How to Say L
Grown-up and child: read this together. Practice in front of a mirror.
Need more than one? Tap + for extra copies (up to 10).
How to do it
- Read the steps together in front of a mirror.
- Practice the sound alone, then in syllables.
- Color a star on the ladder at each level you master.
Teaching tip
Lift the tongue tip and hold it there for a moment before letting go: llllla.
About this worksheet
A cue card with a mouth picture, three simple steps, syllables to practice, and a practice ladder from the sound alone to talking.
What kids practice
Articulation means making speech sounds clearly. For the L sound, the tongue tip lifts to the bump just behind the top teeth while the voice is on. Many children master L between ages 5 and 7, so it's common to still be working on it in 2nd grade. A child who is practicing L often says w or y instead (wion for lion, yeg for leg). These sheets climb the same ladder speech therapists use: the sound alone, then syllables, words, phrases, sentences, reading and everyday talking. Common Core doesn't cover speech sounds, so these sheets have no Common Core code.
Watch for
- Saying w or y for l. Go back to la-la-la in the mirror.
- Keeping the tongue tip down. Have your child touch the bump with a finger, then with the tongue.
- Moving up too fast. If L slips in sentences, practice phrases for a few more days.
- If your child is hard to understand, frustrated when talking, or not improving, ask a speech-language pathologist for an evaluation.
It's free to print, as many copies as you need. See the full articulation: the l sound guide for 2nd grade.
More sheets in this set
- See it all
1. All My L WordsEvery L practice word on one page, sorted by where the sound is: start, middle or end. 
3. L Cards: Start of WordsNine picture cards with L at the start of the word. The sheet is the same every time, so two copies make matching pairs.
4. L Cards: Middle of WordsNine picture cards with L in the middle of the word.
5. L Cards: End of WordsNine picture cards with L at the end of the word.
6. L PhrasesNine short phrases with L words in blue, each with a picture.
7. L SentencesEight real-life sentences with the L words in blue.
8. L BingoTwo picture bingo boards packed with L words.
9. L Board GameA board game with L words and star squares that add extra practice.
10. L Roll and SaySix L pictures, one for each side of a die, with circles to color each time you say the word. Fewer has 3 circles each and More adds a second round of 6 pictures.
11. L Spin and SayA paper clip spinner with L pictures and a box row for each word. Fewer, Standard or More give 6, 8 or 10 pictures.
12. L Practice TrackerA ten-day tracker to record ten tries a day and the practice level.
13. L Read-Aloud StoryOne of ten short stories packed with L words in blue, with a 3-read score and a story retell.
14. L: Talk About ItSix real conversation questions, each with L words to try in the answer.