We all know that when children are first learning how to talk they often have a cute and funny way of pronouncing certain words. Whether it is pronouncing rabbit as ‘wabbit,’ or “lellow” as yellow, it can be described as what speech-language pathologists call speech sound disorders. Today we will be elaborating on an area called phonological processes.
Phonological processes make speech simpler for children when they are first learning how to talk. This is because kids are not yet fully equipped with coordinating areas of the mouth that involve speech such as the lips, jaw, tongue and palate which leads to errors in articulation. Outlining these processes allow us to better diagnose phonological disorders as it showcases the typical development of various areas of speech.
The speech errors that involve the replacement of certain sounds with ones that are more easily articulated is called substitution. These are the most common substitution processes:
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- Backing: when /t/ and /d/ sounds are replaced with sounds that are produced further back in the mouth such as /k/ and /g/.
- E.g., “koad” instead of toad
- Age: varies
- Backing: when /t/ and /d/ sounds are replaced with sounds that are produced further back in the mouth such as /k/ and /g/.
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- Fronting: sounds such as /k/, /g/ or “sh” are pronounced towards the front of the mouth such as /t/ /d/ and /s/
- E.g., “take” instead of cake
- Age: 3.5 yrs
- Fronting: sounds such as /k/, /g/ or “sh” are pronounced towards the front of the mouth such as /t/ /d/ and /s/
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- Gliding: when /r/ or /l/ is substituted with sounds such as /w/ or “y”
- E.g.,. “wat” instead of rat
- Age: 6 yrs
- Gliding: when /r/ or /l/ is substituted with sounds such as /w/ or “y”
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- Stopping: when sounds called “fricatives” such as /f/ or /s/ or sounds such as “ch” and “j” are replaced with shorter sounds including /p/ or /d/.
- E.g., “pork” instead of fork
- Age: 3-5 yrs
- Stopping: when sounds called “fricatives” such as /f/ or /s/ or sounds such as “ch” and “j” are replaced with shorter sounds including /p/ or /d/.
The next type of phonological process is called assimilation as it involves one sound in a word to trigger the incorrect production of a different sound. The following are the most common assimilation patterns.
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- Assimilation: when a sound in a word becomes similar to another sound.
- E.g., “bub” for bus
- Age: 3 yrs
- Assimilation: when a sound in a word becomes similar to another sound.
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- Denasalization: When a consonant that is produced via the nasal passage (nose) such as /m/ or /n/ becomes a sound that is produced elsewhere such as /b/ or /d/
- E.g., “bose” instead of nose
- Age: 2.5 yrs
- Denasalization: When a consonant that is produced via the nasal passage (nose) such as /m/ or /n/ becomes a sound that is produced elsewhere such as /b/ or /d/
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- Final consonant devoicing: When the consonant at the end of a word is voiced (causes vocal cords to vibrate) such as /b/ or /d/ is replaced with a voiceless one such as /p/ or /t/
- E.g., “foot” instead of food
- Age: 3 yrs
- Final consonant devoicing: When the consonant at the end of a word is voiced (causes vocal cords to vibrate) such as /b/ or /d/ is replaced with a voiceless one such as /p/ or /t/
Lastly, the category of phonological processes known as syllable structure outlines the omittance or addition of sounds in a word.
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- Cluster reduction: When a multiple consonant word is reduced to just one consonant
- E.g., “tail” instead trail
- Age: 4-5 yrs
- Cluster reduction: When a multiple consonant word is reduced to just one consonant
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- Final consonant deletion: when the ending consonant of a word is omitted
- E.g., “foo” instead of “food”
- Age: 3 yrs
- Final consonant deletion: when the ending consonant of a word is omitted
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- Initial consonant deletion: when the initial consonant of a word is omitted
- E.g., “-ubble” instead of bubble
- Age: varies
- Initial consonant deletion: when the initial consonant of a word is omitted
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- Weak syllable deletion: when only the strong syllables in a word are pronounced and the weak syllables are deleted
- E.g, “nana” instead of banana
- Age: 4 yrs
- Weak syllable deletion: when only the strong syllables in a word are pronounced and the weak syllables are deleted
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- Epenthesis: when there is the addition of a sound between two consonants
- E.g., “fil-um” instead of film
- Age: 8 yrs
- Epenthesis: when there is the addition of a sound between two consonants
Although phonological processes can be seen in children and even be cute, it is important to address these types of speech sound delays early on. If the speech errors are sustained for a longer than normal period, intervention from a speech-language pathologist can help target and improve these delays. If you are recognizing any of the phonological processes above, initiating a speech evaluation is a great first step to determine the best treatment plan for you and your little one.
References: ASHA, Little Bee Speech
WRITTEN BY:
-BIANCA CASTUERAS, UCSD
-NICOLE BUTLER, M.A., CCC-SLP/L (ASHA Certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, Founder and Executive Director of Speech Within Reach.)
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