What age should prevocalic voice errors be expected to be eliminated by?

Prevocalic voice errors refer to the substitution of voiced consonants for voiceless consonants at the beginning of words. For instance, the word "bat" might be pronounced as "vat." Children typically acquire the ability to produce these sounds correctly as they develop their speech and language skills.

By the age of 6 to 7 years, most children have usually mastered the production of voiced and voiceless consonants, including the elimination of prevocalic voice errors. This timeframe corresponds with the normal developmental milestones in speech sound acquisition, where children progress through various stages of sound production and phonological awareness.

It is important to note that while some children may master these sounds earlier, 6 to 7 years is considered the typical range for full mastery among the majority of children, as it reflects a more consistent ability to articulate sounds correctly within their speech patterns. Hence, this age range aligns well with typical developmental norms observed in speech-language pathology.