What is one of the most common speech errors among children with hearing impairments?

The most common speech error among children with hearing impairments is the substitution of voiced consonants for voiceless ones. This is primarily due to the way children with hearing loss perceive sounds. Voiced consonants, such as "b" and "d," require the vocal cords to vibrate, while voiceless consonants, like "p" and "t," do not. Children with hearing impairments may struggle to differentiate between these sounds, particularly when the auditory input is limited or distorted. As a result, they might substitute a voiced sound for a voiceless one, as they can more readily perceive the presence of vocal cord vibration. This pattern reflects the challenges they face in auditory discrimination, which is essential for accurate speech production.

Other options do not typically characterize the speech errors associated with hearing impairments. The use of complex sentences, for example, is more indicative of language proficiency and development rather than a speech sound error. Likewise, frequent use of idiomatic expressions reflects a certain level of language comprehension and usage that may not align with the typical speech errors seen in children with hearing loss. High levels of intonation variation are more about prosody and emotional expression in speech rather than specific speech sound errors.