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<p>Speaking fluency, a crucial component of verbal communication, is characterized by fluid and continuous speaking. Both linguistic proficiency and cognitive-motor coordination are reflected in speech tempo and disfluencies, which are significant indicators of fluency. Although normative data on speech rates and disfluencies are available for many languages, there are currently few studies on Tamil-speaking children. This study examines speech rates and disfluencies among preschool-aged native Tamil speakers, ages 3.1 to 6, with a focus on gender differences, age-related variations, and articulation patterns. 90 children, 45 of whom were girls and 45 of whom were boys, participated in the observational study. The inclusion criteria required that participants be native speakers of Tamil, engaged in a regular preschool program, and free of speech or language barriers, neurological issues, or hearing impairments. Speech samples were obtained via narrating story charts, reciting nursery rhymes, and describing images. By examining the collected data, speech rate, disfluency types, and articulation errors were assessed. The results indicated that speaking rate grew progressively with age and did not differ significantly depending on gender. Children’s total disfluency rates declined with age. Interjections, repetitions, and silent pauses were common disfluencies. Whole-word repetitions and pauses were statistically significant across all age groups. Articulatory errors varied as people aged, with omission and distortion errors declining and addition and substitution errors increasing. Stuttering-like disfluencies were more common in boys, which may suggest that they are more prone to stammer. These findings provide information on the typical fluency development of Tamil-speaking children while also emphasizing the need for more research to distinguish between speech fluency problems and typical developmental trends. Understanding these trends is crucial for early detection and treatment of children at risk for speech impairments.</p>

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“Developmental Trajectories of Speech Rate and Disfluencies in Native Tamil-Speaking Preschool Children: A Linguistic and Cognitive Analysis”

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月13日

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  • G. Tamilselvan,
  • G. Muthukumaran,
  • S. Ambethkar,
  • C. S. Upanisha,
  • Kala Samayan

摘要

Speaking fluency, a crucial component of verbal communication, is characterized by fluid and continuous speaking. Both linguistic proficiency and cognitive-motor coordination are reflected in speech tempo and disfluencies, which are significant indicators of fluency. Although normative data on speech rates and disfluencies are available for many languages, there are currently few studies on Tamil-speaking children. This study examines speech rates and disfluencies among preschool-aged native Tamil speakers, ages 3.1 to 6, with a focus on gender differences, age-related variations, and articulation patterns. 90 children, 45 of whom were girls and 45 of whom were boys, participated in the observational study. The inclusion criteria required that participants be native speakers of Tamil, engaged in a regular preschool program, and free of speech or language barriers, neurological issues, or hearing impairments. Speech samples were obtained via narrating story charts, reciting nursery rhymes, and describing images. By examining the collected data, speech rate, disfluency types, and articulation errors were assessed. The results indicated that speaking rate grew progressively with age and did not differ significantly depending on gender. Children’s total disfluency rates declined with age. Interjections, repetitions, and silent pauses were common disfluencies. Whole-word repetitions and pauses were statistically significant across all age groups. Articulatory errors varied as people aged, with omission and distortion errors declining and addition and substitution errors increasing. Stuttering-like disfluencies were more common in boys, which may suggest that they are more prone to stammer. These findings provide information on the typical fluency development of Tamil-speaking children while also emphasizing the need for more research to distinguish between speech fluency problems and typical developmental trends. Understanding these trends is crucial for early detection and treatment of children at risk for speech impairments.