190+ Medial S Words Speech Therapy {Articulation Lists}

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Calling all Speech-Language Pathologists and parents working on the medial s sound this blog post is just what you need! It has over 190 medial s words for speech therapy that will help strengthen your child or student’s /s/ sound.

Minimal Pairs – Articulation Therapy

Initial Sound and Final Sound

A great way to work on sound production is through minimal pairs.

A minimal pair is two words that differ by only one phoneme, such as the initial /s/ sound and the final s sound.

Initial S: For example, “sea” and “she”.
Final S: For example, “lace” and “late”.

When you pronounce these words side by side, it’s easy to hear the significant differences in the initial and final sounds.

Having a list of initial s words and final s words minimal pairs is a great way to work on the correct production of the s sound!

Sound Production

Tongue Tip: The correct production of the /s/ medial 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 distortions 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 special education Speech Pathologist if your child is experiencing a phonological speech disorder.

Target Words

Here’s a list of medial s articulation sounds for you to use in therapy or at home practice to work on your student or child’s new skill.

For Example: dancer, pencil, basketball, eraser, gasoline, popsicle, dinosaur, fossil, dresser, listen, muscle, lesson, bracelet, monster, possum

See full list of words, phrases, and sentences below.

If you don’t have a lot of time then be sure to grab my one page freebie of medial s speech sounds plus real-life picture cards below. Simply scroll to the bottom of this post and grab your free copy!

Word Positions: Medial S Words Speech Therapy

Initial Position of Words

The initial sound is at the beginning of a word. For example, “soap” or “sad”.

Medial Position of Words

Some words have the s sound in the medial position of a word, such as “bicycle”, “castle”, and “baseball”.

Final Position of Words

The final positions of words are when the target sound is at the end of a word. For example, “fence” or “bus”.

Medial S at Word Level

Some ways to practice include having your child or student say each medial /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 medial s sound.

In addition, I’ve compiled an easy-to-download one page overview of medial s sounds below. Simply scroll down to the bottom of this post and download your free copy.

1 Syllable: ask, crossed, mist, waster, taste, blessed, dressed, paste, based, haste, mask, fast, past
2 Syllable: Christmas, monster, Christian, Jason, pasta, message, sausage, lobster, crystal, whisper, blessings, oasis, Mason, Houston, Rasta, missing, plastic, nasty, hipster, cursive, outside, lessons, tasty, blossom, disco, Versace, monsoon, Casey, Tyson, hamster, whistle, coaster, misty, bison, landscape, mustard, basic, upset, rooster, missle, consent, prosper, chasing, console, fluster, corsage, onset, herself, toaster, booster, parsley, bossy, husky, rusty, landslide, classroom, messy, sissy, pensive, crossword, capsule, nursing, fussy, Webster, dresser, blister, himself, kissing, dresses, seaside, thistle, dresser, baseball, listen, messy, muscle, glasses, pencil, recess, princess, braces, dancer, fossil, beside, racing, faucet, decide, eyesight, guessing, lesson, receipt, sister, castle, message, recycle, forsake, basis, classmate, classic, dusty, passage, capsize, hissing, essay, locksmith
3 Syllable: awesome, Jessica, whimsical, Shakespeare, injustice, elastic, abusive, obsession, telescope, varsity, density, counselor, episode, celsius, recession, logistics, crossover, freestyle, defenseless, limestone, purposeless, assistant, dinosaur, medicine, pacifier, bracelet, December, bicycle, popsicle, eraser, policeman, disagree, disobey, gasoline, officer, principal, recycle, grasshopper, opossum, masquerade
4 Syllable: necessary, accessories, obesity, lifestyle, babysitter, motorcycle, capacity, impossible, jealousy, Minnesota, participate, undecided, velocity, presidency, unicycle, potassium, capacity
5 Syllable: deforestation, administrator, antihistamine, association, curiosity, electricity, accuracy, classification, disobedient, prescription, unnecessary

