That the hardest sounds for children to learn are often the l, r, s, th, and z is probably not surprising to many parents, who regularly observe their children mispronouncing these sounds or avoiding words that use these letters. Typically, such behavior is completely normal for children.
Most children learn to make all speech sounds by the age of four or five. Children who have difficulty pronouncing certain words after age five may have an articulation issue. It's wise to have your child undergo articulation testing when you suspect that your child may be experiencing an articulation disorder.
By 3.5 – 4.5 years, the child will start to say – 'sh', 'ch', 'j', 'z', 'l', 'v'. At this age the child is also beginning to use two consonant sounds together, e.g. “cl” (“clown”); “st” (“star”).
When should your child be able to pronounce the /l/ sound? Acquisition of the /l/ sound can happen anywhere between ages 3 and 6 years. If your child falls within this age range, and is having trouble pronouncing /l/, this is technically developmentally normal.
Characteristics of Rhotacism
People with rhotacism typically produce the /r/ sound as a vowel-like sound, and this makes the /r/ word hard to understand. Often the /r/ is pronounced like a “w”. For example, “Roger Rabbit” tends to sound like “Woger Wabbit”. Rhotacism can also make other sounds difficult to distinguish.
Children with rhotacism will often mispronounce the “r” sound as a “w” sound instead. The “r” sound is among the hardest for children to master, and so it's usually the sound that presents latest in their childhood (most often around age 7 or 8).
Often what happens is that the person speaking isn't tensing their tongue enough, or not moving their tongue correctly (up and backward depending on the dialect) which makes the W or “uh” sound come out. It may also be that the person is moving their lips instead of their tongue.
The four types of articulation disorders are collectively referred to as SODA, which stands for Substitution, Omission, Distortion, and Addition.
When is the Right Time to Fix the R Sound? English has many sounds, but the most common is the “r” sound. This is one of the last sounds that children learn to say. While the age of mastery varies, the /r/ sound is typically learned by 6-7 years old.
If your baby's first word was “mama,” he's not alone. Most children have command over this sound by the time they are two or three, if not earlier. If you think that your child might be displaying difficulties with the “M” sound, consult a speech-language pathologist (SLP) sooner rather than later.
Typically, by the age of three, children should be able to recite the alphabet. However, every child is different. Some toddlers may learn in their twos, and others might not pick it up until the late threes.
Sometimes, the first sound in a word will change later sounds, e.g. if the child said 'beb' for 'bed'. This is called progressive assimilation. Other times, later sounds in a word affect earlier sounds, e.g. if a child says 'lellow' for 'yellow'. This is called regressive assimilation.
Toddler Letter Recognition
If your child is 2 to 3 years old, he or she may sing the alphabet song — but can't yet identify letters. About 20 percent of children can recognize a few letters by age 3, often the letter that starts his or her own first name as well as other letters contained within the name.
Late Preschool (Age 4)
Kids usually begin to: recognize familiar signs and labels, especially on signs and containers. recognize words that rhyme. name some of the letters of the alphabet (a good goal to strive for is 15–18 uppercase letters)
As you can imagine, the “R” sound takes time and patience to learn, as it is very complex. If your child is not consistently producing the “R” sound by the time they are in first or second grade, it may be time to consult with a certified speech-language pathologist.
By 24 months (two years), 50 to 75% of speech should be intelligible to familiar people. By 36 months (three years), 75 to 100% of speech should be intelligible to familiar people. By four years of age, a child should usually be understood, including by people who are unfamiliar to them.
Most children master the following sounds at the following ages: around 3 years: b, p, m, n, h, d, k, g, ng (as in 'sing'), t, w, f, y. around 4-5 years: sh, zh, ch, j, s and cluster sounds tw, kw, gl, bl. around 6 years: l, r, v and cluster sounds pl, kl, kr, fl, tr, st, dr, br, fr, gr, sn, sk, sw, sp, str, spl.
Articulation disorders involve a wide range of errors people can make when talking. Substituting a "w" for an "r" ("wabbit" for "rabbit"), omitting sounds ("cool" for "school"), or adding sounds to words ("pinanio" for "piano") are examples of articulation errors.
Often, there is no known cause for a speech sound disorder. However, some children do have a family history of speech delay or immature development. Others may have a neurological impairment or a structural difference, such as cleft lip/palate, that may cause the disorder.
Articulation and phonology (fon-ol-oji) refer to the way sound is produced. A child with an articulation disorder has problems forming speech sounds properly. A child with a phonological disorder can produce the sounds correctly, but may use them in the wrong place.
One of the things that makes the R sound so difficult is that there are several different sounds that make up what we think of as the “R” sound in English (when it is spoken with a North American accent). We have the consonant R, often transcribed by phoneticists or speech-language pathologists as /r/ (as in “red”).
British English is non-rhotic. The letter "r" is not pronounced after vowels, unless it is also followed by a vowel. The letter r can indicate a change in the quality of the vowel that precedes it.