Speech Sounds & Intelligibility (Clarity)
Intelligibility Milestones for Young Children
Intelligibility is how well other people can understand your child’s speech. As children grow, they become easier to understand. Here are the general milestones for speech intelligibility in young children:
By 18 months: Parents and close family members understand about 25% of what the child says. Strangers may not understand much.
By 2 years: Parents and close family members understand about 50-75% of what the child says. Some familiar adults might understand the child too.
By 3 years: Parents, family members, and strangers understand about 75-100% of what the child says. The child’s speech becomes clearer, though some sounds may still be tricky.
By 4 years: The child is mostly understood by everyone, even strangers, about 90-100% of the time.
These are general milestones, so if your child is harder to understand than expected for their age, it might help to speak with a speech therapist. They can support your child in becoming clearer in their speech.
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:
Bowen, C. (2011). Table 1 - Intelligibility. Www.speech-Language-Therapy.com. https://www.speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29:table1&catid=11:admin&Itemid=101
Peña-Brooks, A., & Hegde, M. N. (2007). Assessment and treatment of articulation and phonological disorders in children : A dual-level text. Pro-Ed.
Suggested Resources
FREEBIE Stone Age Struggle: /b/ Sound
Practice your child’s /b/ sounds with dangerous dinos in a fun interactive game.
FREEBIE Shopping Trip: /b/ Sound
Practice your child’s /b/ sounds by competing to see who can fill their shopping basket first.
FREEBIE Monster Madness: /b/ Sound
Practice your child’s /b/ sounds with mad monsters in a fun interactive game.