Initial consonant deletion and weak syllable deletion are examples of which pattern when they occur consistently?

• A. articulation disorder
• B. consistent phonological disorder
• C. inconsistent phonological disorder
• D. phonological delay

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that these are phonological processes—patterns that affect the sound system by simplifying syllable structure. When initial consonant deletion and weak syllable deletion occur across many words and contexts and persist beyond the age they should have resolved, this points to a consistent phonological disorder. It’s not just occasional slips or a few sounds misarticulated; there’s a stable, rule-like simplification in the child’s speech. An articulation disorder would involve mispronunciations of individual sounds rather than broad, patterned changes. An inconsistent phonological disorder would show variability across words or contexts, not the present, uniform pattern. A phonological delay would imply a pattern that mirrors younger-child speech but simply lags in time; the emphasis here is on the consistent, persistent pattern, which aligns with a consistent phonological disorder.