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How to Make the /D/ Sound

The /d/ sound is a voiced sound made by lightly placing the tip of your tongue on the alveolar ridge. Here's a step-by-step guide to help teach and practice the /d/ sound.

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  1. Locate the alveolar ridge: Use your finger to feel directly behind your two front teeth. If you move your finger back and forth, you’ll feel a small bump. This is the alveolar ridge.
  2. Position your tongue: Place the tip of your tongue lightly on the alveolar ridge.
  3. Turn your voice box on: Activate your voice box to make your throat vibrate.
  4. Release the pressure: Allow pressure to build up, then pop your tongue off of the alveolar ridge while vibrating your throat. This should create the /d/ sound.

Give it a try!

Helpful Tips for Teaching the /D/ Sound:

  • Isolate the sound: When teaching or practicing a sound, make sure not to add an ‘uh’ after the /d/ (e.g., /d/ vs. /duh/). Adding the 'uh' sound can confuse the child. In speech therapy, this is called isolating the sound.
  • /D/ and /T/ comparison: /d/ and /t/ are similar sounds. The tongue placement and airflow are the same for both. The difference is that for the /d/ sound, the voice box is turned on (e.g., "doll," "muddy," "bird"), while for /t/, the voice box is off (e.g., "toy," "city," "hat"). Have the child place their hand lightly on their throat while saying these words to feel the difference when the voice box is on/off.
  • Help with tongue tip placement: If the child has difficulty lifting their tongue tip, have them hold a cheerio between their tongue tip and the alveolar ridge. This can help them find the correct tongue placement.

Common Errors:

  • If you hear a /T/ sound: This means the child is not turning on their voice box. Encourage them to hum while making the /d/ sound to help turn the voice box on.
  • If you hear a /G/ sound: This means the child is "backing" the sound. Instead of producing the /d/ sound in the front of the mouth, they may be making the sound in the back of the mouth (e.g., producing a /g/ sound). Remind them to put the tip of their tongue on the alveolar ridge for proper articulation.

Important Note:

Do not practice the sound incorrectly! If after a few attempts the child continues to say the sound incorrectly, stop and reach out to a speech-language pathologist for help. These tips are meant to assist in practice, but they are not a substitute for the guidance of a licensed speech-language pathologist. Incorrect practice may make it harder to master the sound.

References:

Secord, W. A., Boyce, S. E., Donohue, J. S., Fox, R. A., & Shine, R. E. (2007). Eliciting Sounds: Techniques and Strategies for Clinicians (2nd ed.). Delmar, Cengage Learning.

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