What are articulation and phonological disorders?
When children have trouble with speech, they might make mistakes like substituting one sound for another, distorting sounds, or even leaving off sounds at the ends of words. These issues can fall into two categories: articulation disorders and phonological disorders. Articulation disorders are about difficulties making individual speech sounds correctly. On the other hand, phonological disorders involve patterns of errors across different sounds—like consistently missing the last sounds in words or replacing certain sounds with others that are easier to pronounce.
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between these two types of speech difficulties, so professionals often use the term "speech sound disorder" to describe any problem with producing speech sounds that doesn't have a clear cause. This helps ensure your child gets the most appropriate help without getting too caught up in technical distinctions.
A phonological disorder in children is when they consistently follow certain patterns of sound errors. For example, they might always replace all back sounds like "k" and "g" with front sounds like "t" and "d," or they might leave off sounds at the ends of words. These aren’t just random mistakes; they follow rules almost as if the child has their own set of rules for speech that differ from those in standard speech. This can make their speech difficult to understand, especially for someone who isn't familiar with their particular patterns of speech.
When to seek an evaluation:
It's a good idea to seek an evaluation for your child if you notice any of the following signs that could indicate a speech sound disorder:
Inconsistency in Speech: If your child makes different errors when saying the same word at different times, or is not improving in speech clarity as they grow.
Difficulty Being Understood: If family members, caregivers, or peers frequently have trouble understanding what your child is saying, especially if your child is over the age of 3.
Frustration or Awareness: If your child shows signs of frustration or becomes upset because others can't understand them, or if they are aware and concerned about making mistakes in speech.
Comparison to Peers: If your child's speech is noticeably less clear or more error-prone compared to peers of the same age.
Lack of Improvement Over Time: If there doesn't seem to be any improvement in your child's speech clarity or error patterns as they get older.
When Do Children Typically Learn Different Sounds?
Children learn to pronounce sounds in a specific order as they grow. Here’s a general timeline for when you can expect your child to master certain sounds:
By age 2 to 3, most children can correctly pronounce the sounds for B, N, M, P, H, W, and D.
By age 3 to 4, they usually pick up the sounds for G, K, F, T, NG, and Y (as in "yes").
Between ages 4 and 5, they often learn to say V, J, S, CH, L, SH, and Z correctly.
From ages 5 to 6, children typically master the sounds for R, TH (as in "this"), and ZH (as in "measure").
By age 6 to 7, they are generally able to pronounce TH (as in "think").
This timeline is just a general guide, and some children may learn these sounds a bit earlier or later. If your child is not following this pattern and you’re concerned about their speech development, it might be helpful to consult a speech-language therapist who can provide guidance and support tailored to your child’s needs.
Phonological Process
Final Consonant Deletion: Omitting the final consonant of words (e.g., "ca" for "cat").
Fronting: Replacing sounds made at the back of the mouth, like "k" and "g," with sounds made at the front, like "t" and "d" (e.g., "tat" for "cat").
Cluster Reduction: Reducing a cluster of two or more consonants to a single consonant (e.g., "pider" for "spider").
Weak Syllable Deletion: Omitting an unstressed syllable (e.g., "nana" for "banana").
Backing: Replacing sounds made in the front of the mouth with sounds made in the back (e.g., "gog" for "dog"). This is less common.
Stopping: Substituting stops (p, b, t, d, k, g) for fricatives (s, z, f, v) or affricates (ch, j) (e.g., "tun" for "sun").
Gliding: Replacing liquids like "l" and "r" with glides like "w" and "y" (e.g., "wabbit" for "rabbit").
Vocalization: Replacing syllabic liquids (l, r) or nasals (m, n) at the end of syllables with a vowel (e.g., "appo" for "apple").
Assimilation: Changing one consonant in a word so that it takes on features of another consonant in the same word (e.g., "gog" for "dog", where the "d" changes to a "g" due to the influence of the other "g").