Articulation and Phonological Considerations for Working With Spanish Speakers
Article
Sommer, Chelsea L, Medina, Angela M, Flores, Tanya. (2026). Articulation and Phonological Considerations for Working With Spanish Speakers
. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 1-16. 10.1044/2026_persp-25-00191
Sommer, Chelsea L, Medina, Angela M, Flores, Tanya. (2026). Articulation and Phonological Considerations for Working With Spanish Speakers
. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 1-16. 10.1044/2026_persp-25-00191
Purpose:Spanish is one of the most common languages spoken in the world and a growing language used in the United States; however, many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) do not receive specific education or training on the Spanish language. The purpose of this tutorial was to provide SLPs with knowledge about the Spanish phonological system to help them when assessing Spanish-speaking clients for speech sound disorders.Results:This tutorial compares the General American English and Standardized Spanish (based on Real Academia Española) phonological systems, with individual varieties specified in the text. The clinical implications of unique differences across English and Spanish are discussed. Additionally, this tutorial underscores the importance of considerations for specific dialects. SLPs must consider their client's languages and dialects during assessment and treatment.Conclusion:This tutorial can be used as a resource for SLPs who work with bilingual English-Spanish–speaking and monolingual Spanish-speaking clients.
