What Are Speech Sounds? A Quick Guide for Teachers and Early Years Staff
- Beth Morrant
- Jun 30
- 2 min read
Have you ever listened to a child speaking and wondered:
"Is that typical for their age?"
"Should they still be saying it like that?"
"Will they grow out of it?"
If so, you're certainly not alone.
Speech sounds are one of the most common reasons children are referred to Speech & Language Therapy, yet they're also one of the areas that many teachers, teaching assistants and early years practitioners tell me they feel least confident about.
What are speech sounds?
Speech sounds are the individual sounds we use to make words.
For example, the word cat is made up of three speech sounds:
/k/ - /a/ - /t/
As children develop, they gradually learn how to produce these sounds clearly and consistently.
Some sounds develop very early, while others don't become established until children are much older.
Is it normal for children to pronounce words differently?
Yes.
Many speech sound differences are completely typical as children learn to talk.
For example, younger children may say:
"tar" instead of "car"
"wed" instead of "red"
"poon" instead of "spoon"
The important question isn't simply "Is it wrong?"
It's:
"Is it typical for this child's age?"
When should I be concerned?
There isn't one simple age where every child should pronounce every sound perfectly.
Instead, we look at:
which sounds are affected
the child's age
how understandable they are
whether they're making expected progress over time
Knowing what's typical helps you decide whether to monitor, support or seek further advice.
Why does this matter?
Speech sound difficulties don't just affect talking.
They can also impact:
phonics
reading
spelling
confidence
classroom participation
The earlier we recognise difficulties, the sooner we can provide the right support.
Want to understand speech sounds with confidence?
I've created a practical 43-minute training called Understanding Speech Sounds: A Practical Guide for Teachers & Early Years Staff.
Inside, I'll explain:
✔ how speech sounds typically develop
✔ what's typical and what's not
✔ common speech sound patterns
✔ when to be concerned
✔ what to do next
It's designed for busy teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs and early years practitioners who want practical, jargon-free guidance they can immediately apply.
If you're just getting started, you might also like my FREE Speech Sounds Development (Ages & Stages) infosheet, which you can download here.
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Beth Morrant is a Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist with over 20 years' experience supporting children with speech, language and communication needs.
