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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Phonological Knowledge in Typical and Atypical Speech-Sound Development.

Benjamin Munson¹, Jan Edwards, Mary E Beckman

¹Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Topics in Language Disorders

|March 9, 2010

Summary

This review explores four types of phonological knowledge crucial for speech production: perceptual, articulatory, higher-level phonological, and social-indexical. Understanding these informs clinical practice for children with speech sound impairments.

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Area of Science:

Linguistics
Speech-Language Pathology
Developmental Psychology

Background:

Phonological knowledge is essential for accurate and fluent speech production.
Four distinct types of phonological knowledge are identified: perceptual, articulatory, higher-level phonological, and social-indexical.
Understanding these knowledge types is vital for both typical speech development and the diagnosis of speech sound impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the nature of four types of phonological knowledge in adults.
To describe the developmental trajectory of these phonological knowledge types in children with typical language development.
To outline potential deficits in phonological knowledge for children experiencing functional speech-sound impairments.

Main Methods:

Literature review synthesizing research on phonological knowledge in adults and children.
Examination of developmental patterns in typical language acquisition.
Analysis of how phonological knowledge is affected in children with speech sound disorders.

Main Results:

Adults possess distinct perceptual, articulatory, higher-level phonological, and social-indexical knowledge.
These knowledge types develop progressively in children.
Impairments in functional speech-sound disorders are often linked to specific deficits in these phonological knowledge areas.

Conclusions:

A comprehensive understanding of the four types of phonological knowledge is critical for speech-language clinicians.
This knowledge base supports accurate assessment and intervention for children with speech sound impairments.
The review provides a framework for understanding the foundational elements of speech production and its disorders.