Gliding in Speech: How Therapy Helps Correct Sound Substitution

If your child says "wabbit" instead of "rabbit" or "yike" instead of "like," you might be noticing a speech pattern called gliding. Gliding is one of the most common phonological processes in early speech development, where children simplify tricky sounds like /r/ and /l/ by replacing them with easier ones like /w/ or /y/.

While gliding is common in early speech development, most children begin producing /l/ and /r/ sounds by around age 5. If gliding continues beyond that age, it may be a sign that they need extra support.

In this article, we'll explain what gliding is, when it might be a concern, and how speech therapy can help your child develop clearer, more confident communication.

What Is Gliding in Speech?

Gliding is a type of phonological process where a child replaces liquid sounds—typically /l/ and /r/—with glide sounds such as /w/ and /y/. These substitutions often make speech easier for young children to produce, but can also significantly alter how a word sounds.

Common examples include:

• Saying "wabbit" instead of "rabbit"
• Saying "yike" instead of "like"
• Saying "weaf" instead of "leaf"

This speech pattern is developmentally expected in toddlers and preschoolers and typically fades as a child's speech matures—most children stop using gliding by around age 5. If it lingers past this age, especially without signs of improvement, it may point to a phonological delay or disorder that warrants professional attention.

Gliding is classified as a phonological process, which means it’s a typical pattern children use to simplify adult speech sounds as they learn to talk. These patterns are expected to fade as speech develops. In the case of gliding, the child substitutes more complex sounds like /r/ and /l/ with simpler ones like /w/ or /y/, affecting whole groups of sounds rather than just individual misarticulations.

Why Does Gliding Occur?

Gliding occurs because some sounds—especially /r/ and /l/—are more complex and take more time to master. These sounds require precise tongue movement and strong coordination, which young children are still developing. For toddlers and preschoolers, it’s very common to simplify words by using easier sounds. This is a normal part of early speech development and doesn't necessarily mean there’s a problem.

Common developmental reasons include:

• Developing motor control makes it challenging to coordinate the tongue and mouth for more complex sounds
• Children often replace harder sounds with earlier-developing ones like /w/ or /y/
• They are still learning how different sounds can change the meaning of a word

It’s important to know that not all gliding is a cause for concern. Age matters. If your child is under 5, gliding is usually part of typical development. But if it continues beyond age 5—especially if it’s making your child hard to understand or causing frustration—it may be time to consider a speech evaluation.

You might consider intervention if:

• Gliding continues beyond age 5
• It significantly reduces intelligibility to unfamiliar listeners
• It causes your child to avoid talking, especially in group settings or at school

How Gliding Affects Communication

While gliding might sound cute at first, it can begin to interfere with clear communication as your child gets older. Children who continue to substitute /r/ and /l/ sounds may be difficult to understand, especially by people outside the family, such as teachers or peers.

Potential impacts include:

• Frequent misunderstandings at school, daycare, or during playdates
• Challenges with early reading and spelling, as speech sound errors can affect sound awareness
• Feelings of frustration or embarrassment when needing to repeat themselves or being misunderstood

When a child has to work harder to be understood, it can affect their confidence and willingness to participate in conversations. Over time, this can impact social relationships and classroom learning.

Early identification is key. The earlier a child receives support, the easier it is to correct the pattern and build strong, confident communication habits. A speech-language pathologist can help guide this process with tailored strategies that fit your child’s specific needs.

How to Identify Gliding in Your Child's Speech

Wondering if your child is gliding? Here are a few signs parents and caregivers can watch for during daily conversations, story time, or play:

• Frequent substitutions like "wing" for "ring," "weaf" for "leaf," or "wun" for "run"
• Consistent difficulty producing /r/ and /l/ sounds beyond age 5
• Trouble being understood by teachers, peers, or extended family members
• Frustration when asked to repeat themselves, or reluctance to speak in group settings

If you notice these patterns, a professional speech evaluation can help determine whether your child’s speech is developing as expected. During the evaluation, a speech-language pathologist may use tools like minimal pair testing—a method that helps assess whether your child can hear and say the difference between words like "rock" and "walk." This insight is key to choosing the right therapy approach and helping your child move toward clearer, more confident speech.

