This is a list of the approximate ages at which children should have mastered different sounds. Of course all children develop differently and may not master sounds in this exact order. There are also other factors that a speech-language-pathologist would consider in determining whether a child’s speech patterns are within normal limits or delayed. For example substituting “th” for “s” at age 6 is normal, but omitting it entirely or substituting “t” for “s” would be a concern (and impacts intelligibility much more).  If a 5 year old mispronounces /k/ and /g/, then that is a concern. If he has trouble with /r/, then you can be assured that that is typical for many 5 year olds. Look at the mastery age for each sound to get an idea of whether your child has delayed articulation skills or is developing speech sounds similarly to other children of the same age.

 Age 3          p, b, n, h, w

 Age 3 ½      t, d, k, g, ng, y

 Age 4          f, v

 Age 5          l

 Age 6          ch, sh, j, th

 Age 7          s, z, r, blends