Sound Errors in Speech Development

Does your child have trouble with certain speech sounds? Maybe you’re wondering if your child’s errors are just part of typical development but you’re not sure.

All children make speech sound errors when they are learning to speak. Many of these errors follow a certain pattern, which are called phonological processes. Though these patterns are common as children begin to speak, each pattern should disappear by a certain age. If your child continues to use the pattern after the age of expected disappearance, their speech may be hard to understand.

Here are some examples of common phonological processes (typical speech error patterns) in English and when they should disappear. The patterns below are called “substitution” patterns because one sound is substituted for another in the same way in much or all of the child’s speech.

The ages of disappearance are meant to be guidelines instead of hard and fast rules. Each child’s speech development is different. Also keep in mind that some dialects of English may use sound substitution patterns and these are not errors. If a child speaks multiple languages, typical developmental patterns in each language should be considered.

Check out the American Speech and Hearing Association’s page on phonological processes here for more information.

If you have questions about your child’s speech sound errors, contact me for a free consultation!