Articulation Norms
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 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.
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 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.
Age at Which 90% of Children Learn Various Speech Sounds
(Smit, et al 1990)
90% of children have acquired these sounds
Age Three years of age:
/m/,/h/, /n/, /w/, /b/, /p/, Delay by 4 years of age
Age Four years of age:
/k/,/g/,/d/,/f/,/j/,/t/ Delay by 4.5 years of age
Age Six years of age:
/ing/, /r/,/l/,/s/,/ch/ ,/sh/, /dj/ Delay by 6.5 years of age
Age Seven years of age:
/z/, /v/ ,/th/ voiced, /th/ unvoiced Delay by 7.5 years of age
Age Three years of age:
/m/,/h/, /n/, /w/, /b/, /p/, Delay by 4 years of age
Age Four years of age:
/k/,/g/,/d/,/f/,/j/,/t/ Delay by 4.5 years of age
Age Six years of age:
/ing/, /r/,/l/,/s/,/ch/ ,/sh/, /dj/ Delay by 6.5 years of age
Age Seven years of age:
/z/, /v/ ,/th/ voiced, /th/ unvoiced Delay by 7.5 years of age