas is in Texas |
gross food | Angus burger |
toss the ball | precious time |
floss your teeth | census showed |
lip gloss | fungus grew |
guess who | blew my mucus into the tissue |
ace of spades | ultrasound showed the fetus |
ice skating | chorus sang |
once upon a time | back to the office |
peace out | justice has been served |
face me | silence in the room |
give grace | science class |
dance team | finish my sentence |
great singing voice | balance out |
nice look | distance runner |
rice and chicken | your presence |
race way | police chase |
place the cup | service member |
small chance | white palace |
outer space | absence is felt |
his choice | great advice |
long lost prince | romance novel |
force of nature | surface of the water |
lace your shoes | lettuce on the grocery list |
spaghetti sauce | big embrace |
bounce house | great resource |
high price | strong smelling fragrance |
Lance clapped | notice that |
apple juice | soccer practice |
roll the dice | finance class |
high fence | smart device |
visit France | pearl necklace |
vice president | replace these spoons |
called twice | on purpose |
slice of cake | promise me |
fierce warrior | true or false |
pierce through | great sense of direction |
niece smiled | good purchase |
since then | tortoise crawled |
brace yourself | checked his pulse |
one ounce | |
glance at me | |
house hunting | |
mouse ran | |
mice ate | |
stolen purse | |
worse off | |
in case | |
base of the | |
chase the ball | |
loose earrings | |
of course | |
goose flew | |
nurse called | |
moose ran | |
vase of flowers | |
memorize this verse | |
curse words | |
dose of medicine | |
that is my spouse | |
cease to find | |
morse code | |
pink blouse |
3 Syllable | 4 Syllable |
---|---|
her happiness | journey to forgiveness |
business plan | felt loneliness |
dangerous choice | bring awareness |
goddess of the ocean | anonymous writer |
Uranus is a planet | ambidextrous means |
cleanliness is important | good at mathematics |
octopus swam | meticulous and detailed |
politics on the new | rambunctious child |
serious time | expressionless face |
curious cat | emotionless person |
hopeless feeling | ambitious goals |
genius idea | good diagnosis |
delicious cake | made a hypothesis |
homeless man | he was victorious |
fabulous time | economics class |
explore the wilderness | adventurous spirit |
anxious feelings | paralysis after the accident |
practiced gymnastics | |
fireworks show | |
generous donation | |
pink pajamas | |
trip to the Bahamas | |
has bronchitis | |
emptiness of the house | |
four elements | |
loveless story | |
closeness with you | |
statistics show | |
was obvious | |
frivolous spending | |
felt powerless | |
great genetics | |
ominous feeling | |
glorious time | |
many obstacles | |
sickness is contagious | |
he was furious | |
bitterness towards him | |
he was a witness | |
5 degrees Celsius | |
hibiscus flower | |
mischievous boy | |
has arthritis | |
he was relentless | |
platypus played in the water | |
outrageous gas prices | |
hazardous sign | |
chrysalis formed | |
paradise on earth | |
drivers license | |
whole universe | |
it was nonsense |
Sentence Level: Final S Words Speech Therapy
The next step after working at the word and phrase levels are to work on the final s sound at the sentence level.
For example, you could give your child or student a list of sentences to read aloud while they work on their final s sound.
Another idea would be to give your child or student pictures with their final s sound in them and then have them create a sentence about those pictures.
Below is a list of sentences to use with your child or students.
Final S Words Speech Therapy in Sentences
1 Syllable | 2 Syllable |
---|---|
He makes much less at his new job. | I love Christmas time. |
They waited at the bus stop. | We will go to see the circus. |
Chris smiled at his son. | Thomas waved at his friend. |
She gave her dog a big kiss. | They took a trip to Paris. |
My gas light is on in my car. | Venus is bright. |
The kids cleaned up their mess. | I met a famous person. |
She plays dress up with her friends. | That is a beautiful iris. |
Grandma made hot cross buns. | I ordered steak at the Texas Roadhouse. |
Ross ate his sandwich. | The cactus has lots of spikes. |
My daughter said she will miss me. | Scientists studied the nucleus. |
There is a lot of chaos going on in their life. | I felt jealous of her. |
The doctor said, “try not to stress”. | I am late for physics class. |
My boss called me. | This is a 150-piece puzzle. |
They played a chess game. | I feel nervous. |
It was a special ops mission. | There are great lyrics. |
Press down on the B button. | Please focus on the road. |
The class started late. | The dog chased the tennis ball. |
They are at a loss. | She is a gracious host. |
She decided to say yes to the dress. | The beach has a gorgeous sunset. |
He invited his family plus his friends. | The little girl will learn her phonics. |
It was rude of him to diss me. | I brought hummus dip to the party. |
The baby began to fuss a lot. | I got my yearly bonus. |
She feels bliss at the beach. | I like citrus flavor drinks. |
There is a moss covered log. | The new campus is beautiful. |
It was a joyous moment. | The walrus played on the rock. |
Thanks for the gift. | The walls are like a blank canvas. |
He went bass fishing. | I drove through Kansas. |
I said “bless you” after she sneezed. | Elvis sang to the crowd. |
I think pickles are a gross food. | Dallas is in Texas. |
She will toss the ball for her dog. | I ordered an Angus burger. |
The dentist reminded me to floss my teeth. | The newborn stage is a precious time. |
She put on lip gloss. | The census showed a growth in population. |
Guess who came to the Christmas party? | A fungus grew on the tree stump. |
