What is a key difference between phonetic and phonological disorders?

Phonetic disorders primarily focus on the actual physical production of sounds. These disorders involve issues with the articulation of speech sounds, reflecting difficulties in the motor processes that produce those sounds. When a child has a phonetic disorder, they may have trouble producing specific phonemes due to various physical or motor-related reasons, rather than an understanding of the sounds themselves.

In contrast, phonological disorders involve the knowledge and application of sound patterns and rules within a language. Children with phonological disorders may have the ability to produce certain sounds correctly when isolated but struggle with applying them in speech due to misunderstandings of the rules governing how sounds interact within words and sentences.

This distinction is critical in assessment and intervention, as therapies used to address phonetic disorders differ fundamentally from those aimed at phonological disorders, emphasizing the role of production versus understanding in speech development. In essence, the correct answer highlights the physicality of sound production associated with phonetic disorders.