Page 15 - Developmental Norms

Venn diagrams are a great way to visually depict the shared and un-shared consonants

and vowels in English and Spanish. Using this information helps to determine whether errors

on certain sounds can be expected. For example, speech-language evaluators should be less

concerned with a child who only makes errors on sounds that are unique to English.

Conversely, evaluators should be concerned about a child who is making errors on shared

sounds and the unique sounds of his or her native language. That said, evaluators also have to

take into account the normal developmental sequence of the sounds. Sounds that are unique

to one language or the other also tend to be later occurring sounds.

Phonological Patterns of the English Language Learner

Spanish and English Alphabets
Spanish a b c ch d e f g h i j k l ll m n ñ o p q r s t u v w x y z

English a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Examples of Spanish to English forward transfer of vowels

Spanish phonemes English phonemes Result
/a/ /æ/ “hat” may sound like “hot”

/e/ /ɛ/ “get” may sound like “gate”

/i/ /I/ “hit” may sound like “heat”

“this” may sound like “these”
/o/ /a/ “ball” may sound like “bowl”
/ʌ/
“bun” may sound like “bone”

/u/ /ʊ/ “put” may sound like “poot”

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