Speech vs. Language: What’s the Difference—and What Does a Speech-Language Pathologist Help With?

Elizabeth Lian CCC-SLP
Jul 31
3 min read

As a parent, teacher, or caregiver, you may have heard the terms speech and language used interchangeably—but did you know they actually refer to different sets of skills? Understanding this difference is key to understanding how a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) or speech therapist can support a child’s communication development.

Let’s break it down—and explore what speech and language skills look like at different ages, including social language, which plays a big role in friendships, classroom success, and everyday interactions.

What Is Speech?

Speech refers to how we produce sounds and words. It involves:

Articulation: How clearly we pronounce sounds (e.g., saying "wabbit" instead of "rabbit")
Voice: The quality and use of the voice (too hoarse, too nasal, etc.)
Fluency: The flow of speech (e.g., stuttering, repeating sounds)

What Is Language?

Language is how we use words and sentences to express ideas and understand others. It includes:

Receptive Language: Understanding words, questions, and directions
Expressive Language: Using words to communicate wants, thoughts, and ideas
Pragmatic (Social) Language: Using language appropriately in different social settings (e.g., greetings, turn-taking, reading body language)

Communication Skills by Age Group

Here's a snapshot of what speech, language, and social communication might look like from toddlerhood through school-age and a few simple activities you can do at home to support growth.

Toddlers (Ages 1–3)

Speech Skills:

Begins babbling and using simple word approximations (e.g., “ba” for “ball”)
By age 2, can be understood ~50% of the time by unfamiliar listeners
By age 3, intelligibility increases to ~75% or more

Language Skills:

First words typically appear around 12 months
By 18 months: uses 10–50 words
By age 2: begins combining 2-word phrases (e.g., “more juice,” “go park”)
By age 3: uses 3-word sentences and follows 2-step directions

Social Language:

Uses gestures (e.g., pointing, waving)
Engages in simple turn-taking (peek-a-boo, rolling a ball)
Begins to name feelings or request help with gestures or simple words

Home Activities:

Play and Label: Talk during play—“You have a train! Choo Choo!”
Simple Choices: “Do you want milk or water?” helps build expressive skills. Use of simple signs such as "more" "milk" and "help" can help a child communicate gesturally if they are not yet ready to use verbal words and can help a child connect and understand language/words and thier communicative purpose.
Sing and Repeat: Use songs with gestures like Itsy Bitsy Spider or Wheels on the Bus

Preschool (Ages 3–5)

Speech Skills:

Most sounds are emerging, but errors on “r,” and “th" for example are still typical by around 5.
Speech is mostly understood by others age 4

Language Skills:

Answers wh questions (who, what, where)
Uses plurals, verbs, and basic grammar
Tells simple stories or describes recent events

Social Language:

Greets others, asks for help
Begins understanding rules of conversation (e.g., not interrupting)
Practices pretend play and role-playing

Home Activities:

Picture Books: Pause to ask questions (“What’s happening?” “What do you think will happen next?”)
Sound Games: Look for objects that start with the same sound
Pretend Play: Create play scripts with dolls, action figures, or kitchen sets

Early Elementary (Ages 6–8)

Speech Skills:

Should be intelligible to all listeners
May still work on later sounds like “r,” and “th”, all sounds are typically mastered by around 6-7 years of age.

Language Skills:

Uses complex sentence structures
Retells stories with a beginning, middle, and end
Understands time concepts (before/after) and word relationships (opposites, categories)

Social Language:

Maintains conversations on a topic
Understands other perspectives (“Why is your friend upset?”)
Begins using language to negotiate or problem-solve

Home Activities:

Story Builders: Take turns adding to a silly story
Category Sorting: “Tell me all the animals you can think of!”
“What Would You Say?” Games: Practice responses to social situations (“You bump into someone—what do you say?”)

How an SLP can Help

Speech therapists assess and support all these areas through personalized, evidence-based strategies. Whether a child needs help producing sounds clearly, following directions, answering questions, or navigating social situations, an SLP works to strengthen communication across all settings.

