Speech Sound Errors: Consonant Harmony
What is a Phonological Process
A phonological process is a pattern young children use to simplify speech as they learn to talk. Since some sounds are harder to say than others, children might change them to make speaking easier. These processes are normal and usually disappear as the child grows older and gains more control over their speech.
What is Consonant Harmony
Consonant harmony is when a child makes two sounds in a word sound the same. For example, instead of saying “dog,” they might say “gog,” or “cup” might become “pup.” One sound changes to match another sound in the word, usually to make it easier to say.
Age of Elimination
This is a normal part of speech development for young children. It usually goes away on its own by around age 3. If it continues past that age, it may need some extra help.
*Please note these ages of elimination are intended as a general guide only. Other sources can change age ranges by six months to a year. Phonological processes are a murky area of speech pathology.
Fixing Consonant Harmony
Model the correct word: You can help by clearly repeating the word back the right way. E.g.:
Child: ‘gog’
Parent: ‘Oh a dog. I see a big dog’.
Listening games: Say two words like “dog” and “gog” and ask which one is correct.
Sound practice: Practice the correct beginning and ending sounds separately, then put them together (e.g., “d… og” = “dog”).
Picture cards: Use pictures to practice correct word pairs (e.g., “dog” and “duck”).
Helping your child with consonant harmony can be fun and engaging. With patience and practice, they'll start using the correct sounds in no time!
Please note the above information is general in nature and is not intended as professional medical advice. Please seek an appointment with a registered speech-language pathologist if you are at all worried about your child's development.
References:
Mcleod, S (2009). Speech sound acquisition. In Bernthal, J. E., Bankson, N. W., & Flipsen, P. Articulation and phonological disorders: speech sound disorders in children. Pearson/Allyn & Bacon. Boston, MA.
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. (2024). Phonological Processes Chart Phonological Processes Description Example Whole Word/Syllable Processes Consonant Cluster Simplification (reduction). https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/sped/pdf/sl-phon-process-chart.pdf
Suggested Resources
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FREEBIE Monster Madness: /b/ Sound
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