In developmental phonemic disorders, what occurs when air is released from the sides of the mouth?

When air is released from the sides of the mouth during speech production in developmental phonemic disorders, it results in a phenomenon known as distortion. This occurs when a sound is pronounced in a way that deviates from its typical articulation, leading to a more muffled or unclear version of that sound, rather than a clear, defined one. The sound may be altered but not completely changed; it retains some characteristics of the original sound while being produced with an atypical airflow pattern.

In contrast, blurring typically refers to a gradual loss of clarity in producing sounds. Assimilation involves a sound being influenced by neighboring sounds, altering its production based on phonetic context, while substitution refers to replacing one phoneme with another, entirely different sound, rather than distorting the original sound. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for identifying and addressing the specific challenges faced by individuals with phonemic disorders.