I held the ace of spades. | I blew my mucus into the tissue. |
She went ice skating. | The ultrasound showed the fetus. |
The story started with once upon a time. | The chorus sang wonderfully. |
The country wants to keep the peace. | I am back in the office for work. |
He turned his chair to face me. | Justice has been served. |
She gave grace and forgave him. | Silence in the room, please. |
She joined the dance team last year. | I love science class. |
You have a great singing voice. | I want to finish my sentence. |
The dress was a nice look. | I will balance out my day. |
I made rice and chicken for dinner. | She is a distance runner. |
There are 4 cars on the race way. | Your presence is comforting to me. |
Place the cup by the sink. | There is a police chase. |
There is a small chance they will win. | I said thank you to a service member. |
He studies outer space. | There is a white palace on a hill. |
It was his choice to buy a car. | Your absence is felt after you leave. |
They found the long lost prince. | He has some great advice. |
The hurricane was a force of nature. | She read a romance novel. |
Do not forget to lace your shoes. | The surface of the water is calm. |
I spilled spaghetti sauce on the floor. | Add lettuce to the grocery list. |
He got a bounce house for his birthday party. | He gave me a big embrace. |
That is a high price for a car. | That is a great resource for your paper. |
Lance clapped for his friends. | That perfume has a strong smelling fragrance. |
The toddler drank his apple juice. | I will notice that difference. |
He rolled the dice for the game. | He is late for soccer practice. |
They built a high fence. | I am taking a finance class. |
I want to visit France. | I have a smart device. |
He was elected vice president. | I wore a pearl necklace from my grandma. |
I called you twice. | I need to replace these spoons. |
I ate a slice of cake. | He hit her on purpose. |
He is a fierce warrior. | I told him to promise me he wouldn’t forget. |
The needle will pierce through the cloth. | I like true or false questions. |
My niece smiled at me. | He has a great sense of direction. |
I haven’t been back since then. | A new tv was a good purchase. |
Brace yourself for the storm. | Neglect is considered dog abuse. |
I needed one ounce of baking soda. | The tortoise crawled slowly through the sand. |
She made a quick glance at me. | I checked his pulse. |
We will go house hunting to buy a house. | |
A mouse ran across the floor. | |
The mice ate the cords. | |
They found the stolen purse. | |
She felt worse off than before. | |
Bring the first aid kit just in case. | |
He plays third base. | |
My dog will chase the ball. | |
She lost her loose earrings. | |
Of course, we can go to the park. | |
The goose flew into the sky. | |
The nurse called me. | |
A moose ran through the trees. | |
I set the vase of flowers on the table. | |
I will memorize this verse. | |
I do not use curse words. | |
I gave her one dose of medicine. | |
That is my spouse. | |
I will not cease til I find the next clue. | |
My papa knows morse code. | |
I wore a pink blouse. |
3 Syllable | 4 Syllable |
---|---|
Her happiness is important. | He is on a journey to forgiveness. |
It was a creative business plan. | She felt true loneliness after her friends left. |
He made a dangerous choice. | The event is to bring awareness to the disease. |
We studied the goddess of the ocean. | I am an anonymous writer. |
Uranus is a planet in the Milky Way. | Ambidextrous means you can use both hands to write. |
Cleanliness is important in my house | She is really good at mathematics. |
The octopus swam across the reef. | It is a meticulous and detailed plan. |
The politics in the news is overwhelming. | My rambunctious child played outside. |
It was a serious time. | He was an emotionless person. |
My curious cat is looking at the plant. | She has ambitious goals. |
She had a hopeless feeling. | She received a good diagnosis. |
The toddler thought he had a genius idea. | They made a hypothesis. |
We made a delicious cake. | He was victorious. |
I helped the homeless man get groceries. | I have a C in my economics class. |
I had a fabulous time this weekend. | She has an adventurous spirit. |
I like to explore the wilderness. | He felt paralysis in his legs right after the accident. |
I sometimes have anxious feelings. | |
They practiced gymnastics. | |
I loved that fireworks show. | |
They made a generous donation. | |
She wore her pink pajamas. | |
I want to take a trip to the Bahamas. | |
He has bronchitis. | |
He was surprised by the emptiness of the house. | |
There are four elements. | |
It is a loveless story. | |
There was a closeness between the friends. | |
Statistics show this state has a high voter turnout. | |
It was obvious he was older. | |
I cut back on my frivolous spending. | |
She felt powerless to fight back. | |
The dog has great genetics. | |
There was an ominous feeling. | |
We had a glorious time at dinner. | |
There are many obstacles. | |
This sickness is contagious. | |
He was furious when he found out. | |
She felt bitterness towards him. | |
He was a witness to the accident. | |
It is 5 degrees Celsius. | |
I love my hibiscus flower. | |
He was a fun but mischievous boy. | |
My uncle has arthritis. | |
He was relentless with his questions. | |
The platypus played in the water. | |
These are outrageous gas prices. | |
There was a hazardous sign. | |
A chrysalis formed on the branch. | |
This beach feels like paradise on earth. | |
I finally got my driver’s license! | |
The whole universe is huge. | |
The argument was nonsense. |
SEE ALSO: Free Articulation Games for Speech Therapy
Final S Words Speech Therapy Ideas
Sound-Loaded Scenes
Feeling like you don’t have a lot of time to work on your child’s needs for the final s sound?
