Difference between assimilation and substitution in child language acquisition?

Difference between assimilation and substitution in child language acquisition?

Thank you, this is very helpful. Can you please tell me the difference between deletion and consonant cluster reduction?

Thank you, this is very helpful. Can you please tell me the difference between deletion and consonant cluster reduction?

Deletion generally occurs at the end of a word so that final consonants are deleted to make production of the word simpler , so that "boat" sounds like "bow" when final consonant (t) is deleted . So a CVC word is reduced to CV . Cluster reduction is the process of 2 or more consonants occurring together , as in "plane" (CCVC) and reducing the cluster of 2 consonants "pl.." To a single one -( CVC) "pane" . Think of "spoon" (poon), "spider/purer" etc .

Substitution is when the child substitutes harder sounds with easier ones. So "r" (as in rock or story) becomes "w" like "wock" and "stowy".


Assimilation is the process that illustrates how some sounds change because of other words around them.
Take "gog" and "babbit" for example. So, in both cases, the first consonant sound has been influenced by the second. So, "doggie" becomes "goggie" and "rabbit" becomes "babbit"

So basically the child has taken the sound of the second syllable and used it with the first. So "gog" from "gie" in "doggie" and "ba" from "bbit" in "rabbit".

Another way of looking at it is if you say when different (consonant) sounds in a word are pronounced the same way such as "dog" becoming "gog". (the child has taken the "guh" sound from "g" and replaced the "duh" sounds from "d".

So, I'd say the only difference is that with assimilation, you should only apply it if the sound is of a consonant utter, rather than an assonance. Whereas substitution can happen with any sounds.