Speech

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What is speech?

Speech is how we say sounds and words. To generate speech, air must flow from the lungs, up through the larynx to make the vocal folds vibrate and out of the mouth and/or nose while we rapidly move our mouth, lips and tongue to make different sounds. The brain sends messages to many speech muscles (e.g. vocal folds, tongue, lips, and velum). The coordination, strength and appropriate movement of these muscles are necessary for clear speech. Speech sounds are formed through the coordination of many muscles, which is planned by our brain. As children develop, they learn to make different sounds. Some sounds emerge earlier in development, while others take longer to master. Longer words and words containing two adjacent consonants (consonant clusters) can also be harder to produce. All sounds in English should be in place by age eight (reference).

What is a Speech Sound Difficulty?

Some children have difficulty producing certain speech sounds and/or putting sounds together to create words and sentences. A speech sound difficulty is present when errors persist longer than developmentally appropriate. Intelligibility (speech clarity) can also be used to determine the presence of difficulties. By age three, children should be understood approximately 75% of the time by unfamiliar interlocutors, whereas children aged four to five should be understood 100% of the time by unfamiliar interlocutors, even if some sound errors are still present (reference). Exposure to more than one language during development does not result in speech or language delays. Children who present with a speech sound disorder display sound errors in more than one language (for example, in both their native language and second language). If a child only presents with speech errors in their second language, they are not considered as having a speech sound disorder.

What can cause a speech sound difficulty?

Hearing loss.
Difficulty perceiving and differentiating sounds.
Structural abnormalities (e.g., Cleft lip or palate, tongue tie, missing teeth, low muscle tone, etc.)
Phonological planning or motor planning difficulties.
A developmental disorder or generic syndrome

Hierarchy of speech sound development

Proper oral motor and mouth function
Sound in isolation
Sound in syllables
Sound in words
Sound in phrases
Sound in sentences
Sound in conversation

Tips for parents, caregivers and teachers

Face time

Get face to face with your child so they can hear and see how you are making the sound.
Bring attention to how your jaw, lips, and tongue move when making certain sounds (i.e. "Look how my tongue goes up behind my teeth").

Important: They do not need to repeat after you.

Make it stand out

Exaggerate and add extra emphasis to your articulation
Identify the target sound in your own speech. You could say "The robot is red. Robot and red start with the sound. It's the 'r' sound.".
Bring attention to sounds in everyday activities. For example, play I Spy in the car to look for things that start with "S".

Repeat, repeat, repeat

Provide lots of opportunities for your child to hear the sound.
Read books that are repetitive or loaded with your child's target sound.

Model

Avoid direct correction. Instead:

Repeat your child's mispronounced word and provide an appropriate model. For example, if your child says "want tootie!", you can model "You want a cookie? I want a cookie too!"
Speak clearly, slowly and naturally.
Avoid asking your child to repeat after you.

Working on speech sounds

Working on speech sounds is no easy task, for the child, as well as for caregivers and teachers. Consistent practice and support are essential in order to make progress with speech sound development. There are many ways you can support the child with their sounds while they are on the waitlist for therapy.

Consider the following strategies to support the child when working on speech sounds at home or at school

Get down to the child’s level so they can see how you move your mouth. Being face to face also fosters communication and relationships.
Model sounds and words often throughout the day and while in conversations with the child. For example, the child says “look at the tat!”, you can say “Yes, I see the Cat! The Cat is brown. It’s a Cute Cat!”. This allows the child to hear the correct sound in speech. The child does not have to say the sounds or words after you.
Avoid asking to repeat. Asking the child for repeated attempts at saying sounds or words can encourage practice of mistakes and it may be more difficult for the child to learn the correct sound. This can also lead to frustration for both the child and adults.
Avoid reproducing the child’s speech sound errors in your models (e.g., instead of “I wove you”, model “I Love you”).
Identify the target sound in your own speech. You could say “The robot is red. Robot and red start with the same sound. It’s the “r” sound. Did you hear it? I will say it again. Let’s see if you can hear it”.
Model how to “fix” the sound by pretending to produce the sound incorrectly, then correcting it. For example, you can say, “Look at the tar! Oh, silly me, look at the Car!”.
Separate syllables to make longer words easier (e.g. ca-ter-pi-llar). You can clap your hands softly to help the child separate the syllables.
Incorporate games, songs, and books that heavily include the sounds the child is having difficulty with, to allow for lots of opportunities for exposure and practice throughout the day.
Praise! Make sure you encourage your child whenever you hear the correct sound! It is also okay if the child is not able to produce the sound correctly. You can offer words of encouragement such as “good try!”.
Do not pretend to understand the child. Instead ask them to show you what they are talking about. You can also ask simple questions or give options to clarify, such as “Are you talking about the activity or the snacks?”.

Keep it fun!

Having a positive attitude towards communication is important. Keeping it fun helps keep children motivated!

Avoid pushing the child to frustration. Change takes time. They have to know that we value what they have to say despite their difficulties!

#BestLife for every child and youth

2025-09-26 | P6273

This reference is for educational purposes only. If you have any questions, ask your health-care provider.