The Articulatory Basis of Phonological Error Patterns: Why This Paper Matters So Much

I’m beyond excited to share our most recent paper that’s very close to my heart — and to the mission behind everything we do at www.DrMooreSpeech.com.

Our new article —

Namasivayam, A.K., Li-Han, L.Y., Moore, J.G., Wong, W., & Van Lieshout, P.H.H.M. (2025). The articulatory basis of phonological error patterns in childhood speech sound disorders. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 19:1635096.

Read the full paper here →

This project has been years in the making, and I’m so proud to see it published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

It challenges one of the biggest assumptions we’ve had in our field: that “phonological errors” are only language-based or cognitive in nature.

Instead, this paper dives into how articulatory and motor-speech limitations actually shape the kinds of phonological errors children make.

Why we wrote this study

For years, clinicians (myself included) have been told that when a child says “pane” for “plane” or “wabbit” for “rabbit,” it’s purely a phonological simplification — a learned linguistic process.

But when you spend your days in therapy rooms, using tools like ultrasound, tactile cueing, and a motor lens, you start to notice patterns that don’t fit neatly into that model.

What if these “errors” aren’t random linguistic processes at all — but reflections of the underlying motor system trying to find stability, efficiency, or compensatory movement patterns?

That question became the driving force behind this collaboration with Dr. Aravind Namasivayam, Dr. Leo Yan Li-Han, Dr. Willy Wong, and Dr. Pascal Van Lieshout — an incredible team who share the same passion for bridging speech motor control and phonological theory.

What we found

We studied speech patterns of 48 preschool children with speech sound disorders (SSDs) and looked at both their phonological error patterns and their speech motor control — specifically the jaw, lips, and tongue.

Using advanced statistical models (Mutual Information and Random Forest analyses), we found that:

• Children who struggled with jaw stability and labial-facial control were more likely to show final consonant deletion and cluster reduction.
  
  
• Limitations in tongue-jaw dissociation were linked to stopping and atypical error patterns.
  
  
• And here’s the curveball — gliding actually showed the opposite relationship. Children who produced gliding often had better motor control. That suggests gliding might sometimes be a compensatory, developmental strategy rather than just a phonological simplification.
  
  

In short: Children aren’t just making errors— they’re negotiating complex motor demands with a developing system.

Why this matters for clinicians

This study reinforces something many of us have felt clinically but couldn’t always articulate:

Phonological errors have a motor-basis.

When I see a child with cluster reduction, final consonant deletion, or gliding, I don’t just think in terms of phonological rules — I look at jaw control, lip-jaw integration, tongue movements, and overall speech motor coordination.

It also means that our therapy approaches need to evolve.

If a child’s system is limited by poor jaw-tongue differentiation, we can’t expect a purely linguistic contrast drill to resolve the pattern.

We need to use a motor-based approach which includes targeting the underlying motor speech control — through tactile cueing, visual feedback, use of instruments (like ultrasound), principles of motor learning, and targeted motor practice. 

What this means for parents and families

If your child has been told they have a “phonological disorder,” it doesn’t mean their brain “doesn’t know the rules.”

Often, their speech system is working incredibly hard to coordinate the physical movements needed for clear speech — and that coordination just isn’t fully mature yet.

When we treat through a motor-speech lens, we help strengthen those underlying movements — so speech becomes not only clearer but also more stable and efficient over time.

A new direction for the field

I truly believe this paper marks a turning point in how we conceptualize speech sound disorders.

It bridges the gap between articulatory phonology, motor speech control, and traditional phonological analysis.

It also validates what so many SLPs are already doing — using a motor-speech lens to understand what’s driving a child’s sound errors.

For me, this is just the beginning.

We’re already building new clinical tools and continuing-education materials to help clinicians translate these findings into practice — from motor-speech checklists to ultrasound-based cueing strategies.

Join me in the conversation

I’d love for you to read the full article, reflect on it, and join the discussion.

What patterns do you see in your caseload?

Have you noticed children whose “phonological errors” shift dramatically when their jaw or tongue control improves?

Let’s keep bridging science and clinical practice together.

That’s what the DrMooreSpeech community is all about — translating knowledge into clinical practice.

➡️ Read the full paper here

➡️ Follow along on Instagram @DrMooreSpeech for breakdowns, videos, and practical applications

➡️ Or join the Next Level Motor Membership to dive deeper into assessment, cueing, and real-time ultrasound demonstrations.

Because the more we understand how children move — not just what they say — the better we can help them communicate with clarity and confidence. 💬✨