Struggling with words beginning with 'S'

[lucky]

Hi guys, I have difficulty with words starting with the 'S' sound. What makes matters worse is that in Zulu the greeting starts with an 'S'. does anyone have any tips?

[skyblue]

do u like me try to talk when u r INHALING as opposed to EXHALING?

[Aijur]

hello . i know a part of the solution but maybe it will fully work. make a list with all the words you are struggling with and repeat it every day.it`s easier if you ask someone to help you with this.ask someone to say the word(s) clearly and repeat after that person. every advice helps so no matter how silly it might seem try it ...i wish i could help you more . good luck :)

[troutbum]

try usuing light contacts, don't build up alot of air pressure, slide into the word using prolongation. resist trying to force the word out.

[Nemo]

Nice to have a fellow South African on this forum. Is the word you are referring to "Sawubona"? Have you tried letting out a very small, passive amount of air before saying the word? It should be like a sigh, before speaking.

Also: have you tried slowing the first syllable? Like in [sigh / airflow] Sa-wubona. Or if that doesn't quite work, try slowing BOTH beginning syllables, as in "Sa-wu-bona". But the pauses shouldn't be so long that phonation stops, phonation should be continued throughout the word. This fluency technique should be practised.

[maus123]

This is a little trick my speech therapist tought me, I've never really used it myself, but I've thought about words that I knew I was be getting stuck on, and trying to do this trick inside my head, and it seemed much more comfortable.

The trick pretty much the same as Nemo's post above me suggests - try putting a silent, almost muted "H" in front of the word. Hhh-sawubona.
Just watch out that you don't overdo it, so that the other person can hear the H too much, it's basically just to get the initial block before speaking away, so you can speak more flowly.

[amey]

Oh YES! The "s" was the hardest for me. It got to the point where I omitted any word starting with "s" from my vocbaulary!

Now I put my front teeth together lightly, pull lips back in a slight smile and lighly pronounce. try it. It may work for you. Good luck!