CantaLingo

Speech sounds · IPA /l/

The L sound /l/

About 9 in 10 US children say /l/, as in “lion,” by age 4 (4;0 to 4;11). Crowe & McLeod, 2020 (opens in a new tab)

The symbol

Light L and dark L

English has two kinds of L: the light L at the start of “leaf” and the dark (velarized) L at the end of “ball,” where the back of the tongue also rises. Ohio State chart (opens in a new tab)

Both are written /l/ in everyday transcription. Univ. of Manitoba (opens in a new tab)

How to say it

How L is made

L is the only English sound where air flows around the sides of the tongue.

  • Tip upThe tongue tip touches the ridge behind the top front teeth.
  • Sides downThe sides of the tongue drop so air flows around them. Gick et al., 2017 (opens in a new tab)
  • Voice on/l/ is voiced and can be held: llll.
  • Watch itChildren can see the tongue tip lift in a mirror, especially with the mouth open.

See it move: Seeing Speech (opens in a new tab) · Univ. of Iowa (opens in a new tab) · ASHA place, manner and voicing chart (opens in a new tab)

Age

When children say L

9 in 10 childrenSay /l/ by age 4 (4;0 to 4;11). Crowe & McLeod (opens in a new tab)
VariationAges spread by about 6 to 18 months; the spread differs from sound to sound. Wisconsin DPI (opens in a new tab)
Start before endChildren usually say L at the start of words (leaf) before L at the end (ball). Lin & Demuth, 2015 (opens in a new tab)

Common errors

What errors on L sound like

Gliding pairs: l and w, l and y (9 pairs)

The first six target gliding. The last three target L blends.

  • light / white
  • lake / wake
  • let / wet
  • lead / weed
  • lamb / yam
  • less / yes
  • clap / cap
  • play / pay
  • black / back

Practice

L word lists

Practice the position your SLP chose. Open one list at a time.

Start of words (14 words)
  • leaf
  • lip
  • lamp
  • lion
  • log
  • lake
  • leg
  • lemon
  • ladder
  • lollipop
  • light
  • lunch
  • lamb
  • lizard
Middle of words (12 words)
  • balloon
  • yellow
  • jelly
  • pillow
  • color
  • hello
  • silly
  • salad
  • island
  • alligator
  • melon
  • police
End of words (12 words)
  • ball
  • bell
  • doll
  • pool
  • owl
  • girl
  • shell
  • snail
  • smile
  • wheel
  • hill
  • apple
L blends (12 words)
  • blue
  • black
  • clap
  • clock
  • flag
  • fly
  • glass
  • glove
  • plane
  • play
  • sled
  • sleep
Phrases (6)
  • a lamb in leggings
  • yellow balloon
  • lick a lollipop
  • a lizard under the pillow
  • ladybug on a leaf
  • roll the ball
Sentences (6)
  • The lion is lazy.
  • Look at the yellow balloon.
  • The lamb is little.
  • Let’s play with the ball.
  • A ladybug landed on my leg.
  • Leo likes lemon jelly.

Prints every list on one page.

L practice songs

The pilot library has 6 /L/ songs. Their audio is shared with pilot clinics, so only the titles are listed here.

L at the start and middle of words

  • Dad Can’t Sing
  • Leo’s Birthday
  • The Lamb in Leggings
  • The Lizard Under My Pillow

L blends

  • Where Did the Ladybug Go?
  • Splish, Splash, Splat!

Why songs? What the research says

For parents

A 5-minute L routine

  1. 01

    Tongue up

    Lift the tongue tip to the bumpy spot behind the top teeth and sing “la la la.”

  2. 02

    Mirror check

    Mouth open, tongue tip up.

  3. 03

    Ears on

    “Light or white?” Your child points.

  4. 04

    Word list

    Practice the position your SLP chose.

  5. 05

    Song time

    If your SLP prescribed an /L/ song, sing along at least three times a week.

For SLPs

Clinical notes on /l/

Onset /l/ is usually acquired before coda (dark) /l/, so final /l/ often needs its own step. Lin & Demuth, 2015 (opens in a new tab)

Mirror feedback with the mouth open lets the child see the tongue tip rise; ASHA lists mirrors for visual feedback. ASHA Practice Portal (opens in a new tab)

If both /l/ and /ɹ/ are glided, they fit one pattern: ASHA defines gliding as a liquid (ɹ or l) replaced by a glide. ASHA patterns (opens in a new tab)

Related sounds

Sounds to compare with L

R /ɹ/ · W /w/ · Y /j/

Questions

At what age should a child say l?

About 9 in 10 US children say /l/ by age 4 (4;0 to 4;11). Crowe & McLeod, 2020 (opens in a new tab)

Why does my child say “yeyo” for “yellow”?

That is gliding. ASHA lists it as usually gone by about age 6 to 7. ASHA patterns (opens in a new tab)

What is dark L?

The L at the end of words like ball, made with the back of the tongue raised. Ohio State chart (opens in a new tab)

Does CantaLingo have L songs?

Yes. The pilot has 6 /L/ songs: four for L at the start and middle of words, and two for L blends.

Sources

All sources (14)
  1. Crowe, K., & McLeod, S. (2020). Children’s English consonant acquisition in the United States: A review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(4), 2155-2169. ASHA Journals (opens in a new tab)
  2. Same paper on PubMed. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
  3. ASHA Practice Portal. Selected phonological patterns. ASHA (opens in a new tab)
  4. ASHA Practice Portal. Speech Sound Disorders: Articulation and Phonology. ASHA (opens in a new tab)
  5. Russell, K. IPA symbol [l]. University of Manitoba. Univ. of Manitoba (opens in a new tab)
  6. Ohio State University IELP. English consonants IPA chart (light and dark L). PDF (opens in a new tab)
  7. ASHA Practice Portal. Place, manner, and voicing chart for English consonants (Roth & Worthington, 2018). PDF (opens in a new tab)
  8. International Phonetic Association. The IPA chart. IPA (opens in a new tab)
  9. Seeing Speech: IPA charts with ultrasound and MRI. Seeing Speech (opens in a new tab)
  10. University of Iowa. Sounds of American English. Univ. of Iowa (opens in a new tab)
  11. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Sound Development Chart (2021). PDF (opens in a new tab)
  12. ASHA (public). Speech sound disorders. ASHA (opens in a new tab)
  13. Lin, S., & Demuth, K. (2015). Children’s acquisition of English onset and coda /l/: Articulatory evidence. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. PMC full text (opens in a new tab)
  14. Gick, B., Allen, B., Roewer-Després, F., & Stavness, I. (2017). Speaking tongues are actively braced. JSLHR, 60(3), 494-506. PubMed (opens in a new tab)

Links go to third-party sites and are not endorsements. Last checked October 17, 2026.

For clinics

6 /L/ songs your SLP can prescribe

CantaLingo’s pilot includes /L/ songs for words and blends, plus /R/ and /S/, for ages 4 to 6.

See the pilotHear samples