Why do retarded people pronounce their Rs like Ws?

Question

I'm not trying to be insulting, I'm just wondering what the reason is for this speech impediment.

Answer 1

Any one of several reasons. Depending on the type of retardation... Some do not have good auditory sensitivity. They are repeating what they believe they are hearing, and their ears are not completely sensitive to the difference. Or, perhaps, they don't have the fine muscle control over their larynx. And some have an enlarged tongue and physically can't make the sounds properly.

Or, any combination of the above.

Answer 2

I agree with many of the anatomical reasons listed above.. it also could be a speech impediment known as "gliding." Most little kids who have problems saying "r" do the same thing. Many patients with mental retardation have never received speech therapy, and probably don't even realize they are saying it wrong. They may really think that a word like "rock" starts with a "w." That's the case of many of my clients who don't have any anatomical deformities... just a speech problem.

Answer 3

/r/ is a sound which chages slightly when combined with other
letter. This makes it difficult to teach/learn. The tongue is sort of floating, without a place to "anchor" For example /t/ always touches the roof of the mouth behind the teeth- easy to "feel" it doing that. Not so with /r/ or /s/ for that matter. That is why those two sounds and r-blends, /tr/-, /str/, /br/ etc etc are common speech therapy goals for BOTH regular ed and special ed kids.
Many speech therapists dismiss kids from therapy when they only have those sounds left to develop because they are still intelligible.
Take some Bostonians- no /r/!

Answer 4

First of all, just because you have that kind of speech impediment does not make you "mentally retarded." Barbara Walters has that same impediment and she's brilliant. Try to use better words.

Answer 5

Ok... what do you mean by "retarded" as it is a very offensive word. Normal people have stutters and things but that doesn't mean they're retarded.
You wouldn't call Johnathan Ross retarded would you.

The reason they say r's like w's is because thats how they cannot pronounse the r because they have trouble getting it out due to the speach imparement.

Answer 6

Just a conjecture...

When you say words that begin with "w," such as "we were wishing..." note how close your tongue is to your teeth as you pronounce the w-sound. One of the characteristics of Down Syndrome is an enlarged tongue. If the person you describe is in that category, the w may be easier than the r because of the position of the tongue.

Answer 7

Many highly intelligent people have speech impediments.

Answer 8

A speech therapist might probable be your superb wager, as they might get to the foundation of the concern. to pronounce W, you prefer extreme lip rounding - as once you are going to offer somebody a %. on the cheek. you besides might prefer the top of your tongue drawing close the factor of your 'alveolar tidge', it quite is the stressful lumpy bit at the back of your enamel (on the best), and your tongue pass into opposite. additionally sluggish speech might help, as you ought to communicate all of the letter sounds. desire this facilitates :)

Answer 9

it could be a number of things. First it could be a hearing problem or it could be a malformation of the bones in the facial structures that doesn't allow them to pronounce things properly.

Answer 10

First of all do not refer to mentally disabled people as "retarded people". Secondly, I have heard people who are very well educated speak with this problem.