Speech Sound Milestones: What’s Typical and When to Seek Help

One of the most common questions parents ask me as a speech-language pathologist is: “At what age should my child be able to say certain sounds?”

It’s a great question—because knowing what’s typical can help you recognize when your child might need extra support. Every child develops at their own pace, but there are general age ranges when most children master certain speech sounds.

Here’s a helpful guide:

By age 3, most children can say:

• p, b, m, h, n, w
  (Example words: papa, mamá, hola, no, wow)

By age 4, most children can say:

• t, d, k, g, f, y
  (Example words: taco, dedo, casa, gato, foco, yo)

By age 5, most children can say:

• l, v, ch, sh, zh (“measure”)
  (Example words: leche, vaca, chico, shampoo)

By age 6, most children can say:

• r (in English), s, z, j (as in “jump”), th (as in “think”)
  (Example words: rosa, sol, zapato, jugo, three)

By age 7, most children can say:

• r (in Spanish trill), th (as in “this”)
  (Example words: perro, this)

Remember: Some sounds take longer to develop than others (like “r” and “th”). That’s normal!

When to seek help

• If your child is very hard to understand compared to other children their age.

• If they feel frustrated when speaking or avoid talking.

Early support makes a big difference. Many children just need a little extra practice and guidance to catch up.

At Bloom Bilingual Speech Therapy, we specialize in helping children find their voice—in both English and Spanish. If you’re concerned about your child’s speech sounds, reach out for a consultation. Together, we can help them bloom with confidence!

Note: Speech Sound development in Spanish is a little different, separate blog post will go up for that.

Contact us for a consultation!