Eliciting Challenging Sounds in Isolation

Sounds: ___/k,g/_____

Most typical error: Student will “front tongue” instead of using the back of the tongue—making a /t/ for /k/ and a /d/ for /g/

Some specific features of articulator placement/position, manner, and voicing component:

On the sounds /k,g/, the placement/position of the articulators are the same:

*lower jaw down moderately

*no lip involvement

*back of the tongue goes up to make contact with soft palate and then comes back down

*front of tongue is down with no movement or involvement

The tongue is the only articulator that moves during the production of this sound

Manner of airflow—these are “plosive” sounds, the air is blocked by the back of the tongue going up and then “exploded out”—oral cavity is wide open with no constriction.

On /k/, there is no voicing; On /g/ there is voicing

Some typical changes in articulator placement/position, manner, and/or voicing that students make which cause errors in this sound:

*Student will have tongue in the wrong place—tongue tip up instead of back of the tongue up

*Sometimes these students do not have an awareness of their front vs back area of tongue-so therapist has to teach that awareness

*Once you can get them to get back of the tongue up—they make a great /g/-but they have trouble taking out the voice, so you might end up with a /g/ for a /k/ for awhile—you will have to teach the unvoiced (soft) vs the voiced (hard) feature of the two sounds.

Other observations:

Ideas for eliciting this sound in isolation:

*Gently use a tongue depressor, piece of licorice to hold front part of tongue down, as you encourage back of the tongue to go up.

*Have student gently hold their own front tongue area down, as you encourage back of the tongue to go up

*Use mirror—this is highly visual sound

*Gargling may work to encourage the back of the tongue to go up—

*Having the student tilt his/her head back slightly—gravity may help to send back of the tongue back and up

*Some therapists have students lay on the floor so that gravity will work