Say words from (A-I) without moving your lips!
Practice saying words that start with letters A through I without moving your lips, using tongue and breath to explore speech sounds and articulation.
Step-by-step guide to say words from A-I without moving your lips
Step 1
Find a quiet spot and sit where you can see your whole face in the mirror.
Step 2
Write one simple word that starts with each letter A B C D E F G H I on your paper.
Step 3
Hold the mirror so your lips are easy to see.
Step 4
Relax your jaw and lips until your mouth feels loose.
Step 5
Breathe in and out slowly five times to get your breath ready.
Step 6
Look at the first word and try to say it using only your tongue and breath while keeping your lips completely still.
Step 7
Check the mirror right after you try the word to see if your lips moved.
Step 8
If your lips moved, try that same word again and change your tongue position or breath to keep lips still.
Step 9
Repeat Step 6 to Step 8 for each word from A through I.
Step 10
Mark on your paper which letters you said without moving your lips and count how many you got right.
Step 11
Share your finished creation on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of a mirror or special paper if we don't have them?
If you don’t have a handheld mirror, use a clean reflective spoon or the front-facing camera on a smartphone propped up so you can see your whole face while holding your paper with words A–I.
My lips keep moving when I try a word — what should I do?
If your lips move when you try a word, follow Steps 7–8 by stopping, relaxing your jaw (Step 4), changing your tongue position or softening your breath, and try again while watching the mirror to check for movement.
How can I change the activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children, write one-syllable words for A–I and have an adult guide Steps 4–5, while older kids can use longer words, add a 10-second silent hold before checking Step 6, or make Step 9 a timed scoring challenge.
How can we make the game more fun or share our results?
To extend the activity, make themed A–I word lists (like animals), decorate your paper, record a slow-motion video of your mouth for comparison, mark and count progress on your paper, and then share the finished creation on DIY.org as the final step.
Watch videos on how to say words from A-I without moving your lips
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Facts about speech sounds and articulation
🗣️ Many English sounds (like t, d, s, l, r) are made with the tongue rather than the lips — perfect for tongue-only practice!
👄 Bilabial sounds such as B, P, and M need both lips — so if the lips don't move, those sounds are much harder to make.
🌬️ Good breath control helps you shape sounds and speak longer phrases; even simple breathing exercises can boost clarity.
🧠 Your brain coordinates tiny tongue and airflow movements to make speech — you can train those movements without moving your lips.
🧑⚕️ Speech therapists sometimes use silent articulation and tongue drills to help people learn or correct sounds — this activity uses the same idea!
