Help your child speak clearly

From the moment they are born babies start to learn how to communicate. They do this through listening, watching, copying and touching. Play also helps them to develop their communication and social skills. Before children can use spoken language effectively, it is important that they develop their skills in looking and listening, play and understanding.

How speech develops

Speech sounds develop gradually. The way a word is said changes over time as a child's speech matures. Some children can take longer to develop a range of speech sounds.

The ages that children learn speech sounds

As children learn to talk, their speech sounds develop over time. Some sounds are more tricky than others and cannot be produced straight away. It is important to remember that children develop at their own pace, below is a guide to show what sounds a child should be able to produce in line with their age.

Speech Sound Development Norms

How to spot unclear speech

• Your child may find it hard to form some sounds.
• Blending sounds together may be tricky for them.
• Longer words may be difficult for them to say.
• Your child may become frustrated when speaking.
• You may find it difficult to understand their talking.
• Substituting one sound for another eg 'tat' for 'cat'.
• Problems hearing the difference between different speech sounds eg 'catch' and 'cat' might sound the same.
• Difficulty using intonation to add to the meaning of what's been said.

Why your child's speech might be unclear

There are lots of different reasons for children's speech to be unclear. However, sometimes there is no obvious cause. Some reasons may be:

• delayed expressive (spoken) language skills
• loss of hearing such as glue ear
• poor attention and listening skills
• difficulty controlling the movement of jaw muscles, lips and tongue when talking or eating - this can sometimes be associated with conditions such as downs syndrome, cleft palate or cerebral palsy
• lack of social interaction

Milestones for speech sound development

• By the age of 2½, a child's speech should be understood by close family.
• By the age of 3, speech should be understood by familiar adults outside the home but it will not be perfect.
• By the age of 4, speech should be understood most of the time.

These are approximate milestones for speech sound development. Every child is different but typically, by the time a child starts school, most of their words are usually understood by others. For some children their speech difficulties are temporary and may resolve spontaneously or in response to intervention. For other children their speech difficulties may be more persistent.

It is important to try to identify potential speech difficulties as early as possible so that your child can be supported effectively. You can refer to Speech and Language Therapy when a child's speech is delayed. If you feel worried about your child's speech, talk to your school, nursery or health visitor.

Ways to support your child at home 

• Give lots of praise and encouragement. This will keep your child motivated to speak.
• Give your child good eye contact so they know you are listening and interested in what they have to say.
• Wait after speaking to give your child plenty of time to respond.
• Have fun with songs and rhymes, using lots of silly noises and actions. This will help with their listening skills.
• Play with sounds and noises around the home, and with their toys. Eg door knocking, dog barking, car brumming.
• Speak slow and clear, using short simple sentences to help your child understand and attempt to copy.
• If your child makes a mistake when speaking, repeat back correctly. Eg child: "there's a tat' adult: "that's right, there's a cat" Don't ask them to repeat the word after you.
• Get down at your child's eye level when playing so they can see your face and mouth when you are speaking.
• Listen carefully to what your child is trying to say and react to what they are saying, not how they are saying it.
• Make sure you have your child's attention before you speak. Say their name first and turn off any distracting noises eg the TV.
• Help your child use other ways of getting their message across eg pointing, actions, facial expressions. This stops the child becoming frustrated.
• Read through books over and over, pointing and naming pictures so that your child becomes familiar with them.

Websites that can support your child to speak clearly

• Speech and Language UK
• BBC: Tiny Happy People