Medial S Flash Cards

Medial S Words Speech Therapy

1 Syllable	2 Syllable
ask	Christmas
crossed	monster
mist	Christian
waste	Jason
taste	pasta
blessed	message
dressed	sausage
paste	lobster
based	crystal
haste	whisper
mask	blessings
fast	oasis
past	mason
	Houston
	Rasta
	missing
	plastic
	nasty
	hipster
	cursive
	outside
	lessons
	tasty
	blossom
	disco
	Versace
	monsoon
	Casey
	Tyson
	hamster
	whistle
	coaster
	misty
	bison
	landscape
	mustard
	basic
	upset
	rooster
	missile
	consent
	prosper
	chasing
	console
	fluster
	corsage
	onset
	herself
	toaster
	booster
	parsley
	bossy
	husky
	rusty
	landslide
	classroom
	messy
	sissy
	pensive
	crossword
	capsule
	nursing
	fussy
	webster
	dresser
	blister
	himself
	kissing
	dresses
	seaside
	thistle
	dresser
	baseball
	listen
	messy
	muscle
	glasses
	pencil
	recess
	princess
	braces
	dancer
	fossil
	beside
	racing
	faucet
	decide
	eyesight
	guessing
	lesson
	receipt
	sister
	castle
	message
	recycle
	forsake
	basis
	classmate
	classic
	dusty
	passage
	capsize
	hissing
	essay
	locksmith

3 Syllable	4 Syllable	5 Syllable
awesome	necessary	deforestation
Jessica	accessories	administrator
whimsical	obesity	antihistamine
Shakespeare	lifestyle	association
injustice	babysitter	curiosity
elastic	motorcycle	electricity
abusive	capacity	accuracy
obsession	impossible	classification
telescope	jealousy	disobedient
varsity	Minnesota	prescription
density	participate	unnecessary
counselor	undecided
episode	velocity
celsius	presidency
recession	unicylce
logistics	potassium
crossover	capacity
freestyle
defenseless
limestone
purposeless
assistant
dinosaur
medicine
pacifier
bracelet
December
bicycle
popsicle
eraser
policeman
disagree
disobey
gasoline
officer
principal
recycle
grasshopper
opossum
masquerade

Short Sentences or Phrases

When working on medial 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 medial s word phrases to try:

Medial S Words Speech Therapy in Phrases

1 Syllable	2 Syllable
ask your mom	Christmas morning
crossed the bridge	monster with one eye
mist falls	Christian clapped
waste bucket	Jason waved
taste yummy	love to eat pasta
blessed girl	message me
dressed up	sausage and gravy
put paste on	lobster crawled
based on facts	crystal rock
with haste	whisper in here
cat mask	blessings before they eat
fast car	tropical oasis
in the past	mason by trade
	trip to Houston
	Rasta man
	missing dog
	plastic cup
	nasty cough
	hipster music
	cursive writing
	raining outside
	learning her lessons
	tasty cupcakes
	flower will blossom
	disco party
	Versace purse
	monsoon season
	Casey smiled
	Tyson kicked
	hamster wheel
	whistle loudly
	roller coaster
	misty morning
	bison stands
	beautiful landscape
	mustard stain
	basic white t-shirt
	upset him
	rooster crowed
	missile in the museum
	consent form
	prosper with his new job
	chasing cats
	console her
	feeling flustered
	gave her a corsage
	onset of symptoms
	believes in herself
	toaster oven
	booster seat
	parsley plant
	bossy girl
	husky played
	rusty car
	landslide was dangerous
	clean classroom
	messy bedroom
	sissy loves her brother
	pensive look
	crossword puzzle
	time capsule
	nursing student
	fussy baby
	webster dictionary
	new dresser
	blister on heel
	feels like himself
	kissing booth
	five dresses
	seaside home
	thistle brush
	baseball game
	listen closely
	messy room
	big muscles
	new glasses
	pencil sharpener
	recess is 30 min
	princess dress
	has braces
	professional dancer
	digging for a fossil
	beside her
	racing horse
	faucet drips
	decide tomorrow
	good eyesight
	guessing game
	math lesson
	takes the receipt
	have a sister
	castle on a hill
	recycle your cans
	forsake the idea
	on what basis
	good classmate
	classic music
	dusty dresser
	secret passage
	boat might capsize
	hissing sound
	wrote an essay
	locksmith job

