At what age is assimilation typically expected to be eliminated?

Assimilation refers to a phonological process in which a sound changes to become more like a neighboring sound. In young children, particularly those developing speech and language skills, assimilation can occur as they learn to articulate and produce sounds correctly.

By age 3, most children have typically developed adequate phonological awareness and articulatory control to reduce the occurrence of assimilative speech patterns. While some residual assimilation may still be present in some children past this age, it is generally expected that the majority will have eliminated such productions by the time they reach 3 years old. This aligns with typical speech development milestones, where phonological processes diminish as children's speech becomes more clear and consistent. Therefore, recognizing the nuances in speech development is crucial for speech-language pathology assessments and interventions.