Initial Stop Acquisition in Typically Developing Children Aged 1- to 2-Year-Olds

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated the articulatory characteristics of initial stops in the speech of 1-2-year-old children.Methods: A total of 35 typically developing children aged 1-2 years participated in the study. The participants performed a naming task using nine monosyllabic words containing initial stops. The accuracy of consonants in the initial stops, as well as errors in articulation position and voicing features were analyzed among children in the late 1-year-old and early 2-year-old age groups. Consonant accuracy, articulation position and voicing error ratios were compared between the two age groups. Additionally, the study investigated patterns of voicing errors observed in each age group in detail.Results: Findings revealed that the articulatory characteristics of initial stops were prominent in voicing errors observed in both age groups. Consonant accuracy was significantly higher in the early 2-year-old group compared to the late 1-year-old group. The most prevalent error observed in both late 1-year-old and early 2-year-old children was voicing errors. Examining the patterns of voicing errors, it was found that late 1-year-olds exhibited all possible error patterns in voicing features, while early 2-year-olds showed a reduction or disappearance of some voicing error patterns, excluding errors related to aspiration.Conclusion: This study investigated the articulatory characteristics of initial stops in the speech production of children in the late age of 1 and the early age of 2, presenting information on the acquisition process of initial stops. Error patterns in voicing features were commonly observed in the younger age group before the late age of 2.