20m speaking well but cant pronounce "L"

[talilac]

DD1 (20m) is speaking really well, but for some reason can't say "L", she substitutes it with a "Y" - ie Lala is yaya. Shes got no other language problems, has a good vocab, is putting sentences together etc.

Is this a usual thing? Will she just pick it up at some point or is there something I can do to help?

Any advice much appreciated.

[WigWamBam]

It's normal.

She's very young to be worrying about this - some children struggle with some letter sounds even when they are at school. That's normal too.

She'll get there.

[NotABanana]

SO so normal. My son used to call lamp posts, hamp posts. It is hard to say the L sound. I wouldn't worry.

[mimismummy]

that's perfectly normal - don't worry. My dd (5) still struggles with her H's and calls us fuman beings etc etc. I don't worry about it, her speech is fine otherwise and she is one of the brightest in the class. Think it's rather cute, actually!

[Bink]

Ls are as difficult as they come, though.

I'm only now going to get ds some proper tongue exercises and that's because he can't say ls aged 9.

[LazyLinePainterJane]

Are they called something like "liquid" sounds? The L's, Y's and the like, they get them all mixed up?

[NotQuiteCockney]

Very very normal.

DS2 is 3.5 and still can't stay 'sp'. Substitutes 'b'.

Got me very confused the other day when he was shouting for his beer.

[NotABanana]

[Smithagain]

Mine's 2.5 and uses "y" for all sorts of letters. Especially "L" which is the first letter of her name. And she's started taking an interest in what sound letters make, so we get weird conversations like:

DD2: "Mummy, Y is for Laura, isn't it?"
Mummy: "Yes, well no, well sort of ..."
DD2: "Mummy, is Y for Rachel?"
Mummy: "Um, I don't know. That rather depends whether you mean Y or R. Can't you learn to pronounce them before you start attempting to read them?!?!?!?!"

[talilac]

at Smithagain

Thanks everyone. Shall stop worrying..

[mammabelleboo]

My dd (2.5) is EXACTLY the same - brilliant vocab but pronounces all her Ls and Ys. Her Aunty Lou is 'Aunty You', she loves watching the band the Killers on TV on Demand and pronounces it 'Keyers'.....I could go on!! Every L is a Y - so don't worry, you aren't alone. Am not worried in the slightest - it is one of the most difficult letters to pronounce. I just keep emphasising the correnct pronounciation to her and am trying to encourage her so say it correctly, but am not pushing it as I'm sure it will come with age!

[talilac]

So many characters are Ls as well! Not just Yaya, but Charyie and Yoya, Bob the Buiyder and the Tombydoos..

[Wallace]

Funny you should post this but my 20 month old ds is fantastic at his "L" sound, and can even manage words like "play" and "plant".

I was talking to dd's SALT about this, asking whether it is because his name starts with "L" and he hears the sound a lot. She was saying it is not always the case, but maybe seeing the way people form "l" with their mouths could have some effect. She also warned that he could
"lose" the sound before relearning it, and not to worry as this is often the case!

Funnily, he substitutes "l" for other letters eg "Lauren" is "Lollen" and struggles with simpler sounds like "c" and "b"

[Smithagain]

Weird how different they can be, isn't it Wallace. My first child spoke very clearly more or less from the start, so it's been bizarre having one who has her own eccentric way of saying things. Cute, though. Especially when she wants to watch DVDs on the "tooterer"!

[Wallace]

I agree it is so cute sometimes I don't want them to start saying a word correctly! My dd used to call a dalmation a "Puppymission"

[madmouse]

I was like this, much later than your dd1. I remember my teacher at early years school in Holland (4-6) trying to make me say the equivalent of the rain in spain. Am now a bi-lingual lawyer, advocating in court and can say a fine L. Try not to worry!

[Izabella]

Just want to add to the choruses of 'its normal'. My 20 month old DD also can't pronounce the 'l' sound, so she 'ady' for lady. Surprisingly though, she says 'people' very clearly but that's probably because the 'l' is not at the beginning and not as pronounced. There are some words though, that no matter how hard I try, she will only say in her own language. For example, spoon is always 'bots'(not one to shout out in public ). I love this age and there are so many lovely funny moments as they learn to speak. Please don't worry, just enjoy.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

DS1 is 3.4yo and still does it. He says W for L, lisps his way through every SSSSS, B for D (so we have deebeedees instead of dvds and bideos instead of videos).
He can say the correct letters but is lazy about it. Its never really bothered me but recently I have started asking him to say the words properly till he gets it.
His younger brother at 23m has much better pronounciation.

[mimsum]

dd couldn't say L at that age either - which was a bit of a problem as her name has 3 'l's in it

it's a tough sound to master, but it will come in time

[Piffle]

dd is 5 and can say el but not la sound. She is said to be fine by speech therapists within normal limits...

[KiwiKat]

Only very tenuously related, I know, but my friend's husband is Thai and pronounces his son Oscar's name "Otcar", which I think is really cute.

[OatcakeCravings]

My husband is 32 and still can't say 'L' properly!!

[EBenes]

Exactly the same with my 20m dd, who uses mostly Ys and sometimes Ws for L. If L was easy to say, the Teletubbies would be able to say Hello....although they seem to manage Lala.

[meglet]

My 20 month doesn't do 'L's. Balloon was his first word months ago and he still says "ba-oon".

[SlowDown]

My 4 yr old has only just starting saying "L". His name begins with it unfortunately. He was substituting "L" with "R"!

[TooTicky]

L is one of the last sounds.