Exercises

7 Evidence-Based Speech Therapy Exercises You Can Do at Home

Proven exercises for articulation, fluency, and voice practice based on clinical research

September 16, 2025•10 min read

Regular practice between therapy sessions is crucial for speech improvement. Here are 7 exercises commonly recommended by speech-language pathologists that have shown effectiveness in clinical practice.

⚠️ Important: These exercises are general recommendations. Always consult with a licensed speech-language pathologist for exercises tailored to your specific needs.

1. Oral Motor Exercises

Oral motor exercises help strengthen the muscles used in speech production. These exercises are particularly helpful for articulation improvement.

How to Practice:

  • • Lip exercises: Pucker and smile alternately, hold each position for 3-5 seconds
  • • Tongue stretches: Stick tongue out and move it up, down, left, and right
  • • Jaw exercises: Open mouth wide, then close slowly; repeat 10 times

Frequency: 5-10 minutes, 2-3 times daily

2. Sustained Phonation

This exercise helps with breath support and voice quality, commonly used in voice therapy programs.

How to Practice:

  • • Take a deep breath
  • • Say "ahhh" at a comfortable pitch and volume
  • • Hold the sound as long as possible
  • • Track your time and try to gradually increase duration

Goal: Work toward 15-20 seconds of sustained phonation

3. Minimal Pairs Practice

Minimal pairs are words that differ by only one sound (like "cat" and "bat"). This technique is widely used in articulation therapy to improve sound discrimination and production.

How to Practice:

  • • Choose pairs that target your specific sound challenges
  • • Practice saying each word clearly, emphasizing the different sound
  • • Record yourself to hear the difference
  • • Practice in sentences once individual words are clear

Examples: pat/bat, sip/zip, rake/lake

4. Syllable Repetition (Diadochokinetic Exercises)

These exercises improve coordination and speed of articulatory movements, commonly used in both assessment and treatment of motor speech disorders.

How to Practice:

  • • Repeat "puh-puh-puh" as quickly and clearly as possible for 5 seconds
  • • Repeat with "tuh-tuh-tuh" and "kuh-kuh-kuh"
  • • Try alternating: "puh-tuh-kuh" repeatedly
  • • Focus on clarity over speed initially

Practice: 3-5 repetitions of each pattern, twice daily

5. Reading Aloud

Reading aloud is a fundamental exercise that helps with articulation, fluency, and prosody. It provides structured practice with varied vocabulary and sentence structures.

How to Practice:

  • • Start with simple sentences or paragraphs
  • • Read slowly, focusing on clear articulation
  • • Gradually increase reading speed while maintaining clarity
  • • Record yourself to identify areas for improvement

Duration: 10-15 minutes daily

6. Breathing Exercises

Proper breath support is essential for speech production. These exercises are particularly important for voice therapy and fluency work.

How to Practice:

  • • Diaphragmatic breathing: Place hand on stomach, breathe so your hand moves out on inhale
  • • Controlled exhale: Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 8 counts
  • • Breath pacing: Practice speaking one sentence per breath

Practice: 5 minutes, 2-3 times daily

7. Mirror Practice

Visual feedback through mirror practice helps with articulation placement and is a standard technique in speech therapy, especially for sound production training.

How to Practice:

  • • Sit in front of a mirror with good lighting
  • • Practice target sounds while watching your mouth movements
  • • Compare your mouth position to correct placement
  • • Practice words and sentences while maintaining visual feedback

Tip: Particularly helpful for sounds like /r/, /l/, /th/, and /s/

General Practice Tips

  • ✓Consistency is key: Short, daily practice is more effective than long, infrequent sessions
  • ✓Track progress: Keep a log of your practice sessions and improvements
  • ✓Start simple: Begin with easier exercises and gradually increase difficulty
  • ✓Use technology: Recording apps and speech therapy software can provide valuable feedback
  • ✓Stay motivated: Set small, achievable goals and celebrate progress

Making Progress with Home Practice

These seven exercises form a solid foundation for home speech practice. Remember that improvement takes time and consistent effort. While these exercises are beneficial, they work best when combined with professional guidance from a speech-language pathologist.

Modern tools like LumaSpeech can enhance your home practice by providing structured exercises, real-time feedback, and progress tracking to complement these traditional techniques.

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