Articulation is a type of speech sound disorder that refers to your child’s ability to formulate and produce sounds. Children with an articulation disorder may omit, substitute, add, or distort sounds making their speech difficult to understand. As children age, they acquire sounds for speech production at various stages of development. Using the chart below, you can determine at what age certain speech sound errors should be mastered.
Difficulties with articulation can often lead to frustration and decreased use of language, thus impacting your child’s ability to develop friendships with others. If you notice that your child continues to demonstrate the errors below past the expected age or is difficult to understand by friends and family, Speak Therapy offers a comprehensive evaluation to determine if your child would benefit from speech therapy services. At Speak Therapy, we aim to build your child’s confidence and improve their ability to communicate with others effectively.
Below is a chart to determine if your child is meeting their milestones for sound production. A child’s speech may be delayed if he/she has not acquired these sounds by the end of each age given.
| Age | Speech Sounds | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 2 years | P, B, M, N, H, W | /p/ for "pig" and /b/ for "ball" |
| 3 years | K, G, T, D, NG | /k/ for "cup", /g/ for "go", /ng/ for "king" |
| 4 years | L, S, Z, SH, V, J | /l/ for "leaf", /z/ for "zoo", and /sh/ for "shell" |
| 5 years | TH, ZH, R | /th/ for "feather", /zh/ for "measure", and /r/ for "red" |
| 6 years | TH | /th/ for "thumb" |