Speech Delay vs Language Delay: What's the Difference?

What Is a Speech Delay?

Speech is the physical ability to produce sounds and words. A child with a speech delay may have lots of ideas and understand everything you say, but struggle to make the right sounds or be understood by others.

Signs of a speech delay include difficulty producing certain sounds, being hard to understand compared to peers of the same age, leaving sounds off the beginning or end of words, and substituting one sound for another consistently.

A child with a speech delay might say "tat" instead of "cat" or "nana" instead of "banana." They're trying to communicate, the words are there, but the sounds aren't coming out clearly.

Speech delays are often related to how a child coordinates the muscles of the mouth, lips, tongue, and jaw. In some cases, they can be linked to hearing difficulties, oral-motor issues, or conditions like childhood apraxia of speech.

What Is a Language Delay?

Language is the ability to understand and use words, sentences, and grammar to communicate meaning. A child with a language delay may have difficulty understanding what others say (receptive language), expressing their own thoughts and needs (expressive language), or both.

Signs of a language delay include using fewer words than expected for their age, difficulty putting words together into phrases or sentences, struggling to follow simple instructions, and limited use of gestures like pointing or waving.

A child with a language delay might understand very little of what you say to them, or they might understand well but only have a handful of words at an age when most children are putting sentences together.

Language delays can occur on their own or alongside other developmental differences. In some cases, they may be an early sign of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), which affects approximately 1 in 14 children.

Can a Child Have Both?

Yes. Some children have difficulties with both speech and language. For example, a child may have a limited vocabulary (language delay) and also be hard to understand when they do speak (speech delay). This is common and doesn't necessarily mean the difficulties are more serious, but it does mean that a comprehensive assessment by a speech and language therapist is particularly important.

What About Late Talkers?

A "late talker" is typically a child between 18 and 30 months who has good understanding, normal play and social skills, but a limited number of spoken words. According to the Hanen Centre, late talkers have fewer than 50 words by age 2 and are not yet combining two words together.

Some late talkers do catch up on their own. However, there is no reliable way to predict which children will close the gap and which will continue to fall behind. This is why a "wait and see" approach can be risky, early assessment costs nothing in terms of harm, but delayed support can have lasting consequences.

Why Does the Difference Matter?

Understanding whether your child has a speech delay, a language delay, or both helps determine what kind of support they need.

A child with a speech delay may need therapy focused on sound production, oral-motor exercises, and articulation practice. A child with a language delay may need therapy focused on building vocabulary, understanding instructions, and forming sentences. A child with both will need a therapy plan that addresses both areas.

A qualified speech and language therapist can carry out a comprehensive assessment and tell you exactly what your child needs. You do not need a GP referral to book an assessment, you can go directly to a CORU-registered therapist.

When Should You Seek Help?

If your child has fewer than 50 words by age 2, is not combining two words by age 2, is difficult to understand by age 3, does not seem to understand simple instructions, has stopped using words or sounds they previously used, or seems frustrated when trying to communicate, an assessment with a speech and language therapist is recommended.

Early identification and early intervention are the most important factors in positive outcomes. The sooner you understand what your child needs, the sooner you can start helping them.

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