Grab one of these sound-loaded scenes to take the hard work out of your therapy planning.
- Sound Loaded Articulation Scene- /s, z/ by Ellise Rees is a great and interactive game that has multiple final S target words.
Picture Cards
Articulation cards are a simple way for your child or student to practice their sounds.
- Articulation of Initial/Final F and S Picture Cards by Georgia Duan SLP is a great resource that targets final f and s repetitions for early elementary students. This is a print-and-go activity!
- The Perfect Picture Cards! – /s/ (FREE!) by Simply Speech LLC is a clear and colorful set of picture cards that can be adapted for multiple activities such as matching, memory, or go fish!
Articulation Worksheets
Working on articulation disorders doesn’t have to be boring and straight drill all of the time.
Instead here are a couple of fun worksheets that you can use in your therapy room to work on the final s sound.
- Articulation /s/ Worksheets – Initial, Medial, Final, & Mixed by TXspeechtx is a full set of articulation worksheets. This is a print-and-go resource that is great to send as homework or do as group work.
- /S/ in the final position articulation coloring sheet by Coloring in Speech is an interactive worksheet that prompts students to practice final s as they color. This is good for multiple ages, and is a ready-to-go resource!
- Articulation Worksheets for S Freebie by Kathy Babineau is a freebie of final s articulation worksheets that are engaging and fun!
Board Games
Are you looking to add some fun and engaging activities to your therapy sessions?
Board games are a great way to reinforce practice while working on your students’ new sounds.
Some fan-favorite board games to try are: Connect Four, Candyland, or Break the Ice to name a few.
If you’re looking for even more board games, then be sure to check out my complete list of 29+ board games for speech therapy.
SEE ALSO: 279+ Free Speech Therapy Digital Materials
Auditory Bombardment
Another way to work on articulation practice is through auditory bombardment.
Auditory bombardment is a term used to describe the process of providing a student with an abundance of listening opportunities to hear their target sound.
This can be done in a variety of ways such as through listening activities, songs, stories, and more.
Some therapists use auditory bombardment as the first thing they use when working on articulation therapy.
Here are a few auditory bombardment activities to work on the final s sound:
- Articulation War Plus – S sound by SNowflake Speech is an engaging but silly activity with high levels of repetition for final s. This is a favorite for elementary students!
- Songs and Rhymes for Speech Sounds by Gillian Scandurra is a fun way to work on auditory bombardment while listening to songs and rhymes.
Distance Learning
Using distance learning articulation tools are a great way to reduce the waste of paper and ink as well as they are perfect for teletherapy.
- Build a Sundae Initial Medial and Final S BOOM CARDS Distance Learning by Pep Talk is an engaging and fun way to practice final s while building a sundae. This is a favorite!
- Be sure to check out my interactive flashcards above to use for distance learning practice. Simply scroll up on this post to the interactive flashcards section and start using the interactive cards now.
Boom Cards
Boom cards are another fun and engaging way to strengthen your child or student’s articulation skills.
Here are a few favorite boom cards to work on the final s sounds:
- Free Final S Sound Articulation on the Farm Boom Cards | Speech Therapy by GoldieTalks Speech is a really fun game for lower elementary to practice final s articulation.
- Say Cheese: Valentine’s Edition FREEBIE BOOM Cards for /s/ by Once Upon a Speech Room is a great activity for students to practice final s articulation. There are a total of 30 target words to practice final s.
- FREEBIE: BOOM CARDS™ Final “S” Articulation by SLP on the Charles is a great deck of boom cards with a St Patricks Day theme! Students are engaged as they practice final s articulation!
In Conclusion: Final S Words Speech Therapy
We hope you have found this article helpful for working on your child or student’s final s sound.
Be sure to grab your freebie of 20 words to start practicing 5 minutes a day!
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