What is the term for the deletion of the final consonant of a word?

The term for the deletion of the final consonant of a word is "final consonant deletion." This phonological process is commonly observed in the speech of young children as they are developing their language skills. It involves omitting the last consonant sound of a word, which can simplify the pronunciation of the word. For example, the word "cat" may be pronounced as "ca," effectively dropping the final 't' sound. This process is part of typical language development and is often seen in children who are learning to speak, as they may find certain phonetic combinations challenging to articulate. Understanding this term is vital for speech-language pathologists as they assess and diagnose speech patterns in children.