SH sound words and playful ways to practice at home
Sound: /ʃ/
Told to "just practice at home" between speech-therapy sessions? Here is a free SH-sound word bank plus calm, play-based ideas, designed with speech-language pathologists to support your child's therapy, never to replace it.
Where the SH sound is made
Round your lips like a kiss and let out a long, soft shhh, like you are asking everyone to be quiet.
SH sound word bank
Words with the SH sound at the start, middle, and end of a word. Start wherever your SLP suggested, and keep it light and playful.
Start of a word
- ship
- shoe
- shop
- shark
- sheep
- shell
- shed
- shut
- shine
- shy
- shower
- share
Middle of a word
- washing
- dishes
- wishing
- fishing
- pushing
- brushing
- sunshine
- machine
- ocean
- mushroom
- seashell
- lotion
End of a word
- fish
- dish
- wish
- brush
- push
- cash
- wash
- splash
- trash
- leash
- crash
- dash
Phrases and sentences to try
Once single words feel easy and fun, string a few together.
- shiny shell
- big ship
- shy sheep
- fresh fish
- new shoes
- The shy sheep sails a big ship.
- Shelly washes the shiny dishes.
- A shark and a fish splash in the ocean.
- Push the cart to the shop.
- I wish for shiny new shoes.
A silly SH story
Shelly the sheep sailed a shiny ship to the shop. She wished for fresh fish and seashells. A shy shark splashed by and whispered, shhh, the fish are sleeping.
Playful ways to practice the SH sound
Sound hunt
Walk around and make a soft shhh sound each time you both find something with the SH sound, like a shoe, a shirt, or a fish.
Mirror mouth
In the mirror together, round your lips and watch each other make a long, quiet shhh.
Give it a character
Turn SH into a sleepy grown-up shushing a baby, and let your child make a soft shhh before each word.
Book points
While reading, point to and say the SH words you spot, like a ship or a fish.
Bath and car
In the bath or the car, take turns naming SH words like splash, wash, and seashell.
Common questions about the SH sound
- What are some words with the SH sound?
- Start of a word: ship, shoe, shop, shark, sheep, shell. Middle of a word: washing, dishes, wishing, fishing, pushing, brushing. End of a word: fish, dish, wish, brush, push, cash.
- How do you make the SH sound?
- Round your lips like a kiss and let out a long, soft shhh, like you are asking everyone to be quiet.
- When should my child say the SH sound?
- The SH sound is a later sound to develop, lots of children are still working on it around age 5, and your speech-language pathologist knows what is right for your child.
- How can we practice the SH sound at home?
- Keep it short and playful. Walk around and make a soft shhh sound each time you both find something with the SH sound, like a shoe, a shirt, or a fish. You can print a free SH-sound practice pack with word banks, play ideas, and cut-out picture cards at https://logopedia-site-ecru.vercel.app/guide?sounds=sh.