Understanding Speech Sound Disorders
Speech sound disorders can be a bit tricky, but they're more common than you might think! These disorders can affect how children produce sounds, making it tough for them to communicate effectively. Addressing these early on is crucial, as it helps children express themselves and build confidence in their speech With the right support, we can them up for success in their social interactions and academic journey!
English Speech Sound Norms
By 3 months - Makes cooing sounds
By 5 months - Laughs and makes playful sounds
By 6 months - Makes speech-like babbling sounds like "puh", "ba", "mi", "da"
By 1 year - Babbles longer strings of sounds like "mimi", "upup", "bababa"
By 3 years - Says /m, n, h, w, p, b, t, d, k, g, and f/ in words
Familiar people understand the child's speech
By 4 years - Says /y, s, sh, ch, j, ng, v/ in words. May still make mistakes on the /th, zh, l, and r/ sounds. Most people understand the child’s speech
Information adapted from developmental speech sound acquisition resources published by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Visit ASHA for additional information about speech sound development.
Speech Sound Development Chart
Every child develops at their own pace, but this chart shows the ages when most children typically master speech sounds.
2
p, b, m, n, h, w
Examples:
pig, boy, man, neck, hot, wind
3
t, d, k, g, ng, f, y
Examples:
tan, dog, kick, goat, ring, fox
4
v, s, z, sh, ch, j
Examples:
violin, sock, zoo, shoe, chin, jump
5
l, r, voiced th
Examples:
luck, race, that
6
voiceless th, zh
Examples:
thumb, measure
Speech sound acquisition information adapted from McLeod & Crowe (2018) and Crowe & McLeod (2020). This resource is intended for educational purposes and should not be used as the sole basis for determining the need for speech-language services.
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Try This at Home
Pick 5 pictures or words.
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Say each one together.
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Have your child watch your mouth, then try it.
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Use a mirror if you can.
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Keep it short. 5 minutes is enough.
Practice during your day.
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In the car, at bath time, or while getting dressed.
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Repeat one word 5–10 times.
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Keep it fun and relaxed.
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Be silly! Say it slow, say it in funny voices, so it soft, say it loud!
Turn practice into a game.
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Feed the cards to a puppet or build a tower for each word.
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The more your child enjoys it, the more they will try.
Need extra practice at home?
Download free speech sound printables from the "freebies" page.
🌟 Quick Facts About
Speech Sounds
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Children learn speech sounds gradually, and it’s normal for younger kids to mispronounce many words as they develop.
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Most speech sounds have a typical age when children learn them, and some later-developing sounds aren’t expected until age 5 or 6.
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A child may understand a word long before they can say it clearly - this is a normal part of speech development.
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Correcting a child’s errors isn’t always necessary; modeling the correct pronunciation naturally is often more helpful with short dedicated practice times.
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If speech sound errors make your child hard to understand or persist beyond expected ages, a speech-language evaluation can help.
Speech Sound
Myths and Truths
Myth: A child will grow out of their speech sound disorder on their own
Truth: While some simple delays resolve, many actual speech sound disorders require intervention.
Myth: I should wait for speech therapy until my children starts school.
Truth: Early intervention is often more effective because young brains are more adaptable, and waiting can lead to more entrenched habits.
Myth: Children develop at the same rate, following a set of milestones that should be achieved at a certain age
Truth: It is important to remember that every child is unique and develops at their own pace.
Myth: Intervention is necessary for every speech sound error
Truth: Speech sound errors are common among children who are starting to learn to talk. Developmental speech sound errors should resolve on their own with time. However, errors that persist beyond age norms should be discussed with professionals.
Building Clear Speech
Articulation vs. Phonology:
What's the Difference?
If your child has difficulty pronouncing words, you may hear a speech-language pathologist use terms like "articulation disorder" or "phonological disorder." While both affect speech how clear speech is understood, they are actually two different types of speech sound disorders.
What Is an Articulation Disorder?
An articulation disorder occurs when a child has difficulty producing a specific speech sound correctly.
Think of articulation as a motor skill. The child knows which sound should be used but has trouble moving the tongue, lips, teeth, or jaw into the correct position to make the sound accurately.
Examples of Articulation Errors
In these examples, the child consistently has difficulty producing a particular sound (such as /s/, /r/, /sh/, or /z/).
Common Articulation Errors
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Lisps (saying "thun" for "sun")
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Difficulty with /r/ ("wabbit" for "rabbit")
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Difficulty with /l/ ("yeyo" for "yellow")
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Distortions of sounds such as /s/, /z/, /sh/, or /ch/
Children with articulation disorders usually make errors on a small number of sounds.
What Is a Phonological Disorder?
A phonological disorder occurs when a child has difficulty understanding and using the sound patterns or rules of speech.
Instead of struggling with one specific sound, the child uses patterns of errors that affect groups of sounds.
Think of phonology as the speech system. The child can often make the sounds correctly in some situations, but uses them incorrectly because the rules for organizing sounds are not yet developed.
Example:
A child may be able to say the /k/ sound by itself but still say:
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"tat" for "cat"
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"tar" for "car"
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"tup" for "cup"
The issue is not making the /k/ sound. The issue is using the correct sound in words.
Common Phonological Processes
Many young children use phonological processes as they learn to talk. Most disappear naturally as speech develops.
Fronting
Back sounds (/k/, /g/) are replaced with front sounds (/t/, /d/).
Examples:
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cat → tat
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goat → doat
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cup → tup
Final Consonant Deletion
The last sound in a word is omitted.
Examples:
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dog → daw
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bus → buh
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hat → ha
Cluster Reduction
One sound in a consonant blend is omitted.
Examples:
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spoon → poon
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truck → tuck
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star → tar
Stopping
A long airflow sound is replaced with a stop sound.
Examples:
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sun → tun
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fish → pit
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zoo → doo
Gliding
The sounds /r/ and /l/ are replaced with /w/ or /y/.
Examples:
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rabbit → wabbit
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red → wed
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lion → yion
Weak Syllable Deletion
An unstressed syllable is omitted.
Examples:
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banana → nana
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potato → tato
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elephant → efant
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How Can You Tell the Difference?
When Should I Be Concerned?
Many speech errors are normal during the preschool years. However, if your child's speech is difficult for family members, teachers, or peers to understand, a speech-language evaluation may be helpful.
Early intervention can improve speech clarity, confidence, and communication success.
The Good News
Children with articulation and phonological disorders often make excellent progress with speech therapy. Treatment helps children learn to produce sounds correctly and use speech patterns that make their words easier for others to understand.
sun
rabbit
shoe
zebra
thun
wabbit
sue
debra
Target Word Child Says
Articulation Disorder
✓ Difficulty producing specific sounds
✓ Errors are usually consistent
✓ Affects one or a few sounds
✓ Example: "rabbit" → "wabbit"
Phonological Disorder
✓ Difficulty using sound patterns correctly
✓ Affects groups of sounds
✓ Multiple words are impacted
✓ Example: "cat" → "tat," "cup" → "tup," "car" → "tar"
As a speech-language pathologist, one of the questions I hear most often is, "Will my child outgrow this?" The answer depends on which sounds are affected, your child's age, and how much the errors impact everyday communication. While many speech errors are a normal part of development, persistent or unusual errors deserve a closer look. If you're unsure, trust your instincts. An evaluation by a speech-language pathologist can provide answers, peace of mind, and, if needed, a plan to help your child become a more confident communicator.