Do not let the Spanish "s" misguide you

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• The Spanish orthographic 's' exhibits phonetic variability.
• This variability can influence speech production and perception.
• Clinical assessment of speech requires understanding these nuances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explain the phonetic variations of the Spanish 's'.
• To review terminology for evaluating the closest speaking space in Spanish.

Main Methods:

• Phonetic analysis of Spanish 's' variations.
• Literature review of terms for closest speaking space evaluation.

Main Results:

• Identified three primary phonetic variations of the Spanish 's'.
• Highlighted phonological phenomena contributing to variability.
• Discussed clinical implications for speech assessment.

Conclusions:

• Spanish 's' variations present unique challenges for speech evaluation.
• Standardized terminology is needed for accurate closest speaking space assessment in Spanish.