What Causes Pronunciation Problems Among Small Children?

Children primarily develop their pronunciation skills from the moment they begin to talk up to about age 7 or 8, but hearing problems and other influences may negatively impact a child's articulation. While some children may have an speech sound disorder, those that do not can often self-correct their speech over time and benefit from encouragement and practice.

  1. Normal Development

    • According to the nonprofit Summer Institute of Linguistics' department of International Children's Education, 3-year-old children are often able to pronounce the sounds of "p", "b", "m", "n", "d", "g" and "h." By age 4, they can usually pronounce "k", "t", "f", "v", "ng", "j" and "ch." Five-year-old children often know the more complicated sounds of "sh" and "zh" and many 7-year-old children can pronounce "l", "r", "s" and "th." Consonant clusters in the center of words are the hardest for children to speak.

    Hearing

    • If the child is still under 8 years old, she is still in the development phase and the error may correct itself over time. Some articulation problems come from poor hearing, as imitating sounds is how children learn to pronounce words -- if your child has frequent ear infections or wax build up, she may not be hearing correctly and should see a doctor for a hearing evaluation.

    Non-native Language

    • Articulation problems can occur if the parents or guardians of a child are not native speakers of a language they want to teach their child. If an English-speaking parent was trying to teach his child Spanish, many of the Spanish words would not be pronounced correctly if the parent was not fluent in Spanish. However, if a child learns her parent's native language and a different language common to the region where they live, the child will likely adapt the accent and articulation of her peers for the region's language over time.

    Prevention

    • For children who are not developmentally delayed nor have a speech disorder, there are ways to help them improve their articulation. One method is to not let a child suck on her thumb or pacifier after 12 months of age, as that can cause the roof of the mouth to not develop correctly and cause pronunciation problems. Having a child talk in front of a mirror or watch you when you talk will allow her to see how the mouth should be shaped for certain sounds. You can also have her practice tricky sounds and imitate how you say them.

    Disorders

    • Children who are unable to articulate correctly after reaching age 8 may have a speech sound disorder, which includes problems with making certain sounds or sound patterns. Developmental disorders, genetic syndromes, hearing loss, illness and neurological disorders can all cause a speech sound disorder, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Children with a speech sound disorder may replace one sound for another, such as "wace" instead of "race," or they may omit a sound altogether, such as "anana" instead of "banana." Parents or guardians who suspect their child may have such a disorder should seek the advice of a doctor.

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