Skip to main content
Skip to main content

What is stopping in speech therapy?

When a child replaces "hissing" or "blowing" sounds (like "s," "f," "sh") with "popping" sounds (like "t," "p," "d"). The technical term for hissing sounds is "fricatives." Example: "Sun" becomes "tun" or "fish" becomes "pit".

🔄Phonological Processes

Stopping

What is stopping in speech therapy?

When a child replaces "hissing" or "blowing" sounds (like "s," "f," "sh") with "popping" sounds (like "t," "p," "d"). The technical term for hissing sounds is "fricatives."

Example

"Sun" becomes "tun" or "fish" becomes "pit".

🔊 Child saying "tun" instead of "sun"

📅 Typical Timeline: Usually disappears by age 3-3.5

⚠️ When to Seek Help

Consider consulting a speech-language pathologist if:

  • This pattern persists beyond the typical age (usually disappears by age 3-3.5)
  • Your child is frustrated or avoids speaking
  • Others have difficulty understanding your child
  • You notice regression (losing skills they had)
  • Your gut tells you something isn't right

Trust your instincts. Early evaluation is always better than waiting.

How can I help my child with stopping?

Practice fricatives with vehicles like "fire truck," "semi," and "school bus" in Talk & Listen.

Explore Talk & Listen App

About this guide: This glossary is designed to help parents understand speech therapy terminology. Definitions are simplified for clarity and informed by resources from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Not medical advice: This information is educational only. For concerns about your child's speech development, consult a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP).Find an SLP near you →

Learn More From Trusted Sources

Parents Also Ask

When does stopping go away?▼

Stopping typically disappears by age 3 to 3.5 years. If your child still says "tun" for "sun" or "pish" for "fish" after age 4, consider a speech evaluation.

Is stopping normal at age 2?▼

Yes, stopping is completely normal at age 2. Young toddlers often replace sounds like S, F, and SH with easier sounds like T, P, and D. This is a typical developmental pattern.

What sounds are affected by stopping?▼

Stopping affects "hissing" sounds (S, Z, SH, TH, F, V). Children replace them with "popping" sounds (T, D, P, B). For example: "see" → "tee", "shoe" → "doo", "fish" → "pit".

Aligned Horizons
"I enjoy the "Repeat with Reddy" section where the kids can imitate the sounds. It's very easily organized. The stories are a nice touch too."
Aligned Horizons — Speech-Language Pathologist
Trusted by 25+ Speech-Language PathologistsSee all SLP reviews →

Related Terms

Fricatives

The "hissing" and "blowing" sounds in speech—made by pushing air through a narrow gap. Includes S, Z, F, V, SH, and TH. These are the sounds affected by "stopping."

Phonological Process

A predictable pattern children use to simplify adult speech. Fronting, stopping, gliding—these are all normal and disappear by certain ages. Only a concern if they persist too long.

Articulation

How clearly your child produces individual speech sounds. It's the physical ability to move the tongue, lips, and jaw to make sounds correctly. Different from phonology, which is about sound patterns.

More Phonological Processes

View all →
FrontingBackingGlidingCluster ReductionFinal Consonant DeletionWeak Syllable Deletion

Learn More About Speech Development

Late Talker App Guide: What Actually WorksSpeech Therapy at Home Guide8 Ways to Practice Speech at Home100+ Vehicle Sounds for Practice

Explore our parent guides for more speech development resources.

Support Your Child's Speech Development

Little Wheels apps use vehicle-based learning to make speech practice engaging and fun. Perfect for home practice between therapy sessions.

Explore Talk & ListenBrowse All Terms