At what age do kids pronounce 'th' and 'r' sounds correctly?

[imaginaryfriend]

Dd, 4.5, has a good vocabulary and her grammar's fine but she still says 'w' for 'r' and either 'f' or 'v' for 'th' sounds. And I can't write down the sound she makes for 'ch'!

I wondered, roughly, when your kids changed to making the correct sounds and also if I should help or let it come in its own time.

[Ellbell]

I think it depends on the child. My dd1 is just 7 and still says \f\ for \th. But dd2 is 5 and says \th\ perfectly well. I am not stressing about it. I'm sure dd1 will learn to do \th\ at some point.

But that's just my experience. I'm sure people who know more about the theory of this will be along to reassure you soon.

[WriggleJiggle]

I remember not being able to get the difference between /th/ /f/ and /v/. Don't know what age I was but it was probably about 7,8 or 9. There was lots of pressure put on me to speak properly, so I just found it easier to avoid the words that caused problems and to stay quiet . Please let her do it in her own time. Peer pressure will be enough of an influence when the time comes.

[imaginaryfriend]

I have no intention of putting pressure on her at all, don't worry about that WJ, neither am I concerned about her in any way. I was just interested to know when it might happen and if I should help or leave well alone!

[mymama]

'th' is 7. My ds still can't pronounce 'th'. He goes to speech therapy each week and the therapist says she technically can't correct it until he is 7. Not sure about 'r' sorry.

[mymama]

oops forgot to add he is 61/2 now so she will work on it in 6 months time.

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

here's a good resource r at 5 years old, th at 8-8.5 years old

[imaginaryfriend]

Thanks everyone. I'm surprised it's as late as 6-8. But I'm glad too because it's so sweet they way they pronounce things.

[imaginaryfriend]

Cristina, that link is interesting but I can't really work out what it all means! Dd seems to do a 'ch' sound but it doesn't sound like an adult 'ch' it's more like a 't' - as in 'I will toose the red one'.

[titchy]

My ds, 6, still says anyfink for anything - he quite often writes it like this too LOL! Thinking (or should that be finking) about it quite a lot of adults still pronouce it that way too... He can't say the 'hue' souond either - so human comes out as fewman. He's getting better though!

[imaginaryfriend]

Awww ... Fuman is so cute! Dd can do that sound. She says sumfing for something. She used to say sumsing which we adored.

[RedLorryYellowLorry]

Ds is 4.6 yo and still can't say th or r. I remember dd was about 5.6 yo before she said them properly so not concerned about ds. It doesn't help that we live in east london and th is pronounced f as a norm Fank u etc.

[imaginaryfriend]

We're in SE London and I've noticed that too! Even the mums say 'fink' round here!

[cornsilk]

I still struggle with 'th' have to really concentrate to get it right!

[foxinsocks]

ds (5.5) still does the w for r and the f for th too.

He finks about wainbows and stuff like that.

He loves ming ming (is it ming ming?) on the wonderpets because she speaks like him .

[Gumbo]

I'm 38 and I still can't say 'r'! In fact, I went to a great amount of trouble to ensure that when I named my child he didn't have an 'r' in his name so that a) I could prounounce it myself, and b) if he had the same problem, he could say his own name!

(There is an 'r' in my name, which has always caused me difficulties...)

[Bink]

I remember dh at 11 (have known him for a long time) saying "w" for "r" (eg "powwidge").

I think it may be about dentition too - so until your mouth stops growing & changing all the time it's difficult to get the subtler movements. My ds (8) is only just ready now to get a grip on what I think is called the "dark 'l'" - ie at the end of well/bell/tell. And when he has to follow that sound with another consonant he's nigh impossible to understand - ie, "help" or "elm". He's getting there but it will be a long haul.

[Soph73]

Hi, can I join in? We have a son who is 4.7 yrs old and has problems with sounds like 'c' 's' 'th'. He can say most sounds, although the 'th' is giving him problems. He has to concentrate when he´s saying things like 'car' or 'stairs' but he is doing it. We were told that he should probably see a speech therapist but we don´t live in England and have had no luck trying to find an English speaking speech therapist on this island. However, because he can say the sounds we just keep reminding him and he´s getting better.

I also read somewhere that this can carry on until children are 8 years old with some sounds so am not too worried as I´m sure it´ll come with time.

He used to sound so sweet when he used to say 'let´s pack the duitdase' (suitcase - aahh!)

[imaginaryfriend]

Fab posts, thanks, I love hearing about how kids speak.

I love how dd says fayvwit for favourite.

Do you find you slightly adopt some of their pronunciations? I often say 'I fink it must be sumsing else ...' to myself in dd's voice. She does it kind of 'mysteriously' ...

[katelyle]

I am pushing 50 and, although I was taught by a singing teacher to say my ths when I was about 10, there are still words I can't say. "Thistle" is impossible unless I stop and think about it for a few minutes or is comes out "sissle" and I'm very fortunate that I haven't had to say "isthmus" since I was doing geography A level!

Mind you, my ds said his th's beautifully until he went to school, now they are all "f's" as in "K'n I've sumfink toweat?" K'n Efan come'n play?"

[smoggie]

imaginaryfirend - thank you for starting this thread. Ds1 is 4.2 and is exactly the same as your dd - pronounces 'w' for r and 'f' or 'v' for 'th'. "the wed wed wobin goes bob bob...etc",
I had only recently started thinking 'should he be doing this still' and started tentatively trying to correct it, but I'm now going to stop and wait a wee while.

[imaginaryfriend]

I was surprised that it's a good while longer yet until they're supposed to get it.

I would miss dd saying 'see me do vis! See me do vat!' though.

[HonoriaGlossop]

DS is four and if the 'th' is at the end of a word (as in Darth (Vader!)) he enunicates it beautifully, but if at the beginning of a word then his habit is to use S rather than F, as in "I Sink I want to play DarTH Vader!" Bizarre, but cute.

[NoNickname]

Ds is 3.6 and I sooo don't want him to stop saying "I slink...." (for "I think").

Dh and I use it all the time too to each other!

[MascaraOHara]

My dd is 5 in a couple of months and she can say neither of those properly, though I do encourage her...

she says 'r' or 'w' depending on where in the word the 'r' is and pronounces 'th' 'duh' but I am encouraging her to try harder with 'th' and do pick her up on it when she's reading.

[imaginaryfriend]

I love I slink for I think!

Dp and I say all kinds of dd-isms to each other too. Ones she's long grown out of too. We can't stop calling medicine 'mezwin' and music 'mooznik' even though dd says them perfectly now. When she hears us she looks at us as if we're nuts.

I asked her to do some 'ch' words tonight and although it's not a perfect 'ch' sound it's really very close.

They're so cute aren't they?