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Developmental pattern

Gliding

/r/ and /l/ get replaced by /w/ or /y/.

Resolves
Gliding of /l/ by 5;0 · Gliding of /r/ by 6;0
Sounds affected
r, l
Word pairs
12
Picture pairs
4

What it sounds like

  • "rabbit" becomes "wabbit"
  • "look" becomes "wook"
  • "yellow" becomes "yewwow"
  • "lion" becomes "yion"

Also called: Gliding of liquids

What is going on

The liquids /r/ and /l/ are the last consonants most children master, and they are the hardest to see. A child cannot watch you make an /r/ the way they can watch you make a /p/, and the tongue shape for /r/ is genuinely complicated. Glides like /w/ and /y/ get the vowel-ish quality approximately right while skipping the difficult tongue work.

Residual /r/ errors are among the most common reasons school-age children are seen for speech sounds, and they can persist into adulthood if not addressed.

Try this at home

For /l/, have the child bite very gently on the tip of their tongue and hum - the sound that comes out is nearly a perfect /l/. For /r/, the tongue is the whole job: cue the sides tight against the back teeth and the back of the tongue pulled toward the throat, then add the growl.

When to refer

Gliding /l/ after age 5, or gliding /r/ after age 6. Earlier if the child is frustrated or being teased.

Print it

Gliding minimal pairs12 pairs grouped by sound · PDFGliding picture pair cards4 reviewed two-picture pairs · PDF

Minimal pairs

4 picture pairs

These pairs have two distinct picture subjects. Put both pictures on the table and take turns asking for one. If the two words sound alike, slow down and compare the sounds together. The printable word list has additional listening contrasts. Tap any pair to open it full screen and score each turn with Yes! or Not quite.

/r/ · 2 pairs

/l/ · 2 pairs

Play it

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