Complete /F/ Words List for Parents & Speech Therapists

Charlotte Witts
ESL Teacher
July 26, 2023

When your child is learning to speak, the /f/ sound is usually one of the earliest to develop and on average, is mastered by around 3-4 years old. 

However, if your child still finds it tricky to pronounce words like ‘fox’, ‘fairy’, and ‘food’ after this age, you may want to try home speech therapy or ask a professional for help. 

Many children who struggle with this common sound substitute it with a stop sound like /b/, saying ‘bish’ instead of ‘fish’, or even the similar /v/ sound, saying ‘vish’. Although many people will find this cute, this speech difficulty can make your child sound younger, cause communication problems, and affect their overall confidence. 

We’ve created this comprehensive guide to the /f/ sound so you have all the tools you need to help them articulate the sound properly. You’ll also find a clear, step-by-step pronunciation guide, an /f/ sound word list, short phrases and sentences and even games and activities you can use for extra practice alongside your Forbrain headset. 

Word list: /F/ soundlist  

Use the following word list to help your child see where this common sound appears in everyday language and help them start improving their articulation skills. 

We’ve included plenty of short, child-friendly words and provided you with great examples of words where the /f/ sound appears at the beginning (initial /f/), middle (medial /f/), and end (final /f/) so you can get maximum benefit. 

What is the /F/ sound?

The /f/ sound is what we call a voiceless labiodental fricative. This means that when you pronounce the sound, you are not using your vocal cords (voiceless) and you’re creating friction (fricative) using your bottom lip and top teeth (labiodental). 

It’s also useful to know that this sound is the counterpart to its voiced equivalent, the /v/ sound. Both the /f/ and /v/ are pronounced in similar ways, but with the /v/ sound, your vocal cords are vibrating. 

Therefore, if your child can already pronounce words like ‘vampire’, ‘travel’,  and ‘wave’, you already have a head start. Try asking them to say the word ‘safe’ but ‘turn their vocal cords off’ and say ‘save’ instead. This can often help significantly. 

If you and your child need further help articulating the /f/ sound correctly, keep reading to find a step-by-step guide. 

Further /F/ sound word practice using short phrases and sentences

By sitting down with your child and reading through the above /f/ sound word list above, you may have discovered which words or sound blends (two sounds together) are the most challenging for your child. 

Often, these types of sound transitions are more challenging than pronouncing the /f/ sound itself because it requires good speech muscle control and plenty of practice. 

That’s why, in the next part of this /f/ sound article, you’ll find the phrases, short sentences, games, and activities you need to give your child plenty of opportunities to practice and stretch their skills.

Use them alongside the scientifically proven Forbrain headset to further improve your child’s articulation skills, build their confidence, and enhance their overall communication skills. 

Here’s what our team of language experts at Forbrain recommends for your home or professional speech therapy program. 

• Start by reading through the /f/ word list with your child, encouraging them to repeat the words after you. If you need extra help, keep reading to find the /f/ sound articulation guide then return to the list when you’re ready. 

• Next, use the list of carrier phrases we share below to help them use their new articulation skills in real sentences and in real-life contexts.

• Then, when your child appears to feel more comfortable, turn your attention to the short phrases and sentences for the /f/ sound.

• Continue with the child-friendly games and activities, making sure that you’re also spending time each day reading with your child.

• Throughout the process, use the patented Forbrain headset for as little as 10 minutes per day. This will provide them with the tailored practice they need and help them further improve their pronunciation.

Carrier phrases 

Carrier phrases are widely used in speech therapy because they can help your child ‘jumpstart’ a sentence and expand it beyond a single word. By using them, you will help your child master the art of connected speech, move from one sound to another and boost both their articulation skills and confidence. 

We’ve provided a list of the best carrier phrases below. Use them by selecting any of the nouns we shared in the wordlists above, slot it into place, and then encourage your child to practice.

For best effect, choose a selection from the initial /f/ words, medial /f/ words, and final /f/ words.

Here are some of our favorite carrier phrases: 

• “I see a…”

• “I found a…”

• “I want a…”

• “He found a…”

• “She found a…”

• “I have a…”

• “He has a…”

• “She has a…”

• “I like to…”

• “He likes to…”

Here’s an example of what your /f/ sound phrases could look like: 

• “I want a FISH”

• “I like FORESTS”

• “She found an ELEPHANT”

• “I see a MUFFIN!”

• “I found a LEAF” 

• “He likes to LAUGH” 

Short phrases for the /F/ sound

Once you’ve used the carrier phrases above and can see that your child’s articulation skills and confidence are growing, move onto the following list of short phrases for the /f/ sound. 

Short sentences for the /F/ sound

Further improve your child’s articulation of the /f/ sound and help them master longer sound transitions by working through the following list of short sentences for the /f/ sound. We’ve kept them as child-friendly and fun as possible. 

Games & Activities with /F/ Sound Words 

Learning is faster and more effective when you can make it fun! This is especially the case with children who are struggling to master their articulation of tricky sounds. 

They may also lack confidence in their abilities and need entertaining and child-friendly games and activities to help them relax and discover that they can do it. 

Here are some of the best games and activities you can use to help your child practice those /f/ sounds while having fun. 

