What is Stopping?

Stopping (St) is a phonological process which typically starts to eliminate at the age of 3 years, and continuing to assimilate into later developing sounds up to the age of 5 years. Stopping occurs when a fricative or affricate (types of sounds which allow air to escape the vocal tract as they are produced) is replaced by a stop (types of sounds which halt or do not allow airflow to escape the vocal tract). This most commonly impacts the first sounds within words.

Deaffrication is a subset of Stopping which describes the replacement of an affricate with a stop.

Examples:

  • seal = teal

  • sheep = teep

  • seven = seh-ben

  • cheetah = tee-tah

  • bridge = brid

 
 

Access my printable Phonological Process Guide, specially designed for clinicians and students!