Yep he can't stick his tounge out or touch the roof of his mouth. He can swallow great thank God. It is sewn down in the front if I'm not mistaken, I remember the doctor stating he will be able to talk, it's like if you put your tounge to the bottom of your teeth and try to talk. And that is how he sounds. He can talk really good, everybody understands him even on the phone. And yes he too speaks slowly sometimes when words he knows he has problems with come up and he will even spell words which helps but not really cuz the letter he can't say he is trying to spell it. OK I think he had more than half his tounge removed. I know I sound stupid not knowing all the facts for sure but that was along time ago and I just can't remember exactly. But he can swallow. I'm am really going to have to go to the docs with him soon, when I can take off from work.