Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP
A child’s speech should become easier to understand as they grow. By age 4, children should be at least 50% intelligible to people who don’t know them well, and they should be able to pronounce many speech sounds. By age 5, children should be at least 75% intelligible, with speech continuing to get clearer through the early school years. In this article, we'll explain what to expect at different ages and when to consider a speech evaluation.
Key takeaways
Speech intelligibility means that speech is clear enough to understand. Speech sounds and speech intelligibility are not the same thing. A child does not need to produce every speech sound perfectly to be understood.
Children typically can pronounce many speech sounds by age 4, and nearly all sounds by about ages 6 to 7. Later-developing sounds, such as /r/ and “th,” may still be emerging during the early school years.
Speech should become easier to understand as children grow. As a general guideline, children should be at least 50% intelligible by age 4, 75% by age 5, and 90% by just over age 7 when speaking to unfamiliar listeners (people who don’t know them well).
Familiar listeners may understand a child's speech more easily than unfamiliar listeners. That's why unfamiliar listeners can provide a useful measure of how clear a child's speech is to people outside the family.
If your child's speech is much harder to understand than other kids their age or isn’t becoming clearer over time, an evaluation with a speech therapist can help.
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Start the screenerSpeech intelligibility by age
How much of your child's speech should other people understand? Speech becomes easier to understand as children grow, but every child develops at their own pace. Here are some general guidelines to know:
2 years: Speech may still be hard for unfamiliar listeners to understand
3 years: Speech should be becoming easier to understand, but there is a wide range of typical development at this age
4 years: At least 50% intelligible to an unfamiliar listener
5 years: At least 75% intelligible to an unfamiliar listener
6 years: Speech should continue becoming clearer as children develop more mature speech sounds
7+ years: About 90% intelligible to an unfamiliar listener
Remember: These percentages are general guidelines, not strict cutoffs. Your child does not need to say every speech sound perfectly to be understood. Many English speech sounds are learned by age 4, while a few later-developing sounds may continue to develop through ages 6 to 7.
Why is it so hard to understand a toddler’s speech?
Learning to talk takes time. Toddlers are still figuring out how to use their lips, tongue, jaw, and breath to make different speech sounds.
Early words may sound different from adult words. For example, “ball” might sound like “ba,” or “dog” might sound like “da.” Toddlers may also leave out sounds or syllables, replace one sound with another, or make longer words shorter.
As children begin putting words together into phrases and sentences, their speech can be harder to understand because they're still learning how to coordinate all of the sounds in longer words and phrases. While this is a normal part of learning to talk, children should become easier to understand as they get older.
What sounds like a cute mispronunciation may signal a more serious speech problem. Learn the difference and how to fix a speech impediment.
What is normal speech sound development?
It's normal for young children's speech to be unclear sometimes. Speech therapists look at several factors when deciding whether a child's speech is developing as expected, including:
How much of the child's speech other people can understand
Which sounds they can make
Whether their speech is becoming clearer over time
Recent research has given us a better picture of how children's speech intelligibility develops. In one large study by Hustad and colleagues (2021), researchers measured how well unfamiliar adult listeners understood children between the ages of 30 months and almost 10 years old. The results showed a wide range of typical development, with speech clarity continuing to improve throughout the early school years.
“It's also important to remember that being understood does not mean producing every speech sound perfectly,” adds Expressable speech therapist Alexis Irazoque, M.S., L/SLP. “Some sounds develop later than others. A child may still be learning sounds like /r/ or ‘th’ even when most of their speech is easy to understand.”
How well should a 2-year-old be understood?
Two-year-olds are still learning how to make many speech sounds, so it's normal for some of their speech to be hard for unfamiliar listeners to understand. You may understand your child more easily because you're familiar with their voice, words, and speech patterns.
How well should a 3-year-old be understood?
Your 3-year-old’s speech should be becoming easier to understand. However, there is a wide range of typical development at this age. Children are still learning to produce and combine many speech sounds.
How well should a 4-year-old be understood?
By age 4, children should be much easier for unfamiliar listeners to understand. This is an important milestone: At 4, children should be at least 50% intelligible to an unfamiliar listener. They should be able to make most speech sounds, even if they don't say them perfectly. They may make mistakes with sounds like /s/, /sh/, /ch/, /j/, /z/, and /l/.
How well should a 5-year-old be understood?
By age 5, most children are becoming much easier for everyone to understand. Children should be at least 75% intelligible to an unfamiliar listener. They can produce most consonants, although a few later-developing sounds may still be emerging, such as /r/.
