Free DeckArticulation24 cardsOfficial deck

/l/ vs /r/: Which Did You Hear?

Lock or rock? Lamb or ram? Twenty-four cards that teach ears and mouths to tell /l/ from /r/.

A 24-card listening and speaking deck for children who mix up /l/ and /r/: six /l/ flashcards, six /r/ flashcards, six which-did-you-hear minimal-pair cards (lock/rock, lamb/ram, light/right…), two picture quizzes, a sort and a spinner of pairs. Classroom theme. Free.

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About This Deck

/l/ and /r/ are the two English liquids, and they are among the last sounds children master — many still confuse them at six or seven. Because the sounds look and feel alike (both are made with the tongue raised, both are voiced), the first step is often listening: a child who cannot hear the difference between "light" and "right" cannot correct their own production.

This deck is built around six minimal pairs — word pairs that differ only in the target sound. The child first practises each word on its own with a flashcard (six /l/ words, six /r/ words, each with a Hear it button and a record button), then plays six which-did-you-hear cards where the app says one word from a pair and the child taps the picture they heard. Two picture quizzes, an /l/-versus-/r/ sort and a spinner of pairs bring the words back for spontaneous production.

A classroom theme keeps it calm and school-appropriate for older children who are self-conscious about their speech.

What’s Inside /l/ vs /r/: Which Did You Hear?

24 cards in play order: 12 say-the-word flashcards, 8 picture quizzes, 1 sorting activity, 1 spinner, 1 picture flashcard, 1 title or instruction card.

12say-the-word flashcards
8picture quizzes
1sorting activity
1spinner
1picture flashcard
1title or instruction card

Words pictured in this deck

What /l/ vs /r/: Which Did You Hear? Practices

The /l/ and /r/ sound in initial position, through repetition a child hears and says rather than reads about. Each target sound has a full guide with free practice word lists:

/l/ sound guide /r/ sound guide

Skills Practiced

/l/ vs /r/ auditory discrimination
Initial /l/ articulation
Initial /r/ articulation
Minimal-pair production
Self-monitoring of speech

Is /l/ vs /r/: Which Did You Hear? Right for Us?

Best for: Children aged 4–9 who substitute /l/ for /r/ (or the reverse), speech-language pathologists running minimal-pair therapy, and parents doing carry-over practice at home.

At a glance
Sounds	/l/ and /r/ — initial position
Category	Articulation
Grades	Pre-K – 3rd grade
Cards	24 cards
Time	About 12 min
Plan	Free with an account
Made by	SpeechTherapyMagic
Format	Interactive cards — runs in any browser, nothing to install

How to Use It

Play the flashcards first, /l/ words then /r/ words. Model the difference physically: for /l/ the tongue tip touches behind the top teeth; for /r/ it pulls back and never touches.

The which-did-you-hear cards are the heart of the deck. Let the child tap Hear it as many times as they want before answering — the goal is accurate listening, not speed. If they answer wrongly, play both words of the pair back to back.

Use the sort card to check whether the child can classify words by their first sound without a picture cue, and end with the spinner: whatever pair it lands on, the child says both words. Twelve minutes covers everything.

How to Play

1Create a free account (or sign in) and add the deck to your library from the marketplace.
2Open it from My Library on a tablet, phone or laptop — or share a PIN so a student can play at speechtherapymagic.com/go without logging in.
3Tap through the cards. Question cards are scored automatically and a summary shows at the end of every play.

Questions About /l/ vs /r/: Which Did You Hear?

What is a minimal pair?

Two words that differ by a single sound, like lock and rock. Practising them together shows the child that the sound change changes the meaning, which motivates them to hear and produce the difference.

My child says "w" for both /l/ and /r/. Is this deck right for them?

Gliding (saying "wock" for rock) is very common. This deck still helps because the listening cards train the ear, but pair it with single-sound work on /r/ or /l/ first if your child cannot yet produce either sound in isolation.

Which words are included?

The /l/ side is lock, lamb, light, lake, lip and log (plus leg and lemon in the quizzes); the /r/ side is rock, ram, right, rake, rip and ring (plus rabbit, rice, road and robot). All are initial-position words a five-year-old knows.