What process involves omitting a sound from within a word?

The process of omitting a sound from within a word is known as deletion. This occurs when a child skips over or removes certain phonetic elements as they are learning to speak. For instance, a child might say "nana" instead of "banana," omitting the 'b' sound. Deletion is a normal part of language development, as children simplify complex words to make them easier to articulate. This can typically happen with consonants or syllables that are more challenging for young children to produce accurately.

Assimilation refers to a process where a sound changes to become more like a neighboring sound; substitution involves replacing one sound with another; and consonant cluster reduction occurs when children simplify groups of consonants by dropping some of them. None of these processes directly involve omitting a sound from within a word, making deletion the accurate choice in this context.