3 Syllable	4 Syllable	5 Syllable
awesome game	necessary info	rainforest deforestation
Jessica laughed	hair accessories	administrator meeting
whimsical look	obesity chart	antihistamine helped her
Shakespeare festival	healthy lifestyle	school association
injustice has occurred	babysitter called	filled with curiosity
elastic hair tie	new motorcycle	electricity turns on
abusive situation	at capacity	he has accuracy
obsession with plants	it is impossible	classification of animals
uses a telescope	feels jealousy	disobedient dog
varsity team	Minnesota is cold	prescription from doctor
bone density	participate in sports	unnecessary information
counselor advised	she is undecided
episode 8	fast velocity
0 degrees Celsius	ran for presidency
there was a recession	rides a unicycle
studies logistics	potassium is a mineral
crossover from the other state
freestyle dance
defenseless position
limestone porch
purposeless job
assistant to the CEO
green dinosaur
medicine cabinet
baby has a pacifier
makes a bracelet
December is cold
rides a bicycle
cherry popsicle
uses his eraser
policeman helped
disagree with you
sometimes will disobey
gasoline prices
officer in charge
the principal called me over
grasshopper hopped
opossum ran
masquerade ball

Sentence Level: Medial S Words Speech Therapy

The next step after working at the word and phrase levels are to work on the medial 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 medial s sound.

Another idea would be to give your child or student pictures with their medial 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.

Medial S Words Speech Therapy in Sentence

1 Syllable	2 Syllable
Ask your mom first.	It feels like Christmas morning.
They crossed the bridge.	He drew a monster with one eye.
The mist falls around the waterfall.	Christian clapped for his friends.
Throw that in the waste bucket.	Jason waved at his mom.
This cake pop tastes yummy.	They love to eat pasta.
She feels like a blessed girl.	Please message me when you’re done.
They like to get dressed up.	I ate sausage and eggs for breakfast.
Put the paste on the toothbrush.	The lobster crawled on the ocean floor.
She makes her decision based on facts.	The crystal rock has a purple hue.
They run to each other with haste.	We have to whisper in here.
He will forsake the idea.	They said their blessings before they eat.
He asked what the basis for the terms were.	The tropical oasis might turn into a hurricane.
He is a good classmate.	He is a mason by trade.
They listen to classic music.	They took a trip to Houston.
The dusty dresser needs to be cleaned.	The Rasta man shared his beliefs.
The bookcase is actually a secret passage.	The missing dog was found.
The boat might capsize.	The plastic cup is red.
Snakes make a hissing sound.	She covers her nasty cough.
He wrote an essay.	They listen to hipster music.
The locksmith did a good job.	He practices his cursive writing.
She wears a cat mask with her costume.	It is raining outside.
I’ve got a fast car.	She is learning her lessons.
He made a decision in the past.	These are tasty cupcakes!
	The pink flower will blossom soon.
	He is throwing a disco party.
	She has a Versace purse.
	It is monsoon season.
	Casey smiled at her friends.
	Tyson kicked the soccer ball.
	The hamster plays in its wheel.
	The referee whistles loudly.
	They love to ride roller coasters.
	It is misty this morning.
	The bison stands in the field.
	This is a beautiful landscape.
	He has a mustard stain on his shirt.
	She wears a basic white t-shirt.
	The news upset him.
	The rooster crowed early this morning.
	They saw an old missile in the museum.
	Her mom signed the consent form.
	He will prosper in his new job.
	The dog is chasing cats.
	He tries to console her.
	She is feeling flustered.
	He gave her a corsage.
	The onset of symptoms started yesterday.
	She believes in herself.
	I got a new toaster oven.
	He puts the toddler in a booster seat.
	She has a parsley plant.
	The bossy girl has leadership skills.
	The husky played in the snow.
	The old car is rusty.
	The landslide was dangerous.
	The clean classroom is organized.
	She goes to clean her messy bedroom.
	The sissy loves her little brother.
	He has a pensive look.
	He just finished the crossword puzzle.
	They put notes in a time capsule.
	The nursing student studies for her test.
	The fussy baby is comforted by her mom.
	I looked up a word in webster’s dictionary.
	I got a new dresser for my room.
	I have a blister on my heel.
	He feels like himself again.
	There is a kissing booth at the carnival.
	I have five dresses.
	They love their seaside home.
	He clears the thistle brush.
	We got to a baseball game.
	Please listen closely.
	This is a messy room.
	He has big muscles in his arms.
	I got new glasses.
	The pencil sharpener is broken.
	Recess is 30 minutes long.
	She loves to wear her princess dress.
	He has braces.
	She is a professional dancer.
	We are digging for a fossil.
	He stands beside her.
	The racing horse wins.
	The broken faucet drips.
	I will decide tomorrow.
	She has good eyesight.
	This is a guessing game.
	I focused on the math lesson.
	He takes the receipt.
	I have a sister and 2 brothers.
	There is a castle on a hill.
	Do not forget to recycle your cans.
	He will forsake the idea.
	He asked what the basis for the terms are.
	He is a good classmate.
	They listen to classic music.
	The dusty dresser needs to be cleaned.
	The bookcase is actually a secret passage.
	The boat might capsize.
	Snakes make a hissing sound.
	He wrote an essay.

