Phonological Processes Chart

If you’re a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who sees pediatric clients, you know phonological processes come with the territory. To help you keep track of them, we’ve created a phonological processes chart. 

While you may be familiar with a handful of phonological processes off the top of your head, it’s not practical—or necessary—to memorize every single one of them and the corresponding phonological processes age of elimination.

That’s why a phonological processes chart can be helpful, and even essential. 

The free chart you can download from this article includes a list of the most common error patterns, descriptions and examples, and phonological processes age of elimination for each. 

Use this essential resource for SLPs to refresh your knowledge on phonological processes and support screening and assessment of young clients. 

What is a phonological processes chart?

A phonological processes chart delineates speech sound error patterns—called phonological processes—that may be present in early developing speech. 

Like a playbook for speech-language pathologists serving pediatric clients, it maps out the most common forms of substitution, assimilation, and syllable structure modifications. 

In addition to listing out phonological processes, describing them, and providing specific examples, a phonological processes chart includes the approximate age of elimination for each sound pattern. 

This makes it easier for SLPs to determine whether a child’s speech is developing typically for their age or whether they have a speech delay. 

Some phonological processes are more often seen in clients with phonological disorders, rather than delays. 

A phonological processes chart denotes examples of typical and atypical patterns alongside data about phonological processes age of elimination to help you better support and assess young clients. 

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Types of phonological processes

When toddlers begin to string together words and sentences, it’s natural for them to simplify complex sound patterns. However, these simplifications go beyond the substitution of one sound for another.

Phonological processes involve modifications that pertain to voice, place, and manner, rather than individual phonemes. 

A phonological processes chart categorizes these patterns. 

There are three primary error pattern categories:

1. Assimilation 

Assimilation refers to the modification of sounds to make them more like other sounds in the target word. There are several phonological processes that fall under this category. 

Examples include nasal and velar assimilation, which is when non-nasal and non-velar consonants are replaced with nasal and velar sounds due to nearby sounds produced in the same manner. 

Assimilation can also involve place of articulation. This means a child could say “pup” for “cup,” due to the influence of the bilabial sound /p/ at the end of the word. 

Reduplication, coalescence, and denasalization are some other types of assimilation that you might find on a phonological processes chart. 

2. Syllable structure

Phonological processes impact the overall syllable structure of words, often eliminating syllables or consonant clusters. This simplifies speech production for children with emerging language and is a typical feature of early developing speech. 

There’s a reason “nana” for “banana” or “getti” for “spaghetti” are stereotypically associated with toddler talk. Phonological processes that involve syllable structure explain these quirks. 

If you’re familiar with the phonological processes age of elimination, you can identify when speech errors like these are typical vs. when they may indicate a delay or disorder. 

Final consonant deletion is a type of syllable structure phonological process. This means dropping the last consonant sound in a word—such as “ca” for “cat.” 

Young speakers may also delete a weak (unstressed) syllable. That’s the “nana” for “banana” example. 

Cluster reduction is very common in early developing speech, and involves simplifying blends by eliminating a sound. For example, a child may request a “poon” rather than a “spoon.” 

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3. Substitution 

With this phonological process category, sounds produced in a specific manner or place are replaced with sounds from a different (and often simpler) manner or place. 

Instead of substituting one phoneme for another—like an articulation error—this phonological process extends across multiple sounds to encompass a systematic pattern.

Substitution includes patterns like gliding, stopping, fronting, and backing. Some of these patterns are typical of children’s speech until age five or six. For example, gliding, which is when /r/ and /l/ are replaced with simpler sounds like /w/ and /l/, is often heard in kindergarten classrooms. 

Others (like backing) are atypical, even in the earliest stages of speech, and may be indicative of a deeper issue. 

The deaffrication phonological process is also a form of substitution. When an affricate like “ch” is replaced with a fricative or a stop (think “ship” for “chip”), it’s a form of deaffrication. 

Ages of elimination for phonological processes

In typically developing speech, phonological processes are eliminated by age six to seven at the latest.

Phonological processes norms can guide SLPs in recognizing when a process represents typical speech acquisition—and when it is lingering beyond the expected age of elimination. 

The free downloadable phonological processes chart for SLPs includes relevant data about the age of elimination for each process. 

Some phonological processes, like final consonant deletion, are expected to resolve by around three years of age. Others, like gliding, may linger in early elementary school-age children. 

By referring to our chart, which includes phonological processes age of elimination, you’ll be able to confidently determine if a speech error pattern is typical given the child’s age. 

This chart can also provide parents the reassurance they seek, and in conjunction with a formal assessment, support a diagnosis and speech therapy recommendation. 

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Recognizing phonological disorders

When a client has a phonological disorder, they struggle to develop accurate representations of speech sounds and patterns in their mind. 

Instead, linguistic patterns may be disorganized or mapped incorrectly. This is what leads to the use of phonological processes that extend beyond the expected timeline and may be indicative of a phonological disorder or more severe delay. 

Unlike articulation disorders, phonological disorders involve specific patterns of errors that relate to voice, place, and manner.

Even if a child is physically capable of producing specific speech sounds, they may continue to use phonological processes because of underlying deficits in phonological processing.

Children with phonological disorders tend to make predictable, rule-based errors beyond the typical age of elimination. Additionally, they often present with atypical patterns, such as backing and initial consonant deletion. 

Download the free phonological processes chart to help you identify typical and atypical errors, classify them, and recognize when their use is no longer age-appropriate. 

Sources

• Selected Phonological Processes (Patterns)*. (n.d.). https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/articulation-and-phonology/selected-phonological-processes/
• Bowen, Caroline. (2011). Elimination of Phonological Processes in Typical Development.
• Peña-Brooks, A., & Hegde, M. N. (2015). Assessment and Treatment of Speech Sound Disorders in Children: A Dual-Level Text. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
• Shipley, K. G., & McAfee, J. G. (2016). Assessment in speech-language pathology: A resource manual. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

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