How Speech Sounds Develop in Children

From birth to 5 years of age, children’s speech develops in a general pattern. Speech Pathologists look at these developmental patterns to determine if a child’s speech sounds are following an expected roadmap or if there is anything unusual that requires further investigation and possible intervention.

When assessing children, Speech Pathologists examine these developmental patterns to identify any potential speech sound disorders or delays.

Speech Sound Disorders

A speech sound disorder is when someone has trouble saying words clearly, which makes it hard for others to understand them. There are two main types:

• Articulation Disorder: This occurs when someone has difficulty making certain sounds. For example, they might say “wabbit” instead of “rabbit” or struggle with specific letters.
• Phonological Disorder: This happens when a person makes mistakes in how they use sounds in words. For example, they might leave out some sounds (like saying “ca” for “cat”) or simplify sounds more than they should.

These problems are common in young children as they are learning to talk. However, if the difficulties continue as they grow older, treatment may be needed.

A Speech Pathologist can help by working with someone to practice and improve how they pronounce words.

Sometimes, speech sound disorders happen because of things like hearing difficulties or physical differences with the mouth. 

A speech delay is a term generally used when a child takes longer than usual to start talking or learning how to speak. For example, they might not say their first words or form simple sentences at the age other children usually do.

Every child grows and learns at their own speed, but if a child is taking much longer to speak, it could be a sign that something is affecting their ability to learn language. This could be due to hearing problems, other developmental delays, or not hearing enough language around them.

A speech delay is different from a speech disorder. With a delay, the child might catch up to others later on, but with a disorder, they may continue to have trouble speaking as they get older.

If you notice a speech delay, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor or speech pathologist to see how they can help the child catch up and assess any specific developmental patterns.  You can watch our video on Speech Delay in Toddlers here, and what to look for.

How Speech Sounds & Language develop together

For speech sound development patterns our Speech Pathologists look for the following:

• By six months: Babies should be making cooing sounds—these are more noises and are not likely understood.

• Around one year (12 months): We expect babies to say their first words—”mama” or “dada,” “up,” “hat,” etc. These might only be understood by familiar adults. Sounds made with the lips—‘m,’ ‘b,’ ‘p’—are expected to develop first, along with vowel sounds.

• At 18 months: Children should be able to understand around 50 words or short phrases and say between 6-20 different words. These might only be understood by familiar people.

• At 2 years old: Children should be able to say more than 50 individual words. They should also:
  • Put two words together (e.g., “bye teddy,” “no ball”).
  • Use their tone of voice to ask a question (e.g., “teddy go?”).
  • Say “no” when they do not want something.
  • Use most vowel sounds and a variety of consonants (m, n, p, b, k, g, h, w, t, d)—most of these sounds are made with the lips or at the front of the mouth.
  • Start using “mine” and “my” words to show possession and ownership.

• By three: Speech should be more intelligible, though it’s still clearer to familiar people. Children will:
  • Add more sounds they can say, such as k, g, f, s, ng—these sounds are produced at the back of the mouth and involve different movements, like air through the teeth or lips (e.g., f/s).
  • Say four to five words in a sentence.
  • Use a variety of words for names, actions, locations, and descriptions.
  • Ask questions using “what,” “where,” and “who.”
  • Talk about something in the past, but may use “-ed” a lot (e.g., “he goed there”).
  • Have a conversation, though they may not take turns or stay on topic.

• At four: Children’s speech becomes much clearer, and they should be understandable to most people. They will:
  • Add the sounds l, s, sh to their speech.
  • Use words like “and,” “but,” and “because” to make longer sentences.
  • Describe recent events, such as morning routines.
  • Ask lots of questions and use personal pronouns (e.g., he/she, me/you) and negations (e.g., don’t/can’t).
  • Count to five and name a few colors.

• By five: Most of their speech should be clear to anyone. They will:
  • Add in more complex sounds, such as s, z, ch, j, r, th, sp, st, bl, cr.
  • Use well-formed sentences that are understood by most people.
  • Take turns in longer conversations.
  • Tell simple, short stories with a beginning, middle, and end.
  • Use past and future verbs correctly (e.g., “went,” “will go”).

If you notice any difficulty in how well your child is understood, it’s best to seek support sooner rather than later. Early intervention helps ensure your child’s speech develops in line with their age, making communication easier as they grow.

Written by Speech Pathologist, Elizabeth Hall

Reference List

1. Speech Pathology Australia. (n.d.). Communication milestones. Retrieved from https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

2. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Speech sound disorders. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org

3. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2018). Speech and language development milestones. Retrieved from https://pediatrics.aappublications.org

4. Cooee Speech Pathology (n.d.). Speech sound disorders and delays. Retrieved from [Insert your website URL]

5. World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). Early childhood development: Speech and language. Retrieved from https://www.who.int