Speech Sounds Explained: Helping Children Who Are Hard to Understand

It is exciting to watch your child’s language grow! You get to understand their personality, ideas, and sense of humor—but sometimes, it may feel like others can’t. Many children make predictable sound errors as they age, but if unclear speech is causing frustration, it may be time to take a closer look. The earlier we support children in developing clear speech, the more confident and connected they can feel in daily life.

What to Expect: Speech Sound Development

Intelligibility by Age

One of the best ways to track speech progress is by looking at how much of your child’s speech others can understand:

• By age 2: Parents and familiar adults understand about 50% of what the child says.

• By age 3: Familiar and unfamiliar listeners understand about 75%.

• By age 4: Children should be understood nearly all the time (close to 100%), even if a few tricky sounds are still emerging.

  
  

Sound Milestones by Age

Alongside intelligibility, children acquire specific sounds over time. Here’s a general roadmap:

• By Age 2: Early sounds like p, b, m, n, h are usually present (e.g., pop, bus, mama, no, hi ).

• By Age 3: Sounds like k, g, f, t, d, w, y, ng typically develop (e.g., cat, go, fish, two, win, yes, king).

• By Age 4: Many children add sounds like s, z, v, j, l, sh, ch (e.g., sun, zoo, van, juice, shoe, chair).

• Ages 5-6: Later sounds including r, th (e.g., think, them), and zh (e.g., measure) appear.

Common Phonological Processes in Children's Speech

As children develop speech, they may simplify words by using phonological patterns. These patterns are a typical part of early speech development, but when they persist or significantly affect intelligibility, they may warrant further evaluation.

Omissions

• Dropping syllables: banana → “nana”

• Dropping final sounds: cat → “ca”

Substitutions

• Replacing r or l with w or y: run → “wun”, yellow → “yeyo”

• Replacing sh with s: sheep → “seep”

• Replacing k or g with t or d: cat → “tat”, go → “do”

Simplifications

• Reducing consonant clusters: stop → “top”

• Repeating an easier sound: dog → “gog”

  
  

While these processes are common in younger children, they should go away over time. If they continue beyond the expected age range or if they cause a child’s speech to be difficult for unfamiliar listeners to understand, consultation with a speech-language pathologist is recommended.

What Therapy Looks Like for Articulation & Phonology

At Early Bird Speech Therapy, we weave articulation (individual sounds) and phonology (sound patterns) goals into play-based, child-centered sessions that feel fun and engaging. Whether we're playing Go Fish, a favorite board game, or Magna-tiles, every activity is designed with speech practice in mind. We also weave in structured drills and worksheets—always disguised in play—for the extra repetition kids need to master tricky sounds. By balancing playful activities with purposeful practice, children stay motivated—and the skills they gain in therapy carry over into real conversations, learning, and play.

Why Home Practice Matters

Progress is strongest when practice continues beyond the therapy session, which is why parent coaching is built into everything we do at Early Bird Speech Therapy. We show families how to make practice playful and practical so it fits right into daily routines. Carryover might look like turning board games into sound practice, hiding target words around the house for a scavenger hunt, or pausing during story time to emphasize key words. By embedding these strategies into everyday moments, children stay engaged, families feel empowered, and progress carries over into real life!

Get Clarity with a Speech Evaluation

If your child is hard to understand, you don’t have to wait and hope things improve on their own. An evaluation with a speech-language pathologist can give you clarity—whether reassurance that your child’s sounds are on track or a personalized plan for extra support.

Clear speech builds confidence—and the earlier we support it, the stronger the foundation becomes.

Schedule a free consultation today and take the first step toward helping your child be understood!