13/04/2026
Does my child’s speech need support ?
This is a question we are asked all the time!
Unfortunately, there is no “one size fits all” answer to this question. However, there are some things we can expect lots of children will say.
Have you ever noticed how a lot of children say ‘tat’ for ‘cat’? This is because of phonological processes!
Phonological processes are changes in speech sounds that we expect children to make at different ages.
They are a natural part of learning how to talk.
Here is a list of common phonological processes and ages to which we can expect them:
-Missing ends of words –‘boot’ becomes ‘boo’ : expected until 3 years old
-Saying ‘back’ sounds (‘k’, ‘g’) as ‘front’ sounds (‘t’, ‘d’) – ‘car’ becomes ‘tar’, ‘game’ becomes ‘dame’: expected until 4 years old
-Replacing ‘long’ sounds (‘v’, ‘s’) with ‘short’ sounds (‘t’, ‘b’) – ‘sea’ becomes ‘tea’: expected until 4 years old
-Dropping a sound when two or more sounds come together – ‘spy’ becomes ‘pie’: expected until 5 years old
-Replacing ‘r’ or ‘l’ with ‘w’ or ‘y’ – ‘ring’ becomes ‘wing’: expected until 5-7 years old
💡 It is important to note:
-Expected ages for speech sounds are rough guidelines only. All children develop at their own pace.
-Some children may use several processes. Some may only have one or two, and some may use none at all. That is why every child sounds different.
-Timing is everything! Different children will be ready for therapy at different stages.
