When Should You Get a Speech Assessment for Articulation?

Understanding When to Seek Support for Your Child’s Speech Sounds

As parents, it’s natural to wonder if your child’s speech development is on track—especially when you notice they’re having trouble with certain sounds. Many children make adorable speech errors as they learn to talk (like saying “wabbit” instead of “rabbit”), but how do you know when it’s something they’ll outgrow versus something that might need a little extra support?

Let’s talk about articulation—that’s the ability to produce speech sounds clearly—and when it might be time to seek a speech assessment.

🌟 What Is Articulation?

Articulation refers to how we use our lips, tongue, teeth, and jaw to make sounds. Children learn to pronounce sounds in a predictable order, and while it’s common for young kids to mix up or mispronounce certain sounds, these errors typically fade as they grow and gain more control over their speech muscles.

🧠 What Are the Norms?

Every sound has a typical age range when it's expected to be mastered. Here's a simplified guide:

• By age 3–4: Children usually master sounds like p, b, m, n, t, d, k, g, h, w

• By age 5: Sounds like f, v, y and starting to improve with s, z, sh, ch

• By age 6: Most children are expected to have mastered r, l, th and blends (like “st,” “br,” and “tr”)

💡 By the age of 6, children should be clearly understood by unfamiliar listeners and have most, if not all, speech sounds mastered. If certain sounds are still missing or mispronounced beyond this age, it might be a sign of an articulation delay or disorder.

🚩 Signs Your Child May Benefit from a Speech Assessment

Consider scheduling a speech evaluation if your child:

• Is hard to understand by people outside the family

• Still makes sound substitutions or omissions past age 5–6 (e.g., saying “wain” for “rain” or “wuv” for “love”)

• Gets frustrated when trying to communicate

• Is showing signs of self-consciousness or teasing from peers

• Has trouble being understood in school, affecting participation or academics

✅ The Benefits of Early Intervention

The earlier we support a child with their speech, the easier it is to help them develop strong communication skills. Speech therapy for articulation is often fun, engaging, and tailored to your child’s specific needs. Children typically enjoy working on speech when it feels like a game—and progress often comes quickly with the right guidance!

💬 Final Thoughts

Speech differences are common—and in many cases, developmentally appropriate. But if your child is approaching or past age 6 and still having difficulty with certain sounds, it’s a good idea to schedule a speech and language assessment. A licensed Speech-Language Pathologist can help determine whether your child’s sound errors are age-appropriate or if therapy would be beneficial.

If you have questions or want to schedule a screening or full assessment, we’re here to help. Let’s support your child’s voice—one sound at a time!