Articulation versus Phonology — What’s the Difference?

By Alyssa Finuoli

Articulation disorders and phonological disorders both fall under the umbrella term of “speech sound disorders”. Speech sound disorders are a broad range of disorders which occur when a child has difficulty making certain speech sounds which continue past a specified age. No child is born with a full adult sound inventory; therefore, almost all children will make errors as they begin to say new words. So, if articulation disorders and phonological disorders both have to do with difficulties making sounds, then what’s the difference?

Articulation disorders are difficulties with the motor production aspects of speech. This may mean that the child is demonstrating impaired use of their articulators, such as placing their tongue in the wrong spot. In other words, articulation disorders reflect difficulty making specific sounds. The sounds can be distorted, deleted, or substituted. If a child has an articulation disorder, that specific sound will be absent from their phonetic inventory.

On the other hand, phonological disorders are difficulties with the linguistic aspects of speech. This means that children with phonological disorders have difficulties using patterns of sounds. For example, the child may be able to produce “k” alone in isolation, but has trouble producing “k” when it is in a pattern such as producing the word “car” as “tar”. These patterns are also known as phonological processes. Phonological processes are considered to be a normal part of speech development, but if they persist past a specified age, they are no longer considered to be developmentally appropriate. Since phonological disorders are closely associated with the linguistic aspects of speech and language, it is also common for children to have impairments in other parts of their language system and difficulties with literacy skills.

So, what causes speech sound disorders? Research has found that the cause for articulation and phonological disorders is typically unknown. If there is a structural issue such as a cleft palate or tongue tie, then these structural abnormalities would most likely impact a child’s speech production. Although there is no specific cause for speech sound disorders, there are several risk factors that have been examined.

• Gender — speech sound disorders are more common in males
• Family history — children are more likely to have a speech/language disorder if someone in their family does
• Recurrent ear infections — recurrent ear infections have been associated with speech delays and disorders

What should I do if I notice my child has difficulty producing certain sounds or is hard to understand?

Assessment and differential diagnosis are important in order to develop a treatment plan that is appropriate for each child to fit their specific current and future communication needs. Through assessments, speech-language pathologists are able to identify sounds in error in words and in connected speech, and to recognize if there are patterned errors present that are no longer developmentally appropriate.

Interested in learning more about speech sound disorders and the appropriate methods for diagnosis and treatment? Give us a call at (914) 893–2223 or visit our website for more information. A licensed and certified speech-language pathologist can recommend the best course of therapy for your child’s individual needs.