Speech in 3.5DS - should I be worried?

[gigwig]

Is this something I should be concerned about?
DS 3.5 often shortens long words when he speaks ie pretend is tend, fantastic is tantastic, prefer is fer. It is as though he wants to make it easier for him to speak.

He also frequently 'stutters' at the start of speaking - says 'um um um' as though he can't get his words out quickly enough - people have said it seems like his brain is too fast for his mouth.

He does speak all day long though, has a loud voice and his speech in itself is quite clear though people dont understand his shortened words.

So far we've just said the correct word after he's said the short one. We haven't made him repeat it or made a 'thing' about him 'umming' at the start of his sentences. Don't want to give him a complex about it - especially as he was quite late in speaking in any case.

Just wondered if anyone's children were similiar and it's just another phase or if it is something we shoudl talk to the hv about.

[northstar]

my ds (just 4) is similar, he knows how to pronounce words when using them individually, but shortens them in conversation. He is actually quite clever, and inventing his own short cuts to get his point across quicker ime. He is also being lazy, but is so enthusiastic about everything he is saying that i hate to pull him up on it too much incase it inhibits his speech.