As speech sounds are developing, many children will make one sound in place of another. A common pattern, known as a phonological process, is /W/ for /R/ and /L/ sounds. The technical term for this phonological process is “gliding.” We consider gliding to be age-appropriate until age 5-6. If your preschooler is making /W/ sounds in place of /L/ sounds, taking a wait and see approach makes sense. However, if your child is in elementary school or older and has difficulty producing these speech sounds, it’s best to contact a speech-language pathologist.
Readers: Did your child use /W/ instead of /L/ or /R/?
About the Author: Melissa Goff, M.S, CCC-SLP, is the owner of Sunflower Speech & Myo Therapy, PLLC, in Charlotte, NC.
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