Phonological processes

As children grow older they are continually improving all their communication
skills. Writing skills are most of the time the last one they master while listening
skills are probably the first one. When children start understanding what people
around say, they want to copy them and they start uttering their first words in an
amusing way.

Syllable structure processes are occasionally known as deletion processes

because children are prone to simplify the syllables by removing them. There
are four types of these processes: Cluster reduction, which occurs when
children delete consonants from a group of attached consonants; for example,
with the word "stay" they may pronounce "say", or with the word "think" they
may pronounce "tin". Syllable reduction, which occurs when children eliminate a
syllable (usually a weak syllable) from a word; for example, with the word
“tomato” they may pronounce “mato”, or with the word “vanilla” they may
pronounce “nilla”. Initial consonant deletion, which happens when children
delete the first consonant of a word; for example, with the word “belly” they may
pronounce “elly”, or with the word “cape” they may pronounce “ape”. And finally
Final consonant deletion, which happens when children remove the final
consonant within a syllable; for example: with the word “take” they may
pronounce “tai”, or with the word “car” they may pronounce “ca”.

Substitution processes imply the substitution of one kind of phonemes with

another. There are five types of these processes: Stopping, this happens when
children substitute a fricative sound with a stop sound; for example, instead of
uttering "that" they may utter "dat", or instead of "wish" they may utter "wit".
Gliding, this occurs when children substitute a liquid sound for a gliding sound;
for example, instead of pronouncing "rabbit" they may pronounce "wabbit", or
pronounce "pway" instead of "play". Backing, this happens when children switch
a sound produced in the front of the mouth for a sound produced in the back of
the mouth; for example, instead of uttering "cat" they may utter "cak", or instead
of "dog" they may utter "gog". Fronting, this happens when children switch a
sound produced in the back of the mouth for a sound produced in the front of
the mouth; for example, with the word “car” they may pronounce “tar”, or instead
of “get” they may pronounce “det”. And finally vowelization, this occurs when
children substitute an "l" or "r" with a vowel sound; for example, instead of
pronouncing "river" they may pronounce "rivuh", or instead of "apple" they may
pronounce "appoh".

Assimilation processes involve changing or deleting syllables or consonants in a

word. There are three types of these processes: Reduplication, which occurs
when children repeat the initial syllable in a word that contains more than one
syllable; for example, instead of "biscuit" they may pronounce "bibi" or instead
of "water" they may pronounce "wawa". Denasalization, this happens when
children switch a nasal consonant with a non-nasal consonant; for example,
instead of uttering "me" they may utter "bi", or instead of "nose" they may utter
"doze". And finally assimilation, which occurs when children pronounce a
consonant sound in a word the same as another different consonant sound in
the word; for example, they may pronounce "kug" instead of "cup" or "mame"
instead of "name".

Although most of these phonological processes are made by children and left
behind when they grow older, some of these children might keep doing them
when they are adults. As adults, this can affect their self-esteem and the way
they communicate with others. Achieving good communication skills should be
a goal in everyone's life and understanding how these processes work might
make it easier.

Made by: Yadira González v-26958399