Articulation and Phonology: Understanding Pronunciation Disorders
Articulation and phonology disorders are among the most common reasons for consultation in speech therapy. They manifest as speech that is difficult to understand, distorted sounds, or sounds replaced by others. This guide explains the difference between these disorders, their normal development, and rehabilitation strategies.
Articulation vs Phonology: What’s the Difference?
| Articulation Disorder | Phonological Disorder |
|---|---|
| Motor difficulties in producing a sound | Difficulties in organizing sounds in words |
| The sound is always distorted in the same way | The sound may be correct in isolation but not in words |
| Ex: lisping (s→th), slurring | Ex: simplifications, variable substitutions |
| Affects 1-2 sounds generally | Can affect several sounds, systematic pattern |
| Work on the placement of organs | Work on phonological awareness |
Normal Development of Pronunciation
Not all sounds are acquired at the same age. It is normal for a 3-year-old not to pronounce all sounds perfectly:
| Age | Sounds Generally Acquired |
|---|---|
| 2-3 years | p, b, m, t, d, n, vowels |
| 3-4 years | k, g, f, v, l |
| 4-5 years | s, z, ch, j |
| 5-6 years | r, consonant clusters (tr, cr, pl...) |
Normal Phonological Processes
Young children naturally simplify words. These phonological processes are normal up to a certain age:
- Simplification of clusters: "train" → "tain" (normal until 4-5 years)
- Fronting: "car" → "tar" (normal until 3-4 years)
- Backing: "tapis" → "kapis" (less frequent, to be monitored)
- Assimilation: "canard" → "nanard" (normal until 3 years)
- Syllabic reduction: "éléphant" → "éfant" (normal until 3 years)
When to Worry?
- Speech unintelligible to strangers after 3 years
- Speech unintelligible to parents after 2 years
- Phonological processes that persist beyond the expected age
- No spontaneous improvement over several months
- Frustration of the child who cannot make themselves understood
- Unusual sounds (throat noises, abnormally nasalized sounds)
Speech Therapy Management
For Articulation Disorders
- Praxies exercises: tongue, lip, cheek movements
- Phonetic placement: learning where and how to place the organs
- Progression: isolated sound → syllable → word → sentence → spontaneous
- Mirror and visual feedback
For Phonological Disorders
- Phonological awareness: manipulating sounds mentally
- Auditory discrimination: hearing the differences between sounds
- Contrast approach: contrasting confused sounds
- Contextual work: words, sentences, conversation
💡 At Home: What Helps
- Model the correct model without making them repeat: correctly rephrase what they say
- Do not correct systematically, it discourages
- Speak slowly and clearly
- Value efforts and progress
- Play with sounds: nursery rhymes, rhymes, songs
Our Downloadable Tools
👅 Oral-facial praxies exercises
Illustrated tongue, lip, and cheek movements. Prepare the organs for articulation. Fun format.
Download🔤 Sound/phoneme cards
Images to work on each sound in initial, medial, and final positions. Several levels.
Download🎯 Phonological lotteries
Lottery games targeting specific sounds (S/CH, K/T, etc.). Works on discrimination and production.
Download👂 Auditory discrimination
Exercises to learn to differentiate similar sounds. "Same or not same?"
DownloadFrequently Asked Questions
Lisping (interdental sigmatism: the tongue passes between the teeth for the S sound) is common in young children. It becomes concerning if it persists after 5-6 years. Speech therapy usually allows for correction quite quickly.
Yes, it is perfectly normal! The R is one of the last sounds acquired, usually between 5 and 6 years. Before this age, children often replace it with an L or a W ("car" → "voitule" or "voituwe"). No need to worry before 5 years.
No, making them repeat systematically is counterproductive. It creates negative pressure and discourages the child from speaking. It is better to rephrase correctly what they say without asking them to repeat. The child hears the correct model and gradually integrates the correct pronunciation.
🔤 Ready to work on articulation?
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