Why do children pronounce apple ebu?

Answer 1

It is not clear that English-speaking children, in general, usually pronounce "apple" as "ebu," but if you know one or several who do, then the following facts may contribute to that pronunciation. The explanation rests on the premise that the child is saying what he has, in fact, heard; that not knowing the conventional sounds of the word "apple," he has simply mimicked the sounds as he perceived them. Caution: While it is possible, in retrospect, to invent explanations for specific pronunciations, we would need evidence that those explanations are actually at work in any specific instance. Children who say "ebu" for "apple" might be coping with a hearing loss, or with some peripheral paralysis of the speech mechanism. They might have some general muscular incoordination resulting from medication, or some central neurological deficit associated with a condition such as cerebral palsy or minimal brain damage. They might be learning English as a second language; or they might be very young and in the early stages of refining their pronunciations. They might be imitating accurately the speech of those around them; or they might be merely playing with the sounds of language for sheer joy. Consequently, this discussion is really a response to the narrow question, "Would someone please suggest a phonetic analysis that is consistent with a child's pronunciation of apple as ebu." First there is the substitution of "u" for "l". In English, a final "l" (or an "l" that closes a syllable before a consonant) is, technically, "'dark" and resembles a "back" vowel such as "u." [Compare, for example, the "l" in "lean" with the "l" in "full": the former is clear; the latter dark. Many children mistake a dark ""l" for "u." Notice, for example, the common child-like pronunciation of "ball" as "baw."] Second, there is the substitution of "b" for "p." The "p" in apple is, technically speaking, "unaspirated," as is "b." Moreover, the "p" in "apple" is intervocalic(between vowels) and would naturally take on some degree of voice. Because "b" is unaspirated and voiced, a child might mistake the "p" for "b" in that phonetic context. Last, there is the substitution of "e" for "a." Both in formation and in sound, those sounds are close. In fact, in some dialects of British English, the word "bat" will sound, to a speaker of American English, much like the word "bet."

Answer 2

It could be due to their developing speech and language skills. Young children are still learning how to produce sounds accurately, which can result in some mispronunciations. As they continue to grow and practice speaking, they usually outgrow these errors.