Articulation
Speech sound or articulation delays and disorders occur when children have difficulty producing certain sounds beyond the expected age of mastery. They may substitute one sound for another (e.g., saying "wabbit" instead of "rabbit"), distort sounds (e.g., producing a slushy or unclear "s" sound), or omit sounds altogether (e.g., saying "nana" instead of "banana"). In some cases, only a few sounds are affected, while in others, children use predictable error patterns known as phonological processes to simplify speech, impacting multiple sounds.
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Research shows that children with speech sound disorders may also face challenges with reading—such as decoding, comprehension, and fluency—as well as spelling and writing. These difficulties can emerge as early as 5½ years old. Early intervention is recommended to support both language and literacy development and help prevent further challenges.
Articulation therapy for children
Speech therapy helps children with articulation disorders by providing structured, evidence-based interventions to improve their ability to produce sounds correctly. Our pediatric speech-language pathologists (SLP) assesses the child's speech patterns, identifies errors, and tailors therapy to their specific needs.
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​Key Therapy Approaches:​
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Sound Awareness & Discrimination – Teaching children to recognize correct vs. incorrect speech sounds to improve self-monitoring.
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Targeted Speech Practice – Using exercises to help children produce specific sounds in isolation, syllables, words, sentences, and conversation.
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Phonological Process Correction – Addressing predictable speech patterns (e.g., fronting: saying “tat” for “cat”) to promote clearer speech.
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Motor Planning & Placement Cues – Providing visual, verbal, and tactile cues to guide tongue, lips, and jaw placement for accurate sound production.
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Drill & Repetition – Reinforcing correct speech production through structured practice and fun, engaging activities.
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Generalization & Carryover – Helping children transfer skills from therapy to everyday conversations in different settings.
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Parental Involvement & Home Practice – Equipping parents with strategies and exercises to reinforce progress outside of therapy sessions.
Early intervention is key to improving speech intelligibility, boosting confidence, and preventing academic and social challenges related to unclear speech.
Speech Sound Development by Age
This chart shows what 95% of children should be able to do by the given age. That means these sounds should be perfected by this age.
*These are general guidelines, and individual development can vary.
McLeod, S., & Crowe, K. (2018). Children's Consonant Acquisition in 27 Languages: A Cross-Linguistic Review.
p – pat, apple
m – mom, moon
h – hat, happy
k – cat, cookie
g – go, tiger
b – ball, baby
w – water, window
y – yes, yellow
f – fish, coffee
t – top, butter
n – no, banana
d – dog, ladder
j – jump, jelly
ch – chair, ketchup
l – lion, balloon
sh – shoe, ocean
v – van, oven
s – sun, pencil
z – zebra, buzz
th (voiced) – this, feather
r – red, carrot
zh - garage​
th (unvoiced) – thumb, bathtub
Common parent concerns about children who struggle with articulation:
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Unclear speech – Difficulty being understood.
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Frustration & confidence issues – Avoiding speaking due to communication struggles.
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Delayed milestones – Uncertainty about age-appropriate speech development.
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Social impact – Concerns about teasing or peer interactions.
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Academic struggles – Effects on reading, spelling, and learning.
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Need for therapy – Wondering if their child will outgrow errors or needs intervention.
Our pediatric speech-language pathologist (SLP) can assess concerns and provide guidance, ensuring timely support for clearer speech and stronger communication skills.
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