Articulation
How do Speech Sounds Develop?
- Did you know the English language has 46 different speech sounds? Production of these sounds is based on tongue position and movement, lip position and movement, airflow, and the presence or absence of vocal fold vibration.
- Speech sounds are developed just as motor skills are. Sounds that are easier to produce are learned earlier and sounds that are harder to produce are learned later. Researchers have studied the development of speech sounds and charted when a child should have “mastered” the sound.
- Even though your child may have some sound errors, these errors are considered “developmental” if the child is below the age of mastery. Research shows, that until that age, the child could acquire and use the sound independent of therapy. Speech/language pathologists try to identify children whose speech cannot be understood much of the time, have multiple errors, have severe production errors such as a lateral lisp, or who continue to have errors in sounds or patterns beyond the age of mastery.
When should my child master a specific speech sound?
- Click on the link below to learn when children typically master specific speech sounds.
What is the difference between articulation and phonology?
- Articulation errors involve incorrect productions of specific speech sounds (phonemes). The child has difficulty with the motor planning and movements needed to make the sound. Treatment involves teaching the correct placement of the articulators (tongue, lips) and motor planning and control. Repetition of the motor plan and movement is very important by practicing sounds in isolation, syllables, words, phrases, sentences, and conversation.
- Phonology is the sound system and patterns used to make the words of a language. Phonological errors are errors of sound patterns within the child’s language system. Typically, a child with phonological errors can make the sound correctly in some words or by itself, but has trouble using the sound when they talk. Treatment addresses error patterns or “phonological processes” and several patterns are rotated (cycled) until the child establishes the correct/adult pattern.
- Click on the link below to learn more about phonological processes.
Below are websites you can visit to work on your child's articulation or phonology at home!