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Speech Sound Disorders (SSD)

What speech sound disorders are, the two main types, and the ages when children usually say each sound correctly.

What is a speech sound disorder?

A speech sound disorder is a type of communication disorder that causes difficulty speaking clearly and producing certain speech sounds that are required to communicate. This makes it difficult for people to understand what the person is saying.

What can cause a speech sound disorder?

Developmental disorders (for example, autism), genetic syndromes (for example, Down syndrome), brain injury and hearing loss can cause a speech sound disorder, but many come without a cause.

Articulation disorders

An articulation disorder is when a child has difficulty making a speech sound correctly past the expected age of mastery.

  • Substitutions: one sound is replaced with another (example: “wed” for “red”)
  • Omissions: a sound is left out (example: “cu” for “cup”)
  • Distortions: a sound is produced in an unusual or altered way (example: a lisp)
  • Additions: a sound is added to a word (example: “doguh” for “dog”)

Phonological disorders

A phonological disorder is when a child has a pattern of speech sound errors that follow a rule. All children follow these typical rules, but they should be eliminated after certain ages.

  • Final consonant deletion: the final consonant in the word is not said (examples: “cu” for “cup” and “toe” for “toad”). Eliminated by age 3.
  • Fronting: a sound made in the back of the mouth (/k, g/) is replaced with a sound made in the front of the mouth (/t, d/) (example: “dod” for “dog”). Eliminated by age 3.5.
  • Cluster reduction: two consonants (for example, /bl, gr/) are reduced to a single consonant (for example, /l, g/) (examples: “lane” for “plane” and “back” for “black”). Eliminated by age 4.
  • Weak syllable deletion: the weak or “not stressed” syllable is deleted (example: “nana” for “banana”). Eliminated by age 4.
  • Stopping: /f, s, v, z, th, ch, j/ becomes /p, b, t, d, k, g/ (examples: “pan” for “fan” and “dump” for “jump”). Eliminated by age 5.
  • Gliding: /r/ becomes /w/ and /l/ becomes /w/ or /y/ (examples: “wabbit” for “rabbit” and “yeyo” for “yellow”). Eliminated by age 6.

When should my child be saying their sounds correctly?

  • 2 years: M, P, B, H, W, D
  • 3 years: T, K, G, N, ING, F, Y
  • 4 years: S, Z, V, SH, CH, J, L
  • 5 years: R
  • 6 years: TH