# Phoneme Practice: /f/ Sound for Toddlers

Little Wheels Talk & Listen provides 25+ minutes of /f/ sound practice through vehicle words, vocabulary themes, and sound-specific games with mic recognition.

## About the /f/ Sound

The /f/ sound is a labiodental fricative—the upper teeth touch the lower lip while air flows through continuously WITHOUT voice (voiceless). It pairs with /v/ (voiced).

### When Children Typically Master /f/
- Emerges: 2-3 years
- Mastered: By age 4
- Requires teeth-lip coordination

## /f/ Words in Talk & Listen

### Vehicle Words with /f/
- **fire truck** - emergency favorite!
- **ferry** - water transport
- **forklift** - warehouse vehicle
- **four-wheeler** - ATV
- **flatbed** - truck type
- **front loader** - construction

### Food Words with /f/
- **food** - general category
- **fish** - protein
- **fruit** - category
- **french fries** - kid favorite

### Action Words with /f/
- **fix** - repair
- **fill** - container action
- **fall** - movement
- **find** - discovery
- **fly** - air movement
- **fast** - speed (vehicle-related!)

### Descriptive Words with /f/
- **fast** - speed
- **fun** - enjoyment
- **full** - capacity
- **first** - order
- **fine** - state

### Feelings Words with /f/
- **fun** - enjoyment
- **fine** - okay state
- **funny** - humor

### Family Words with /f/
- **family** - group
- **friend** - social

## How Talk & Listen Teaches /f/

### Layer 1: Vehicle Card Practice
Tap the Fire Truck (toddler favorite!) to practice /f/ in high-motivation context. "Fast" appears with many vehicles.

### Layer 2: Category Gateways
Food Truck delivers /f/ food words (food, fish, fruit, french fries) for themed practice.

### Layer 3: Phoneme Drill Mode
Select /f/ from the soundboard to see ALL /f/ words across categories. Practice for 25+ minutes on one sound.

### Sound Games with Mic Recognition
Mic-enabled games detect the /f/ sound's characteristic friction noise.

## Practice Tips for Parents

### Modeling /f/
1. Gently bite lower lip with upper teeth
2. Push air through the gap
3. No voice (just air friction)
4. Make it long: "fffffffff"

### /f/ vs /p/ Distinction
- /f/ = continuous air flow (friction)
- /p/ = stopped air, then released (stop)
- /f/ can be held; /p/ cannot
- Practice: "fat" vs "pat"

### Fun /f/ Activities
- Fire truck play ("fire! fast! fix!")
- "Find it" games
- Fish at mealtimes
- "Fun!" celebrations
- Fast/slow vehicle races

### Why Fire Truck is Perfect for /f/
- High-motivation emergency vehicle
- Multiple /f/ words: fire, fast, fix
- Exciting sounds and lights
- Natural repetition in play

## Related Resources
- All phoneme guides: littlewheels.app/llm/phoneme-practice-overview.txt
- Fire Truck page: littlewheels.app/vehicles/fire-truck
- Talk & Listen app: littlewheels.app/apps/talk-listen

## About Little Wheels
Little Wheels Talk & Listen provides 25+ minutes of practice per phoneme across 300+ words. Mic recognition games, call-and-response prompts, SLP-informed methodology. One-time $4.99, 100% offline.