Play I Spy

What kid doesn’t love to play an impromptu game of I Spy? Whether you’re driving them to preschool, playing at home, or even in the supermarket, you can play this game for some quick /f/ sound practice. 

There are two effective ways to play this game for home speech therapy practice.

1. Play a regular game of I Spy with your child,  giving them extra points for those /f/ sound words. This could include a reward, a big hug, or even a high five. 

2. Play the game, but ONLY focus on those /f/ sound words. This can be tricky so is likely better suited to older children. 

Play Go Fish! 

Go Fish is an easy and fun way to get extra practice with /f/ sound word articulation, get off those screens, and enjoy quality time with your family. Here’s how to play. 

• Print two copies of the /f/ word list we shared earlier. 

• Select ten common words from these lists and shuffle them. For the best effect, look for words that resonate best with your child and their interests. 

• Give five cards to your child and five to yourself then place the remaining cards face-down in the middle of the table. 

• Tell your child that the aim of the game is to find a pair of cards. 

• Your child should ask you if you have a certain card in your hand. Let’s say this is the initial /f/ sound word ‘fish’. 

• If you don’t have this card, you need to take a card from the pile in the center of the table and add it to the ones you have. 

• If, on the other hand, you do have this card, give it to your child. If they have a pair, they can put them together on the table next to them.

• Repeat the process, taking it in turns to ask if the other player has a certain card. 

• The winner is the person who runs out of cards.

Play ‘Articulation Bingo’

• Start by printing a copy of the word lists we shared above and cut them out to make flash cards. 

• Select ten cards, making sure you’re including some from the initial, medial and final column. 

• Shuffle the cards and place them in a pile in the middle of the table. 

• Ask your child to pick a card from this pile and pronounce it. 

• If your child gets it correct, give them a token (or other exciting item).

• When they can pronounce at least four /f/ sound words correctly, celebrate and tell them that you are so proud of them.

Read books

Numerous studies have shown that reading with your child is one of the most effective ways to boost overall language skills, increase vocabulary, enhance cognitive development, develop a bond with your child, and even improve their concentration, imagination, and creativity. 

Choose from the following list of books that include this /f/ sound and you can tick all those boxes and make it fun. Here is a list of our top picks:

• The Foggy Foggy Forest by Nick Sharratt

• Huff and Puff by Claudia Rueda

• Open the Barn Door by Christopher Santoro

• Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins

• Find My Feet by Salina Yoon

• Who’s Hungry? by Dean Hacohen

How to Pronounce the /F/ Sound

For us adults, articulating the /f/ sound is something we do every day so we often don’t pay much attention to how our speech organs work together to produce it. 

In this short section, we’d like to help you understand the correct articulation of this sound so that you can help your child master it more quickly and effectively. 

In short, the /f/ sound is made by resting your top teeth on your bottom lip and allowing air to flow from your lungs and out through this small gap. You don’t need to use your vocal cords or shape your mouth in any other way. 

Pronouncing the /F/ word sound 

Now let’s take a few moments to explore how this looks in practice. 

Simply select a word from the above /f/ word list such as ‘fox’ or ‘fairy’ then say it slowly, paying close attention to what your lips, teeth, tongue and vocal cords are doing. 

Hopefully, you’ll notice that the air is indeed passing through that small gap between your top teeth and lower lip and your vocal cords are resting. 

How to help your child produce the /F/ sound correctly

Now that you’re clear on the correct articulation of the /f/ sound, you can help your child do the same. Here’s a step-by-step guide. 

1) Sit in front of a mirror with your child and say the /f/ sound. Encourage them to look at the shape of your mouth and try to copy you. Give them plenty of chances to practice, perhaps using several words from the /f/ word list we shared earlier. 

2) Next, tell your child to hold their hand over your mouth and feel what happens when you say an /f/ sound word. They should feel a small puff of air escaping. Then encourage them to do the same, holding their hand over their own mouth as they pronounce it. 

3) Keep practicing using the word lists, phrases, sentences, games, and activities alongside the Forbrain headset. If your child is still struggling, watch this fun video by The Speech Scoop. 

Using Forbrain to Upgrade Sound Practice

Help your child perfect their articulation of the /f/ sound and gain maximum benefit from their home speech therapy sessions by using the scientifically proven Forbrain headset for just 10 minutes per day. 

Backed by scientific research, the comfortable and easy-to-use headset helps retrain your child’s brain auditory feedback loops, helping them ‘hear’ the sound correctly and providing them with instant feedback. 

As a result, your child’s confidence will increase, their fluency will improve and they will start to overcome their speech delays or difficulties. 

If you want to learn more about our revolutionary device or invest in our headset, visit our website today. 

Final Words

Your child can improve their articulation of the /f/ sound with your help.

Whether you are doing speech therapy at home or attending a professional speech therapy program, use the /f/ sound word list, phrases, sentences, games and activities alongside your Forbrain headset to help them learn correct pronunciation and get the practice they need to excel. 

With just a few minutes of practice per day, you’ll soon see your child’s articulation, confidence, social skills and overall language abilities improve and get them on the right path for future academic success. 

Charlotte Witts

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Charlotte is a linguistics graduate, ESL teacher, and parent who is passionate about sharing her expertise in speech therapy, language acquisition, and second-language learning so everyone can reach their full potential.

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