OY Sound: Speech Therapy Guide, Words & Games
The OY sound is written /ɔɪ/ in the phonetic alphabet, and most children master it by age 4. This guide covers how to make the OY sound, 22 practice words split across medial and final position, and the errors children make most often.
Example OY words: point, boys, choice, join (middle); boy, enjoy, joy, cowboy (end).
The "oy" in boy, toy, coin and enjoy. It starts at the rounded "aw" vowel and glides forward and up toward "ee". It is the least common English diphthong, so children simply meet it in fewer words.
How to Make the OY Sound
Round the lips first, then smile — "aw-ee" slowed down, then blended. Because it appears in relatively few words, practise it in the handful of familiar ones (boy, toy, coin) rather than hunting for volume.
IPA Symbol: /ɔɪ/
Most children master the OY sound by age 4. Vowels come in earlier than most consonants: children generally have their full vowel system before the late-developing consonants such as /R/, /S/ and /TH/. Vowel errors are far less common than consonant errors, so one that is still there in a school-age child is worth raising with a speech-language pathologist.
Common OY Sound Errors
- Substituting the AW sound (AW as in saw) for the OY sound.
- Substituting the long O sound (Long O as in boat) for the OY sound.
OY Word Lists by Position
Practice these words organized by where the OY sound appears. Start with the position your child finds easiest, or open the complete OY word list.
Medial OY Words
OY in the middle of words
Final OY Words
OY at the end of words
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