3 Syllable	4 Syllable	5 Syllable
This is an awesome game.	I give him the necessary info.	Rainforest deforestation is a problem.
Jessica laughed at the joke.	She has lots of hair accessories.	She was late to the administrator meeting.
The dress has a whimsical look.	We studied the obesity chart.	Antihistamine helped her allergies.
The Shakespeare festival is next week.	We live a healthy lifestyle.	The school association has been verified.
An injustice has occurred in our town.	The babysitter called and canceled.	He is filled with curiosity.
I lost my elastic hair tie.	He has a new motorcycle.	The electricity turns on the lights.
He left the abusive situation.	The room is at capacity.	He has accuracy and precision.
She has an obsession with plants.	It is impossible to do that.	He starts the classification of animals.
He uses a telescope.	Fear and jealousy are both emotions.	The disobedient dog cowers down.
She made the varsity team.	Minnesota is cold.	He got a prescription from the doctor.
She is losing bone density.	He loves to participate in sports.	This is unnecessary information.
My counselor advised me of my options.	She is undecided.
I am on episode 8.	It moves at a fast velocity.
It is 0 degrees celsius outside.	She ran for presidency.
There was a recession 5 years ago.	My uncle rides a unicycle.
He studies logistics.	Potassium is a mineral.
I will crossover from the other state.
He performs a freestyle dance.
He is left in a defenseless position.
They make a limestone porch.
His purposeless job has long hours.
She is an assistant to the CEO.
He has a green dinosaur toy.
I open the medicine cabinet.
The baby has a pacifier.
She makes a bracelet.
December is cold.
He rides a bicycle.
My favorite treat is a cherry popsicle.
The kid uses his eraser.
The policeman helped the situation.
I disagree with you.
The dog sometimes will disobey.
The gasoline prices are going up.
I asked to speak to the officer in charge.
The principal called me over to his office.
The grasshopper hopped through the grass.
A opossum ran across the street.
I will go to the masquerade ball.

Medial S Words Speech Therapy Ideas

S Blend

If you’re in need of s blends be sure to check out my following posts with interactive flash cards and free printables.

