lisp

/lɪsp/

/lɪsp/

Other forms: lisped; lisping; lisps

A lisp is a manner of speaking so that s and other similar consonants are blurred into more of a th- sound. Most little kids have a bit of a lisp when they first start speaking.

If you speak with a lisp, you can also say that you tend to lisp — and if you lisp in a way that makes it hard for people to understand what you're saying, you can visit a speech therapist who will teach you to speak without a lisp. Sometimes dental work — braces, or a mouth that's numb from having cavities filled — can give you a temporary lisp. Lisp comes from the imitative Old English wlisp.

Definitions of lisp

1. noun

   a speech defect that involves pronouncing `s' like voiceless `th' and `z' like voiced `th'
   type of:

   defect of speech, speech defect, speech disorder

   a disorder of oral speech
2. verb

   speak with a lisp
   type of:

   articulate, enounce, enunciate, pronounce, say, sound out

   speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way