Speech
Gliding in Speech: Why Your Child Says "Wabbit" for "Rabbit"
What gliding is, why it is usually the last pattern to go, a quick check you can do at home, and how to help: l and r cues, r and w and l and w minimal pairs, games and free picture cards.
When a child says “wabbit” for rabbit, “wing” for ring or “wight” for light, the pattern is called gliding: w (or y) takes the place of r or l. It is usually the last common speech pattern to go away, by about age 6 to 7 in the table published by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), so a 4- or 5-year-old who glides is usually on schedule.
Every tip on this page comes back to one idea: w is made with the lips; r and l are made with the tongue. A child who glides is using their lips for a sound that needs the tongue. Practice uses minimal pairs: two words that differ only in that sound, such as ring and wing, or lock and wok.
What is gliding in speech?
Gliding is a speech pattern where r and l are replaced by w or y, the sounds called glides. R becomes w (“wed” for red, “wun” for run), and l becomes w or y (“wamp” or “yamp” for lamp). It affects r and l at the start of a word or a beat, where they come before the vowel.
Is gliding normal? When does it usually stop?
Gliding is a normal part of learning to talk, and in ASHA’s table it usually goes away by 6 to 7, later than any other common pattern. Per sound, a 2020 review of English consonant acquisition by Crowe and McLeod found 90% of children say l by 4 years 11 months and r by 5 years 11 months. Gliding that is still there well past 7 needs a speech-language pathologist’s help rather than home cards alone.
Quick gliding check
This is an at-home screening, not a diagnosis, and it does not replace an evaluation by a speech-language pathologist. Ask your child to name twelve pictures or things: rabbit, ring, rock, rake, rug and robot, then leaf, lamp, lemon, lion, log and ladder. Note what you hear at the start: r or l, or w or y. Read it by age: before 6, w for r is usually still part of learning to talk.
Gliding vs. vocalic r: two different r problems
Gliding and vocalic r are two different problems with r. Gliding is r at the start of a word or beat turned into w: “wabbit” for rabbit. Vocalic r is r after a vowel, as in car, bird and four, which some children say without the r (“cah” for car). They are practiced differently, so it is worth knowing which one you are hearing. The reading side of r after a vowel, bossy r, is on the r-controlled vowels page.
How can I help my child with gliding at home?
Help a child who glides by teaching l with the tongue tip up and r with a growl, and keeping the lips out of it. The cues come from the speech sound activities published by MyHealth Alberta, presented by a pediatric speech-language pathologist: for l, “lift up the tip of your tongue to the bump on the roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth”, and for r, the “growly bear sound”. MyHealth Alberta gives l “by 5 years of age” and r “by 6”.
Tongue up for l
Lift the tip of your tongue to the bump behind your top teeth and say la-la-la. Let your child copy you in a mirror and watch the tongue go up each time.
Growl for r
Make a growly bear sound together: grrr. Then put the growl at the start of a word: rrr-abbit.
Practice with the pairs
Lay out a pair such as ring and wing. Say one and let your child point, then swap roles. Point to the one you heard, not the one they meant.
R and w minimal pairs
R and w minimal pairs are words that differ only in r against w. Tap a sound or a word to hear it.
| R | W |
|---|---|
| ring | wing |
| rag | wag |
| rig | wig |
| rock | wok |
| rake | wake |
L and w minimal pairs
L and w minimal pairs practice the tongue-up l against the lips-round w.
| L | W |
|---|---|
| lock | wok |
| lake | wake |
L and y minimal pairs
L and y minimal pairs are for a child who says y for l, “yamb” for lamb.
| L | Y |
|---|---|
| lamb | yam |
| lawn | yawn |
Gliding games and activities
Each game uses the pair cards, so the right sound wins the turn.
- Feed the monster. Say a word, and your child feeds that picture to a toy monster. It only eats the ring if you said ring.
- Growling bears. Take turns growling grrr, then growl the start of a word: rrr-ock.
- Go fish and memory with the pair cards.
Free printable gliding cards and worksheets
Free PDF · no sign-up
Free printable gliding minimal pairs
Pair cards for r and w, l and w, and l and y with the games on the last page, a circle-the-one-I-say listening sheet, and r and l picture cards sorted by where the sound falls in the word, for practicing each sound on its own. The l and r cue cards and a practice log come from the minimal pairs page, and the mouth shape cards for every sound from the English sounds chart. No account, no email.
- Minimal Pair Cards (PDF)9 pairs · 4 pages
- Circle the One I Say (PDF)9 pairs · answer key included · 3 pages
- Articulation Picture Cards (PDF)53 cards for R and L · 6 pages
- Speech Sound Cue Cards (PDF)7 sounds · 4 pages
- Mouth Shape Cards (PDF)46 sounds · 9 pages
- 5-Minute Speech Practice Log (PDF)5 days · 1 page
When to see a speech-language pathologist
See a speech-language pathologist if gliding is still there well past 6 to 7, if your child’s speech is hard for people outside the family to follow, or if you are worried. ASHA ProFind lists certified speech-language pathologists, and the full chart of speech patterns and their usual ages is on the phonological processes page.
Frequently asked questions
What are gliding phonological processes in children?
Gliding is when a child says w or y in place of r or l, so rabbit becomes wabbit and light becomes wight. It is one of the patterns young children use while they learn to talk, and it is usually the last to go, by 6 to 7 in the table published by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Why are R and L sounds challenging for children with speech delays?
R and l arrive late for every child: 90% of children say l by 4 years 11 months and r by 5 years 11 months. A child with a speech delay may take longer still, and a speech-language pathologist can tell you whether that is expected for your child.
Effective strategies for teaching gliding phonological processes through play
Use pairs such as ring and wing in games where the right word matters: feed a toy monster the picture you name, play go fish, or play memory with the pairs. Keep it to five minutes, and listen first, say second.
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