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What is an articulation disorder?
A motor-based speech disorder involving difficulty producing specific sounds due to imprecise placement, timing, or movement of articulators. Errors are phonetic and often consistent across contexts (e.g., lisp, /r/ distortion).
What are the four main syllable shapes acquired in early development?
CV (e.g., “no”)
VC (e.g., “up”)
CVC (e.g., “dog”)
CVCV (e.g., “baby”)
Mastery of these forms reflects phonological growth and syllable complexity.
What are the stages of speech sound acquisition?
What is stimulability testing and why is it important?
Measures whether a child can imitate a target sound with cues or models. High stimulability = better prognosis and helps prioritize therapy targets.
What is cluster reduction, and when should it be eliminated?
The deletion of one or more consonants from a cluster (e.g., “pane” for “plane”).
✅ Typically eliminated by 4 years of age.
What is a phonological disorder?
A rule-based language disorder where a child uses simplified sound patterns instead of age-appropriate phonological rules. Errors are phonemic (affect sound classes/patterns), not due to motor deficits.
What is the general age range for mastery of early, middle, and late sounds?
Early (2–3 yrs): /m, b, j, n, w, d, p, h/
Middle (4 yrs): /t, ŋ, k, g, f, v, tʃ, dʒ/
Late (5–6 yrs): /ʃ, θ, s, z, ð, l, r/
Individual variability is expected; these ranges are developmental guidelines.
What is the difference between phonetic inventory and phonemic inventory?
Phonetic inventory: all sounds a child can physically produce.
Phonemic inventory: sounds the child uses contrastively to distinguish meaning.
What is the difference between delay and disorder in speech sound production?
Delay: typical patterns persisting longer than normal (e.g., fronting beyond 4 yrs).
Disorder: atypical patterns or idiosyncratic substitutions that deviate from developmental norms.
What is stopping, and when should it be eliminated?
The substitution of a stop consonant for a fricative or affricate (e.g., “tun” for “sun”).
✅ Typically eliminated by about 5 years of age.
What are the main differences between articulation and phonological disorders?
Articulation disorder:
A motor-based issue affecting sound production.
Errors are phonetic (how the sound is formed).
Usually consistent across contexts (e.g., lisp on /s/).
Phonological disorder:
A rule-based language disorder affecting sound patterns.
Errors are phonemic (how sounds are used to create meaning).
Often patterned or systematic (e.g., fronting, final consonant deletion).
👉 In short: articulation = motor execution, phonology = sound organization and use.
What are atypical (nondevelopmental) phonological processes?
These often indicate a disordered, not delayed phonological system.
What are major theoretical frameworks used in phonological assessment?
What is the general hierarchy for choosing therapy targets in phonology?
What is gliding, and when should it be eliminated?
The substitution of a glide (/w, j/) for a liquid (/r, l/), such as “wabbit” for “rabbit.”
✅ Typically eliminated by around 6 years of age.
What is a phoneme?
The smallest unit of sound that can change meaning in a language (e.g., /p/ vs /b/ in “pat” vs “bat”). Phonemes combine to create syllables and words.
What is phonological awareness, and why is it important?
The ability to recognize and manipulate sound structures (rhyming, blending, segmenting). Strong phonological awareness is a predictor of reading and spelling success.
What informal assessment tools are used for articulation/phonology?
What is final consonant deletion, and when should it be eliminated?
It’s the omission of a consonant at the end of a word (e.g., “ca” for “cat”).
✅ Typically eliminated by 3 years of age
What is weak syllable deletion, and when should it be eliminated?
The omission of an unstressed syllable in a word (e.g., “nana” for “banana”).
✅ Typically eliminated by 4 years of age.
What are the three main parameters used to classify consonants?
These are described in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
What is the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII)?
A measure (0–1.0) estimating how much of the speech signal is audible and intelligible to a listener. Often used in hearing aid fittings or speech clarity studies.
What is Conor's middle name
Patrick
What is fronting, and when should it be eliminated?
The substitution of alveolar sounds for velar sounds (e.g., “tat” for “cat”).
✅ Typically eliminated by around 4 years of age.
What is final consonant deletion, and when should it be eliminated?
Omitting the final consonant in a word (e.g., “ca” for “cat”).
✅ Typically eliminated by 3 years.