speech Q: substituting fs

[blisstwins]

I just spent some time with a friend's 5 yo and the child seems to substitute fs for many consonants at the beginning of words. So 3=free, ice=frice, etc. It is not every word, but is this something the child will probably grow out of or is it a matter of concern? I did not notice it when he was younger. Thanks.

[brittone2]

My DS did this until 4ish, as did my next door neighbor (until about the same age). Swing was fing, etc. My 2.75 year old does this as well. With her it is really funny..."sparkles" are "farkles" and she tells her brother it is "my spot" with "my FOT!". :ROTFLMAO:

I'm not an SLP but most of the time IME they don't worry about articulation (in the absence of other concerns) all that much until kids are school aged. In a 5 year old some would likely recommend starting speech, but I've known quite a few 4-5 year olds who still sub the F sound for SW, for example. However, /sw/ is a tougher sound to generate than some others. If this child is doing more substitutions, etc. than a sound or two it is probably more of a concern.

This site has good info/charts on when different changes often occur:
http://members.tripod.com/caroline_bowen/phonol-and-artic.htm

eta:
http://www.wy-os.net/speech/artic.htm
http://www.superstarspeech.com/articulation-sounds-chart.html

I hope one of the SLP mamas here will chime in :)

[Indianamom2]

Brittone2,

I had to laugh because me DD #1 used to call sparkles "fartles" because she couldn't do "sp" or "c/k". It eventually evolved to "farkles". We also had "fot" for spot. We've had a ton of funny words...even now, bench comes out sounding like, well..."b*tch", a word no one here ever uses, but when we first noticed it, we were with extended family at Disney World and had left DD with my Bil and his wife for a couple minutes. We walked up to where they were, standing by a bench outside of the Nemo exhibit, and they told DD to tell us what we were standing by and she said, "This is Nemo's B*itch (bench)!" :hysterical:

OP,

I think that I wouldn't worry much about it either, especially for only one sound. In our case, we had many, many issues to work out, but the blended sounds are pretty commonly mispronounced until kids are a bit older.

Christina

[schums]

DS is 7, going into 2nd grade, and still subs the "f" sound for "th". So "three" is "free", etc. The ped wasn't worried, so neither am I.

[brittone2]

Brittone2,

I had to laugh because me DD #1 used to call sparkles "fartles" because she couldn't do "sp" or "c/k". It eventually evolved to "farkles". We also had "fot" for spot. We've had a ton of funny words...even now, bench comes out sounding like, well..."b*tch", a word no one here ever uses, but when we first noticed it, we were with extended family at Disney World and had left DD with my Bil and his wife for a couple minutes. We walked up to where they were, standing by a bench outside of the Nemo exhibit, and they told DD to tell us what we were standing by and she said, "This is Nemo's B*itch (bench)!" :hysterical:

OP,

I think that I wouldn't worry much about it either, especially for only one sound. In our case, we had many, many issues to work out, but the blended sounds are pretty commonly mispronounced until kids are a bit older.

Christina

:ROTFLMAO: at the fartles and especially "Nemo's b*tch" I'd be totally unable to hold back my immature mommy laughter ;)

I just videotaped DD using all of her "F" substitutions for sw/sp, etc. recently because they make me laugh and i know all too soon they'll be outgrown.

She also loves "finning dresses" (spinning dresses). eta: and how can I forget "frambled eggs" for scrambled eggs ;) One of her favs.

[mom2binsd]

I'm one of the SLP mama's....it's sort of a typical thing to hear funny substitutions like that even at 5. If the child is in school the K teachers are usually very good at referring to the school SLP...like others have said, unless it is really impacting the child's communication/if it pervasive and makes the child really hard to undertand then it's an issue, but it sounds like something not too serious.

AND bringing up this with a friend is often tricky...let me tell you how often I have to bite my tongue when I'm with friends/acquaintances and I hear children who are demonstrating significant speech issues, unless I'm asked I just smile.

[blisstwins]

AND bringing up this with a friend is often tricky...let me tell you how often I have to bite my tongue when I'm with friends/acquaintances and I hear children who are demonstrating significant speech issues, unless I'm asked I just smile.

Yes. I am kind of known in my family for being the reader/alarmist and because I really do try to act with the best of intentions I have not gotte n myself into too much trouble. Still, I am glad to know I can not say anything about this and not feel like I am not doing right by the child, who I care about a lot.

Thanks for your reassurances and the giggles.