Articulation is the process by which sounds, syllables, and words are formed when your tongue, jaw, teeth, lips, and palate alter the air stream coming from the vocal folds. A person has an articulation problem when he or she produces sounds, syllables. An articulation problem sometimes sounds like baby talk because many very young children do mispronounce sounds, syllables, and words. But words that sound cute when mispronounced by young children interfere with the communication of older children or adults.
Most errors fall into one of three categories- omissions, substitutions, or distortions.
When the sound is said inaccurately, but sounds something like the intended sound, it is called a distortion. Articulation problems may result from physical handicaps, such as cerebral palsy, cleft palate. However, most articulation problems occur in the absence of any obvious physical disability. The cause of these so-called functional articulation problems may be faulty learning of speech sounds. It can be for some persons.