Phonological disorders focus on predictable, rule-based errors (e.g., fronting, stopping, and final consonant deletion) that affect more than one sound. It is often difficult to cleanly differentiate between articulation and phonological disorders; therefore, many researchers and clinicians prefer to use the broader term, "speech sound disorder," when referring to speech errors of unknown cause.

Commonly, children with this disorder have:

Problems with words that begin with two consonants. "Friend" becomes "fiend" and "spoon" becomes "soon." Problems with words that have a certain sound, such as words with "k," "g," or "r." The child may either leave out these sounds, not pronounce them clearly, or use a different sound in their place. (Examples include: "boo" for "book," "wabbit" for "rabbit," "nana" for "banana," "wed" for "red," and making the "s" sound with a whistle.)

Possible Complications

In severe cases, the child may have problems being understood even by family members. In milder forms, the child may have difficulty being understood by people outside the immediate family. Problems with social interaction and academic performance may occur as a result. When should you consult an SLP: Still difficult to understand by age 4 Still unable to make certain sounds by age 6 Leaving out, changing, or substituting certain sounds at age 7 Having speech problems that are making him or her worried or embarrassed at any age