We also coach families, teachers, and caregivers so that gains made in therapy carry over to everyday life.

Speech, language, and social communication are the building blocks of connection. When children can express themselves and understand others, their confidence and success soar.

Let’s break it down—and explore what speech and language skills look like at different ages, including social language, which plays a big role in friendships, classroom success, and everyday interactions.

What Is Speech?

Speech refers to how we produce sounds and words. It involves:

Articulation: How clearly we pronounce sounds (e.g., saying "wabbit" instead of "rabbit")

Voice: The quality and use of the voice (too hoarse, too nasal, etc.)

Fluency: The flow of speech (e.g., stuttering, repeating sounds)

What Is Language?

Language is how we use words and sentences to express ideas and understand others. It includes:

Receptive Language: Understanding words, questions, and directions

Expressive Language: Using words to communicate wants, thoughts, and ideas

Pragmatic (Social) Language: Using language appropriately in different social settings (e.g., greetings, turn-taking, reading body language)

Communication Skills by Age Group

Here's a snapshot of what speech, language, and social communication might look like from toddlerhood through school-age and a few simple activities you can do at home to support growth.

Toddlers (Ages 1–3)

Speech Skills:

Begins babbling and using simple word approximations (e.g., “ba” for “ball”)

By age 2, can be understood ~50% of the time by unfamiliar listeners

By age 3, intelligibility increases to ~75% or more

Language Skills:

First words typically appear around 12 months

By 18 months: uses 10–50 words

By age 2: begins combining 2-word phrases (e.g., “more juice,” “go park”)

By age 3: uses 3-word sentences and follows 2-step directions

Social Language:

Uses gestures (e.g., pointing, waving)

Engages in simple turn-taking (peek-a-boo, rolling a ball)

Begins to name feelings or request help with gestures or simple words

Home Activities:

Play and Label: Talk during play—“You have a train! Choo Choo!”

Sing and Repeat: Use songs with gestures like Itsy Bitsy Spider or Wheels on the Bus

Preschool (Ages 3–5)

Speech Skills:

Most sounds are emerging, but errors on “r,” and “th" for example are still typical by around 5.

Speech is mostly understood by others age 4

Language Skills:

Answers wh questions (who, what, where)

Uses plurals, verbs, and basic grammar

Tells simple stories or describes recent events

Social Language:

Greets others, asks for help

Begins understanding rules of conversation (e.g., not interrupting)

Practices pretend play and role-playing

Home Activities:

Picture Books: Pause to ask questions (“What’s happening?” “What do you think will happen next?”)

Sound Games: Look for objects that start with the same sound

Pretend Play: Create play scripts with dolls, action figures, or kitchen sets

Early Elementary (Ages 6–8)

Speech Skills:

Should be intelligible to all listeners

May still work on later sounds like “r,” and “th”, all sounds are typically mastered by around 6-7 years of age.

Language Skills:

Uses complex sentence structures

Retells stories with a beginning, middle, and end

Understands time concepts (before/after) and word relationships (opposites, categories)

Social Language:

Maintains conversations on a topic

Understands other perspectives (“Why is your friend upset?”)

Begins using language to negotiate or problem-solve

Home Activities:

Story Builders: Take turns adding to a silly story

Category Sorting: “Tell me all the animals you can think of!”

“What Would You Say?” Games: Practice responses to social situations (“You bump into someone—what do you say?”)

How an SLP can Help

Speech therapists assess and support all these areas through personalized, evidence-based strategies. Whether a child needs help producing sounds clearly, following directions, answering questions, or navigating social situations, an SLP works to strengthen communication across all settings.

We also coach families, teachers, and caregivers so that gains made in therapy carry over to everyday life.

Speech, language, and social communication are the building blocks of connection. When children can express themselves and understand others, their confidence and success soar.

If you’re wondering whether your child is meeting milestones—or how to support them—we’re here to help!✨

Happy Communicating,

Liz Lian MA CCC-SLP