Speech sounds by age
Children learn sounds in a rough order. Here’s when most children say each sound clearly.
By about 4 years
- p
- b
- m
- n
- t
- d
- k
- g
- h
- w
- y
- f
- ng
As in: pa, ball, mama, no, top, dog, cat, go, hat, water, yes, fish, sing
By about 5 years
- l
- s
- z
- sh
- ch
- j
- v
As in: leg, sun, zoo, shoe, chair, jump, van
By about 6 years
- r
- th
- zh
As in: red, thumb, this, measure
Based on McLeod and Crowe (2018), a large review of how children learn English consonants. Many children say these sounds much earlier. The ages show when most children have them.
Wondering about overall clarity? Try the speech clarity checker.
Questions parents ask
My child says “tat” for “cat”. Is that normal?
At 2 or 3, yes. Swapping back sounds like k and g for front sounds like t and d is common and usually fades by about 3½ to 4.
What about Kannada, Hindi and other languages?
Every language has its own sounds and timing. This chart is for English. A speech therapist can check the languages your child speaks at home.
When should I worry?
If your child is well past the age on this chart for a sound, if strangers find them hard to understand at 3, or if they get frustrated when not understood, get a speech assessment.
Worried about a sound?
Call or WhatsApp us to ask about a speech assessment.