By ages 6–7: Kids can produce nearly all English consonants at this age, although some later-developing sounds may continue to develop. Speech should also continue to become easier to understand, reaching about 90% intelligibility by just over age 7 for children at the lower end of the typical range.
When do toddlers learn how to make certain speech sounds?
Children learn speech sounds at different times. Some sounds are easier to make and develop earlier, while others require more precise tongue, lip, and jaw movements and develop later.
The Crowe & McLeod (2020) large review of research on children learning English in the United States found that children can produce most consonants by age 5, although some sounds continue developing into the early school years. The researchers grouped sounds by the average age when about 90% of children could produce them accurately.
By 3 years: /p/, /b/, /m/, /d/, /h/, /w/, /n/
By 4 years: /t/, /k/, /g/, /f/, /y/, “ng”
By 5 years: /v/, /s/, /z/, /l/, “sh,” “ch”
By 6 years: voiced “th” (as in “this”), “zh” (as in “garage”), and /r/
By 7 years: voiceless “th” (as in “thanks”)
“Keep in mind that these aren’t strict deadlines,” Irazoque reassures parents. “Children develop speech sounds at different rates, and the age ranges can vary depending on the sound, where the sound appears in a word, and how speech development is measured.”
When should I worry about my child's speech clarity?
It's normal for toddlers to make some speech sounds differently or be hard to understand at times. But if your child's speech is much harder to understand than expected for their age, or isn't becoming clearer over time, it may be worth talking with a speech therapist.
Consider an evaluation if:
People outside your family have trouble understanding your child.
Your child's speech isn't becoming clearer as they get older.
Your child gets frustrated when others don't understand them.
Many of your child's words are hard to understand because of the way they produce sounds.
You have other concerns about your child's speech, language, or communication skills.
"Parents don't need to track and memorize every speech sound their child makes. If your child's speech is much harder to understand than other kids their age, or you notice that their speech isn't becoming clearer over time, it's worth talking with a speech therapist,” Irazoque says.
Children who can't pronounce certain sounds or words by an expected age may have a speech sound disorder. Learn about symptoms and treatment.
How to find a speech therapist for your toddler
If you're worried about your toddler's speech, you have several ways to get support.
You can start by talking with your child's pediatrician about your concerns. You can also contact a speech therapist directly to ask about an evaluation. Depending on where you live and your child's age, your child may also qualify for early intervention or other community-based services.
When choosing a speech therapist, look for a licensed professional with experience working with young children. An evaluation can help determine whether your child's speech is developing as expected or whether they need speech therapy.
If you're looking for convenient support from home, Expressable offers online speech therapy with licensed speech therapists who work with children and families.
Online speech therapy for toddlers empowers parents to support their child's communication. Learn how it works and why it may be the right choice.
The bottom line
It's common for toddlers to have some speech sounds that are hard to understand. What matters most is that your child's speech becomes clearer as they grow.
If you're unsure whether your child's speech is developing as expected, you don't have to wait and wonder. Take Expressable's free online speech screener or schedule an evaluation with one of our licensed speech therapists to get personalized guidance for your child.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
At age 2, it's normal for some of your child's speech to be hard for unfamiliar listeners to understand. You may understand your child more easily because you're used to their voice, words, and speech patterns. Keep an eye on whether your child's speech gets clearer over time. If you're concerned about how well other people understand your child, a speech evaluation can help.
By age 3, your child's speech should be growing easier for unfamiliar listeners to understand, although there is a wide range of typical development at this age. Kids are still learning to make many speech sounds, so some sound differences are expected. If people outside your family have a hard time understanding your child or their speech isn't getting clearer, consider talking with a speech therapist.
Consider talking with a speech therapist if your child's speech is much harder to understand than other kids their age, isn't becoming clearer over time, or makes them feel frustrated. It's also worth asking about an evaluation if your child loses speech sounds or communication skills they already had. A speech therapist can evaluate your child's speech, identify any areas for support, and help you decide what to do next.
How Expressable Can Help
Concerned your child isn't reaching age-expected milestones? Looking for communication support from a professional? Expressable is a national online speech and occupational therapy practice serving children and adults. We treat all major areas of communication, feeding, and developmental skills, offer flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and accept most major health insurance plans. We’re proud to have earned more than 4,500 5-star reviews from our clients (4.83/5 average).
Our therapy model is centered on parent and caregiver involvement. Research proves that empowering caregivers to participate in their loved one’s therapy leads to better outcomes. That’s why we combine live, 1-on-1 speech and occupational therapy with personalized education and home practice activities for faster progress.
