Why do people have lisps and how do they get them?

I can only speak for my lisp, but mine is either because my top front teeth are further forward than the bottom ones or because my tongue is further forward.

I had a brace to correct my teeth, and once the braces came off and my teeth were aligned, I no longer lisped. However, my teeth went back to the way they were before and the lisp came back.

My orthodontist said it's because I have an overactive tongue (don't laugh, it's nothing rude)! Basically this means that my tongue is a bit too big for my mouth, and when in a resting position, instead of resting in the bottom of my mouth, it's always pushing against my top teeth.

(We Brits just don't have perfect teeth)!

I've had my lisp since birth, and I stutter also. I have no idea why I have it, but I was in speech therapy for ten years and it never got corrected. They call it some kind of articulation disorder, meaning that my tongue doesn't connect with the roof of my mouth like it should. I don't know, I think that's just their way of answering something they dont know the answer to. All I know is its embarassing and I hate it.

There may be some developmental lag in their articulatory apparatus. They have to work on shaping their mouths, syncing their breathing, and moving their lips and pressing them against their lips in order to train themselves to correctly anunciate words.

WOOOOOO lIthpth.

i agree with local_shop_girl i have a lisp and i have noticed when i close my mouth my tongue dont rest in the bottom of my mouth it seems to be pushing against my top teeth