When Sounds Are Hard: Understanding Speech Sound Errors

Introduction

Speech sound errors are one of the most common reasons children are referred to a Speech and Language Therapist. Parents and schools often raise concerns when a child says “tat” for cat or “gog” for dog, particularly when this begins to impact how well they are understood by others.

Children do not learn all speech sounds at once. Instead, they use predictable patterns as their speech system develops. While these patterns are often typical in younger children, they can sometimes persist and affect a child’s confidence, participation, and learning at home and in school.

This blog explores what speech sound errors are, why they occur, and how they can be supported.

What Are Speech Sound Errors?

Most speech sounds are established by around three years of age; however, some develop later in childhood. It may not be until a child is six or seven years old that all sounds are used consistently and accurately (RCSLT, 2024).

You may hear the term phonological processes. This refers to patterns of sound changes that children use to simplify speech while they are learning to talk. Common examples include:

• Final Consonant Deletion-  leaving off the final sound in a word (e.g., “ca” for cat)
• Weak Syllable Deletion- deleting the weak syllables in words (e.g., banana becomes “nana”)
• Fronting- replacing a back sound (/k/, /g/) with a front sound (/t/, /d/), e.g., cat becomes “tat”
• Backing- replacing a front sound with a back sound, e.g., dog becomes “gog”
• Stopping- replacing longer sounds such as /f/ or /s/ with shorter sounds like /p/ or /b/, e.g., fan becomes “pan”
• Gliding- replacing /r/ or /l/ with /w/, e.g., “wabbit” for rabbit
• Cluster Reduction- deleting part of a consonant cluster, e.g., spider becomes “pider”

Many of these patterns are developmentally appropriate in younger children, but support may be needed if they continue beyond the expected age

How do Speech Therapists Support?

Therapists use evidence-based approaches tailored to each child’s needs, including:

• Minimal Pairs- using word pairs that differ by one sound to show that sound changes meaning e.g., Key Vs Tea
• Multiple Oppositions- targeting several sounds at once when one sound is substituted for many
• Cycles Approach- focusing on different sound patterns in short blocks over time
• Auditory Discrimination- developing the ability to hear differences between sounds
• Phonological Awareness- strengthening listening skills that support speech and literacy
• Articulation Therapy- teaching how to produce a specific sound accurately in isolation, with a vowel, at word level, and a sentence/ conversational level

Supporting Children at Home and in School

Small, consistent strategies make a significant difference:

• Model clear speech without asking for repetition
• Give children time to think and respond
• Reduce pressure and avoid over-correcting
• Provide short, regular practice opportunities
• Praise effort and build confidence

Conclusion

Clear speech develops step by step, and progress often happens gradually. With consistent support, encouragement, and understanding from adults, children can make great improvements. Each milestone, no matter how small, reflects meaningful growth in both communication and confidence.

References

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (2024) Speech sound disorders. Available at: https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy/clinical-information/speech-sound-disorders/#section-2 (Accessed: 13th February 2026)

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