Toddlers often swap, drop or simplify sounds while their speech is still developing, so "spaghetti" becomes "pasghetti" and "animal" becomes "aminal." It's a normal part of learning to talk, and most of these words fix themselves within a year or two. Write them down or record them now, because they disappear fast.
One day your toddler asks for “pasghetti.” It’s the best thing you’ve ever heard. Then, a few months later, they say “spaghetti” perfectly, and you realize the pasghetti era is over.
These little mistakes are some of the sweetest parts of the toddler years, and also some of the shortest. Here are 60 of the most common ones parents tell us about, sorted by the kind of mix-up.
Why toddlers say words wrong
Learning to talk is hard work. Little mouths are still learning to make tricky sounds, and little brains are still figuring out how words are built. So toddlers take shortcuts:
- They swap sounds around, like pasghetti for spaghetti.
- They drop hard parts, like nana for banana.
- They replace hard sounds with easier ones, like wabbit for rabbit.
- They make up their own logic, like flutterby for butterfly.
These are a normal part of growing up, and most of them fade on their own. If you ever have questions about your child’s speech, your pediatrician or a speech-language pathologist is the right person to ask.
Swapped sounds
- Pasghetti (spaghetti)
- Aminal (animal)
- Hostipal (hospital)
- Pacific (specific)
- Ephelant (elephant)
- Aksed (asked)
- Mazagine (magazine)
- Emeny (enemy)
- Callerpitter (caterpillar)
- Hekalopter (helicopter)
- Cimmanon (cinnamon)
- Breakstift (breakfast)
Dropped sounds
- Nana (banana)
- Puter (computer)
- Tato (potato)
- Raff (giraffe)
- Nilla (vanilla)
- Member (remember)
- Scuse me (excuse me)
- Mato (tomato)
- Jamas (pajamas)
- Gurt (yogurt)
- Tephone (telephone)
- Bella (umbrella)
Easier sounds
- Wabbit (rabbit)
- Lellow (yellow)
- Tankoo (thank you)
- Fumb (thumb)
- Wed (red)
- Tiss (kiss)
- Gog (dog)
- Tat (cat)
- Lollilop (lollipop)
- Free (three)
- Yeyo (hello)
- Sore (sure)
Keep the way it sounds now A written word is sweet. Their voice saying it is even better. In Smalljoy you tap, they talk, and the recording is saved with their age. Get Smalljoy on iPhone
Made-up logic
- Flutterby (butterfly)
- Hangaburger (hamburger)
- Lemolade (lemonade)
- Sunscream (sunscreen)
- Ambliance (ambulance)
- Bestest (best)
- Uppy (pick me up)
- Nakey (naked)
- Lasterday (yesterday)
- Goed (went)
- Mouses (mice)
- Feets (feet)
Family favorites
Every family has a few words that stick around long after the toddler years, because everyone keeps saying them on purpose.
- Sockses (socks)
- Brefkist (breakfast)
- Fishes (fish)
- Cacker (cracker)
- Poon (spoon)
- Vegetibbles (vegetables)
- Strawbabies (strawberries)
- Octopups (octopus)
- Liberry (library)
- Ladybud (ladybug)
- Peetsa (pizza)
- Bubba (bubbles)
How to keep them before they disappear
These words change faster than you’d think. A word your child says every day can be gone in a few weeks. Here’s how to hold on to them:
- Write it down the first time you hear it. Include the date and their age.
- Record it. The way they say it matters as much as the word. A ten-second voice note is enough.
- Add the context. “Asked for pasghetti three nights in a row” is a story.
- Don’t correct them while recording. Just enjoy it. They’ll get there.
- Keep a running list. Over a year, you’ll be amazed at how many you collect.
We wrote more about this in how to remember the funny things your kids say and how to record your child’s voice on iPhone.
One day, they’ll say it right
That’s the bittersweet part. Every word on this list is a sign your child is learning and growing. And every one of them will be gone before you know it.
Keep the way it sounds now.