How Children Develop their Speech Sounds

In this article we will discuss:

 Children learn how to say sounds by listening to the adults around them speak. The same way they learn the language. Sounds are typically acquired in a certain order with some sounds being learned early (like "p" and "b") and some are learned later (like "th" and "r").
 
 When children are very young, it's also normal for them to change around the sounds in words, for example, they may say "wat" instead of "rat" and "tum" for "thumb." Yet, as they get older, their pronunciation of should be more accurate.

Sounds like F sound speech therapy and V sound speech therapy can many times go hand in hand since the sounds are so similar. One is voiced (V) and one is voiceless (F).

Sometimes kids don't simply outgrow this way of speaking or they don't learn how to say every sound correctly. These children may have a speech sound delay or disorder and might need some extra help.

Speech sounds development in children has been studied and speech therapists use this information to determine if a child is producing sounds adequately for their age.

It is typical for children to say some sounds incorrectly as they learn to talk.

Get a consultation about your child's speech development

Children can pronounce some sounds earlier, like p, m, or w. Other sounds like z, v, or th take longer for them to acquire. Most children will be able to pronounce all sounds in English by the age of 8.

Speech sounds development in children has been studied and speech therapists use this information to determine if a child is producing sounds adequately for their age. This evidence-based chart can be used to determine if your child is producing the sounds they should be for their age.

A child who is not pronouncing these sounds by a typical age or is highly unintelligible may need to be evaluated by a speech-language pathologist to determine if they have a speech sound disorder or they just need a little bit of extra support. For example, speech therapy for the k sound might be necessary if a child is still not producing /k/ accurately past four years of age.
 

Are you wondering what speech sounds your child should be saying at their age? Download our free and simple chart here.

At Better Speech, we offer online speech therapy services convenient for you and tailored to your child's individual needs. Our services are affordable and effective - get Better Speech now.

About the Author

Lenora Edwards

I am ASHA Board Certified Speech Language Pathologist and Chief Knowledge Officer with Better Speech. Since obtaining my CCC’s in 2010, I have worked with individuals of all ages from little ones who are learning to understand and express themselves to adults who want to improve their speaking skills and become a more fluent and effective communicator. I love to teach and educate others, in my spare time I like reading, cooking and traveling!