This chapter brings together studies related to the speech of children whose primary language is Chilean Spanish. Chilean Spanish is spoken from Arica in the north of Chile to Punta Arenas in the south. There are no dialects. It has 22 phonemes: 17 consonants, five vowels, and diphthongs (triphthongs are rare), and word-initial consonant clusters. The writing system has orthographic transparency. Studies of children’s typical acquisition of Chilean Spanish are oriented toward phonemic acquisition and phonetic-phonological modifications. Children with speech sound disorders have been studied. There are a range of common speech assessments including: Test para Evaluar los Procesos de Simplificación Fonológica (TEPROSIF-R) and Test de Articulación a la Repetición (TAR). Interventions have been developed for children with speech sound disorders and cleft palate.

Key words: 
Spanish (Chilean), multilingual, communication, speech, language, children’s development, interdisciplinary, international communities, assessment, intervention

Book chapter:
Herrera, D. P., Vergara, P., León, H., & Soto-Barba, J. (2025). Spanish (Chilean) speech development. In S. McLeod (Ed.). The Oxford handbook of speech development in languages of the world. Oxford University Press.

Language overview presentation:

• Herrera, D. P., Vergara, P., León, H., & Soto-Barba, J. (forthcoming). Spanish (Chilean): Multilingual children’s speech development. Charles Sturt University, Australia. https://www.csu.edu.au/research/multilingual-speech/languages

This presentation relates to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 17: Partnerships to Achieve the Goals