Initial S Blends – 213+ initial S blends plus real-life photos for extra practice.
SM-Blends – 63+ initial SM blends plus comes with a free PDF and interactive flashcards.
SN-Blends – 65+ initial SN blends plus comes with a free PDF and interactive flashcards.
ST-Blends – 90+ initial ST blends plus comes with a free PDF and interactive flashcards.

Articulation Sounds

Do you have students working on other articulation sounds?

Be sure to check out my speech-language pathology articulation posts with interactive flash cards and free printables for the following sounds in the initial medial final word position to help plan your therapy!

S words, S-blends, R words, Z words, L words, G words, V Words, and K words

More are being added all the time so be sure to check back regularly!

Board Game

Are you looking to add some fun and engaging activities to your articulation practice?

Board games are a great way to reinforce practice while working on your students’ speech sound disorders.

Some fan favorite board games to try are: Connect Four, Candyland, or Break the Ice to name a few.

Challenge Games

If you have students who love challenge games be sure to check out this list below for some fun ideas.

Medial /s/ by Cathy Mears is a set of fun drilling games including bingo and flashcards for students to practice medial /s/.
Artic – /s/ all positions PICTURES no /s/-blends by Mrs. Ramsay is a set of games on quia that helps promote multiple repetitions of the medial /s/ sound. These are easy to load and play!
Arctic /s/ Words by Ms. Weaver is an interactive set of challenge computer games to help students practice medial s articulation!

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 medial S sound:

Build a Sundae Initial Medial and Final S BOOM CARDS Distance Learning by Pep Talk is a highly rated and interactive game where students can practice s articulation in all positions!
BOOM CARDS – Articulation – Build A Fishbowl FREEBIE by H Groom Speech Therapy is a fun game to play with students! Build a Fishbowl while practicing multiple medial sounds including medial /s/.
S Articulation & Vocabulary | BOOM CARDS™ | Speech | FREEBIE | Teletherapy by Upstate SLP is a great set of boom cards that cover articulation of /s/ in all positions! This deck also targets vocabulary skills!

Auditory Bombardment

Another way to work on articulation practice of the medial s sound production 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.

Here are a few auditory bombardment activities to work on the medial s sound:

Minimal Pairs s/z by Speechie Yazmin is a great resource to use for students to distinguish between /s/ and /z/ in all positions.
Articulation War Plus – S sound by Snowflake Speech is a fun game to play with students that has multiple repetitions of medial /s/ for students to listen and learn for articulation practice.

Word Search

If you’re in need of a no-prep grab and go lesson plan you’ll want to check out these fun word search activities filled with medial s practice words.

S Medial Words – Articulation Therapy FREEBIE (Print & Go) by SLP Smart – Eli Lowham is a fun set of words for students to search through a find medial s, as well as other s articulation examples.
S Articulation Word Lists: Word Level – Initial, Medial, Final by SO Simply SLP is a no prep drill worksheet with different activities for students to practice /s/ in all positions.
FREE Halloween Articulation Word Searches: S Blends by The Speech Spot Creations is a halloween/fall themed resource to practice s in all positions using word finds and color by sound!

Language Development

If you have some students working on medial s and language skills here are a few resources to work on articulation therapy and language therapy.

FREE S Articulation Short Stories, Lateral Frontal Lisp Sounds, Speech Therapy by Shine Speech Activities is a set of short stories that target s articulation. There are 5 included stories!
Whack A Sound /S/ { FREEBIE}: Self Checking Articulation Game by Jenna Rayburn Kirk is a self checking articulation game for students to practice using S sounds, including medial s.
Articulation Joke Cards: /s/ Freebie by Speech between Snuggles is a fun resource that uses jokes as a way to incorporate medial s articulation into language development.

In Conclusion: Medial S Words Speech Therapy

If you’re a parent or speech therapist I hope you have found this article helpful for working on your child or student’s medial s sound.

Be sure to grab your freebie of 20 words to start practicing 5 minutes a day.

Cheers, to taking the hard work off your plate and having made for you resources!

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