Developmental Sounds: Age of Acquisition

Written By Danica Federe

When working with young children, specifically on their speech sounds, it is vital to recognize that speech sounds are acquired at varying ages. This is because some children may or may not have difficulty attaining certain speech sounds, which can cause a child to be intelligible (e.g., inability to understand them). Therefore, as you see your child become more familiar with certain sounds, it is important to determine the age at which certain sounds are developed and which occur as they get older. The following shows a list of ages at which the sounds should be attained. 

  • Around age 2: b, m, d, n, t, h, p 

  • Around age 3: g, ng, w, y, k, f

  • Around age 4: l, sh, v, z, j, s, ch 

  • Around age 5: r, zh, th (voiced: that)

  • Around age 6: th (voiceless: thing) 

Although the list of sounds can be attained at varying ages, it is vital to gain an overview of what sounds are typically developed around those ages.

Author: Nayeli Dominguez M.S., CF-SLP

Danica Federe
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