Skip to main content
Join

Free parent tool

Speech sound chart by age

When do kids learn each sound? Tap your child's age to see which sounds most children can say by then.

Think of it as a friendly guide, not a test. Every child develops a little differently, and you know your child best.

How old is your child?

By age 5, most kids can say 23 of 24 consonant sounds.

  • p pop most kids say this by age 2
  • b ball most kids say this by age 2
  • d dog most kids say this by age 2
  • m mama most kids say this by age 2
  • n nose most kids say this by age 2
  • h hat most kids say this by age 2
  • w water most kids say this by age 2
  • t toy most kids say this by age 3
  • k cat most kids say this by age 3
  • g go most kids say this by age 3
  • ng ring most kids say this by age 3
  • f fish most kids say this by age 3
  • y yes most kids say this by age 3
  • v van most kids say this by age 4
  • s sun most kids say this by age 4
  • z zoo most kids say this by age 4
  • sh shoe most kids say this by age 4
  • ch chair most kids say this by age 4
  • j jump most kids say this by age 4
  • l lion most kids say this by age 4
  • th this (voiced) most kids say this by age 5
  • zh treasure most kids say this by age 5
  • r red most kids say this by age 5
  • th thumb (voiceless) most kids say this by age 6

If your child is still working on sounds that most kids their age can say, a short conversation with a speech-language pathologist can give you clarity.

At a glance

Which sounds kids learn at each age

The age shown is when most children (about 9 in 10) say the sound correctly. Plenty of kids get there sooner.

By age Sounds (example words)
2
  • p (pop)
  • b (ball)
  • d (dog)
  • m (mama)
  • n (nose)
  • h (hat)
  • w (water)
3
  • t (toy)
  • k (cat)
  • g (go)
  • ng (ring)
  • f (fish)
  • y (yes)
4
  • v (van)
  • s (sun)
  • z (zoo)
  • sh (shoe)
  • ch (chair)
  • j (jump)
  • l (lion)
5
  • th (this, voiced)
  • zh (treasure)
  • r (red)
6
  • th (thumb, voiceless)

24 English consonant sounds, based on research with U.S. children (sources below).

Common sound swaps

Swapping one sound for another is a normal part of learning to talk. What matters is whether a swap is still happening after the age when most kids have that sound.

  • "wabbit" for rabbit w for r
  • "thun" for sun th for s (a lisp)
  • "tat" for cat t for k
  • "ca" for cat dropping the last sound

When to talk to an SLP

It may be worth a conversation with a speech-language pathologist if:

  • Your child is older than the age on the chart and still working on that sound
  • People outside your family often have trouble understanding your child by age 4 or 5
  • Your child gets frustrated, or avoids talking, when they aren't understood
  • A teacher or caregiver has mentioned your child's speech

Parent questions

Sounds parents ask about most

At what age should a child say the r sound?

Most children can say r by around age 5 or 6. It's one of the later sounds kids learn, so it's common for younger children to say "w" instead (like "wabbit" for rabbit).

When should a lisp go away?

Most children say s clearly by around age 4 to 5. If your child is older than that and still lisping, it's worth a check-in with a speech-language pathologist.

When do kids learn the th sound?

Th is usually the very last consonant to settle in: the "th" in "this" by around age 5, and the "th" in "thumb" by around age 6.

My child is behind on one sound. Should I worry?

Not necessarily. Every child develops a little differently. If your child is older than the age on the chart and still working on a sound, or is often hard for others to understand, a short conversation with a speech-language pathologist can give you clarity.

Sources

Ages come from a review of 15 studies covering 18,907 children who speak English in the United States. Speech development varies from child to child; this chart is general information, not a diagnosis.

  • Crowe, K., & McLeod, S. (2020). Children’s English consonant acquisition in the United States: A review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(4). doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00168
  • McLeod, S., Crowe, K., & Shahaeian, A. (2015). Intelligibility in Context Scale: Normative and validation data for English-speaking preschoolers. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 46(3), 266–276. doi.org/10.1044/2015_LSHSS-14-0120

Still working on a tricky sound?

That's exactly what Sound Groups are for. Join the priority list. It's free, and you'll hear first when groups open.

Join the priority list Call or text