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Free tool · for parents

Speech sound checker

Enter your child's age. The checker shows which consonants most children have mastered by that age, which are usually still emerging, and which are not expected yet. Norms come from a 2020 review of 15 studies covering more than 18,000 English-speaking children.

All 24 consonants at a glance

Mean age at which 50%, 75% and 90% of children produced the sound correctly (Crowe & McLeod, 2020).

SoundAs in50%75%90%Group
P /p/pig2 years 7 months2 years 9 months2 years 9 monthsEarly
B /b/ball2 years 7 months2 years 9 months2 years 7 monthsEarly
M /m/moon2 years 7 months2 years 9 months2 years 9 monthsEarly
N /n/nose2 years 7 months2 years 9 months2 years 9 monthsEarly
H /h/hat2 years 7 months2 years 9 months2 years 11 monthsEarly
W /w/water2 years 7 months2 years 9 months2 years 11 monthsEarly
D /d/dog2 years 7 months2 years 9 months3 yearsEarly
G /ɡ/go2 years 7 months2 years 10 months3 years 1 monthEarly
K /k/cat2 years 7 months2 years 10 months3 years 2 monthsEarly
F /f/fish2 years 7 months2 years 10 months3 years 2 monthsEarly
T /t/toe2 years 7 months2 years 10 months3 years 3 monthsEarly
NG /ŋ/ring2 years 6 months3 years 1 month3 years 4 monthsEarly
Y /j/yes2 years 9 months3 years 4 months3 years 10 monthsEarly
V /v/van2 years 9 months3 years 7 months4 years 3 monthsMiddle
J /dʒ/jump2 years 10 months3 years 5 months4 years 3 monthsMiddle
S /s/sun2 years 8 months3 years 3 months4 years 3 monthsMiddle
CH /tʃ/chair2 years 10 months3 years 6 months4 years 6 monthsMiddle
L /l/lion2 years 9 months3 years 5 months4 years 6 monthsMiddle
SH /ʃ/shoe2 years 8 months3 years 5 months4 years 7 monthsMiddle
Z /z/zoo2 years 9 months3 years 8 months4 years 9 monthsMiddle
R /ɹ/rabbit2 years 11 months4 years5 years 7 monthsLate
TH (voiced) /ð/this3 years 6 months4 years 9 months5 years 9 monthsLate
ZH /ʒ/measure3 years 1 month4 years 6 months5 years 11 monthsLate
TH (voiceless) /θ/thumb3 years 10 months5 years 4 months6 years 5 monthsLate

This tool is general information for families and students. It is not a screening or diagnostic tool, does not give individual advice, and is not a substitute for an assessment by a registered speech-language pathologist. If you are worried about your child's communication, Ontario families can self-refer to their local Preschool Speech and Language Program at no cost.

Sources: Crowe & McLeod (2020), Children's English consonant acquisition in the United States: A review, AJSLP; McLeod & Crowe (2018), Children's consonant acquisition in 27 languages, AJSLP

Frequently asked questions

What does "90% of children" mean?
It is the age by which nine out of ten children in the reviewed studies produced the sound correctly in all word positions. A child who has not yet mastered a sound before that age is within the typical range, even if many peers already have it.
My child says the sound in some words but not others. Does that count?
Not yet as mastered. The norms treat a sound as acquired when it is correct at the beginning, middle and end of words. A sound that is correct only at the end of words is emerging, which is a normal step.
What if an expected sound is missing?
One missing sound a few months past the 90% age is common and often resolves with practice. Several missing expected sounds, speech that is hard for others to understand, or a child who is frustrated are good reasons to ask for an assessment.
Why do other charts show different ages?
Older charts often used a 50% or 75% criterion, which gives earlier ages, or a single study. This tool uses the 90% criterion from a 2020 review of 15 US studies with over 18,000 children, which is the current evidence-based reference.

Go further

Speech sound development chart (full guide) Practise a sound with the articulation game Build a word list for a sound When to see a speech-language pathologist

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