This section is your comprehensive hub for everything related to English fricative sounds—/f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/ (sh), /ʒ/ (as in "measure"), /θ/ (as in "think"), and /ð/ (as in "this")—within the context of articulatory speech therapy. You'll find in-depth guides on how each sound is taught in therapy, including visual prompts, sound placement cues, and evidence-based strategies. Explore interactive online tools, downloadable PDFs, printable worksheets, and curated word banks for every fricative. Whether you're a speech-language pathologist, teacher, or parent, this section offers everything you need to support clear and confident speech development.

Fricatives

Fricatives are speech sounds produced by narrowing the space between two speech organs to create continuous airflow and friction. Unlike plosives, the air is not completely blocked, but squeezed through a tight space, which creates a hissing or buzzing sound. In English, fricatives include /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/ (as in "shoe"), /ʒ/ (as in "measure"), /θ/ (as in "think"), and /ð/ (as in "this"). Some are voiced (like /v/ and /z/), and others are voiceless (like /f/ and /s/).

• "F" /f/ – Voiceless Labiodental Fricative - by syllable & position  → Download /f/ Word List (PDF)
• "V" /v/ – Voiced Labiodental Fricative - by syllable & position  → Download /v/ Word List (PDF)
• "S" /s/ – Voiceless Alveolar Fricative - by syllable & position  → Download /s/ Word List (PDF)
• "Z" /z/ – Voiced Alveolar Fricative - by syllable & position  → Download /z/ Word List (PDF)
• "Sh" /ʃ/ – Voiceless Post-Alveolar Fricative - by syllable & position  → Download /ʃ/ Word List (PDF)
• "Zh" /ʒ/ – Voiced Post-Alveolar Fricative - by syllable & position → Download /ʒ/ Word List (PDF)
• "Th" /θ/ – Voiceless Dental Fricative - by syllable & position  → Download /θ/ Word List (PDF) 
• "Th" /ð/ – Voiced Dental Fricative - by syllable & position  → Download /ð/ Word List (PDF) 
• "H" /h/ – Voiceless Glottal Fricative - by syllable & position  → Download /h/ Word List (PDF)