Gliding Speech Therapy Techniques That Work

Speech therapy plays a key role in helping children overcome gliding and learn to produce sounds like /r/ and /l/ more clearly. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) will create a personalized treatment plan that’s both fun and effective, using techniques tailored to your child’s age, learning style, and speech goals. Here are a few commonly used approaches:

Minimal Pairs Practice

Minimal pairs are word pairs that differ by only one sound, such as “rock” and “walk” or “rip” and “whip.” SLPs use these pairs to help children recognize how changing just one sound can change the meaning of a word. This approach supports auditory discrimination—the ability to hear the subtle differences between similar sounds, which is essential for correcting sound patterns like gliding.

Why it works:

• Encourages children to listen closely for sound differences
• Strengthens auditory discrimination, helping them tell apart correct and incorrect sound use
• Builds phonological awareness and clarity
• Helps children realize the importance of producing target sounds accurately

Visual Cues & Tactile Prompts

Because /r/ and /l/ are hard to see and feel, SLPs often add visual and tactile feedback. This might include using a mirror to see tongue placement, hand gestures to represent sounds, or tools like tongue depressors to guide tongue movement.

Why it helps:

• Makes abstract sounds more concrete
• Helps children feel and see correct tongue positioning
• Provides consistent visual feedback that reinforces where and how to move the tongue
• Supports motor planning by giving the brain a clear model to follow, which helps with learning and repeating the correct sound

Auditory Discrimination Exercises

Before children can say a sound correctly, they often need to hear the difference between the correct and incorrect versions. SLPs use listening games and structured activities to strengthen this skill.

Examples for home or therapy include:

• Playing “same or different” with word pairs like "light" and "yight"
• Sorting words or pictures into groups based on the sound they start with (e.g., /r/ vs. /w/)
• Listening to pairs and identifying which one is correct

Repetitive Word Drills and Structured Practice

Once a child can make the sound correctly, it’s important to practice it many times in different contexts. SLPs use structured word lists, flashcards, worksheets, or speech apps to build consistency.

Why it matters:

• Repetition helps create new motor patterns
• Supports carryover from isolated sounds to full sentences
• Builds automaticity so that correct production becomes second nature

Gliding Activities to Try at Home

Parents can make a big impact between sessions by reinforcing therapy goals during daily routines. The key is to keep practice short, playful, and stress-free.

Fun ways to practice at home include:

• Flashcard games featuring /r/ and /l/ words (e.g., “red,” “leaf”)
• Reading books that include target sounds and emphasizing them as you go
• Sound scavenger hunts ("Find something that starts with /r/!")
• Singing songs like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” or “The Wheels on the Bus”

These activities should complement—not replace—therapy with an SLP. When children practice consistently in everyday settings, their progress tends to accelerate. Play-based, engaging repetition is often the best way to help new speech skills stick.

When to Seek Professional Help for Gliding

Gliding is a normal part of speech development in young children, but if it continues beyond age 5, it may be time to check in with a speech-language pathologist.

Signs your child may benefit from therapy include:

• Gliding that persists beyond age 5
• Speech that’s difficult for unfamiliar listeners to understand
• Frequent misunderstandings at home, school, or during play
• Frustration or reluctance to speak due to being misunderstood

An SLP can evaluate whether your child’s gliding is age-appropriate or whether it’s time for targeted support. Through observation, direct assessment, and tools like minimal pair testing, they’ll assess your child’s ability to hear and produce specific sounds. The earlier therapy begins, the easier it is to help your child build lasting speech skills.

How Verse Therapy Can Support Your Child

At Verse Therapy, we specialize in helping children build strong, confident communication skills from the start. Whether your child needs help overcoming gliding or other speech sound patterns, our team of experienced pediatric speech-language pathologists is here to help.

Our therapists have extensive experience working with young children and understand how to make therapy engaging and effective. We use proven phonological therapy approaches—including minimal pairs and auditory discrimination training—to support clear and lasting speech improvements.

What we offer:

• Flexible virtual and in-person therapy options
• One-on-one sessions personalized to your child’s goals
• Evidence-based techniques that support real-world progress
• A compassionate, child-centered approach that makes learning fun

Start your child’s speech journey with Verse today! We’re here to support you every step of the way.