What does substitution refer to in phonological development?

Substitution in phonological development specifically refers to the process where children replace a difficult sound with one that is easier for them to pronounce during their language acquisition. For example, a child might say "wabbit" instead of "rabbit" by substituting the 'r' sound with a 'w' sound, which is typically easier for them to articulate at that stage of development. This phenomenon is part of the normal process of mastering the phonetic system of their language and reflects their evolving understanding of sound patterns.

In contrast, adding sounds to words pertains to a different phonological error called 'epenthesis' and does not accurately describe the substitution process. Eliminating complex sounds could relate to simplifications such as consonant cluster reductions but does not directly capture the essence of substitution. Lastly, combining two words into one is more about morphology and word formation, rather than phonological development specifically focusing on sound replacement.