Are you struggling with poor clarity of speech? Don’t worry! We got you! Read this blog on pronunciation difficulties in adults. Pronunciation issues are common in all of us! Both adults and children may have difficulty in pronunciation. Pronunciation issues in adults have many causes. Read this blog to know more!
What is pronunciation?
Speech sound pronunciation is one’s ability to produce speech sounds clearly and correctly. In other words, the person’s ability to speak clearly with good intelligibility. Further, it refers to the way a speech sound is said with good articulation, tone, stress, and to a standard of acceptability in the specific language. Furthermore, pronunciation varies according to dialect, accent, and ethnic group.
What is a speech sound disorder?
A speech sound disorder or misarticulation is the incorrect production of a speech sound. Further, both children and adults can have this issue. It simply means the person is producing the speech sound incorrectly. Furthermore, the incorrectness may be due to placement errors, errors in tone, or stress. In other words, our oral structures (tongue, lips, jaw, and palate) work together to produce speech sounds. The speech sound may be errored if these structures are misplaced during sound production. For example, if /f/ is not said by coordination of the lips and teeth, it will sound like /p/ or /b. Now, this is called a speech sound error.
Further, speech sound disorders have many causes in children and adults. In this blog, we are talking about pronunciation difficulties in adults only. Hence, if a person is not conforming to the standard form of saying a particular sound in a language, it is a speech sound error.
What are the causes of pronunciation difficulties in adults?
Here are some of the causes in adults,
- Mislearning speech sound since childhood
- A non-native speaker of the language (Eg: English is the second language for most Indians)
- Accent and dialectical variations (Eg: Australian versus British English)
- Neuromotor speech disorders (Dysarthria, Motor Aphasias)
- Other factors
These pronunciation difficulties can have a considerable effect on a speaker. In other words, it may affect the speaker’s overall communication. Here are some of the drawbacks of having a pronunciation difficulty.
- Poor clarity of speech (listener is unable to understand)
- Poor self-confidence due to speech issue
- Employment issues due to the inability to communicate effectively
- Unable to secure grades in competitive verbal exams (Eg: TOFEL, IELTS, etc.,)
- Unable to secure higher positions in work due to speech sound issues
- Self-esteem issues at school/ work
What is the treatment?
If you or your loved one is struggling with a pronunciation issue, consult us today! Further, A Speech-Language Therapist can help. They are certified in assessing and providing treatment for children and adults with speech-language disorders. So, consult a Speech Language Therapist today!
The Speech Therapist will assess and note down a baseline for treatment. In other words, they will perform a detailed speech sound evaluation. Then, a treatment plan to target speech sounds is made. Further, activities in the session will remediate the speech sound errors. Furthermore, progress is monitored regularly.
Bonus Tips for Adults
- Record yourself while speaking and listen to the sample
- Note down the sound that is not correct
- Work on producing the sounds right and re-record
- Try shadowing the phrases: listen to a phrase and then practice repeating it the same way you heard.
- Slow down while speaking
- Stress on essential words and sounds while speaking
- Watch yourself in the mirror while you practice speaking
- Work along with a speech buddy to train together
- Pay attention to accent, tone, and stress in words
- Use a dictionary to learn new words and their pronunciation
If you wish to know more about Speech Therapy, kindly contact us!