Speech Development

Articulation

How we make speech sounds using the mouth, lips, and tongue.

Voice

How we use our vocal folds and breath to make sounds. Our voice can be loud or soft or high- or low-pitched. We can hurt our voice by talking too much, yelling, or coughing a lot.

Fluency 

This is the rhythm of our speech. We sometimes repeat sounds or pause while talking. Disorders in fluency may also be referred to as stuttering or cluttering.

Speech Progression with Age

Age at which 90% of children produce each speech sound:

By 2 years, 11 months
P, B, T, D, M, N, H, W

By 3 years, 11 months
K, G, F, Y, -NG

By 4 years, 11 months
S, Z, V, L, SH, CH, J

Between 5 years, 0 months and 7 years, 11 months
R, TH, Zh