What Is Stopping?
Stopping phonological process is when a child replaces a fricative (a sound made with continuous airflow, like /s/ or /f/) or affricate (like /ch/ or /j/) with a stop sound (like /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, or /g/).
Essentially, the child “stops” the airflow instead of letting it continue — for example, saying “tun” for “sun.”
Stopping is a normal part of speech development in young children, but it should fade as a child grows older. When stopping persists beyond the typical age range, it may make speech harder to understand and could signal a need for speech therapy.
Examples of Stopping Phonological Process
| Target Word | Child’s Production | Sound Substitution |
| sun → | tun | /s/ → /t/ |
| zoo → | doo | /z/ → /d/ |
| shoe → | too | /ʃ/ → /t/ |
| fish → | pish | /f/ → /p/ |
| jam → | dam | /ʤ/ → /d/ |
| chair → | tear | /ʧ/ → /t/ |
When Is Stopping Phonological Process Typical?
Some forms of stopping are typical at certain ages. Here’s when children usually outgrow this process:
| Target Sound (will our target audience understand IPA?) | Typical Elimination Age |
| /f/, /s/ | around 3 years |
| /v/, /z/ | around 4 years |
| /ʃ/, /ʧ/, /ʤ/, /θ/, /ð/ | around 5 years |
If your child is still using stopping after these ages, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) can help determine whether therapy is needed.
Why Does Stopping Happen?
Children simplify complex sounds as their motor speech system develops. Fricatives and affricates require continuous, precise airflow — which is harder for little mouths to control! Stopping simplifies speech by using easier, quicker “stop” sounds.
For example, saying “tea” for “sea” is easier for a 2-year-old to produce because /t/ requires less airflow control than /s/.
How Speech Therapists Work on Stopping
A speech-language pathologist uses play-based and evidence-based methods to help a child hear, notice, and produce the correct sounds. Therapy might include:
- Auditory Discrimination: Listening games that help children tell the difference between “sun” and “tun.”
- Minimal Pair Practice: Using word pairs that differ only by the target sound (e.g., sea–tea, fun–pun).
- Visual and Tactile Cues: Using mirrors, airflow games (like blowing cotton balls), or hand signals to show airflow.
- Step-by-Step Practice: Starting with single sounds, then syllables, then words, then phrases and sentences.
- Home Practice: SLPs often give short, fun activities for families to practice target sounds daily at home.
Speech Therapy Activities for Stopping Phonological Process
After an assessment the speech and language pathologist will generally use the following activities in clinic with or recommend them for home practice between therapy sessions:
- Minimal Pair Games: Play “find the picture” games with pairs like the following:
| /s/ –> /t/ | Sea – teaSip – tipSue – twoSail – tailSock – talk |
| /f/ –> /p/ | Fat-patFan-panFin-pinfour-pourFace-pace |
| /sh/ –> /ch/ | Ship-chipShoe-chewShop-chop |
- Listening Sorts: Sort words into “stop” vs “long-air” sounds to build listening awareness. Sort words into ‘stop sounds’ (quick sounds like /p/, /t/, /k/) vs. ‘long sounds’ that can be stretched out (like /s/, /f/, /sh/) to build listening awareness.
- Online Speech Games: Interactive games can make repetitive practice motivating.
When to Seek Help
You might consider a speech and language evaluation if:
- Your child’s speech is still hard to understand after age 4,
- They consistently replace /s/, /f/, or /sh/ with a stop sound like /t/ or /p/ or /d/
- You notice frustration when others don’t understand them.
Early support can make a big difference! An SLP can pinpoint which sounds and patterns are delayed and create a tailored home-friendly plan.
Key Takeaway
Stopping is a normal early phonological process, but it should fade as children’s speech systems mature. If it persists past age 4 – 5, speech therapy can help your child learn airflow control and oro-motor awareness which will support clarity and confidence in speaking.
