In apraxia of speech, what happens to the durations of sounds and the intervals between sounds, syllables, and words?

• A. They are extended
• B. They are shortened
• C. They remain constant
• D. They become irregular but not necessarily extended

Answer: (A)

Apraxia of speech involves a breakdown in planning the sequence and timing of movements needed for speech. Because the programming of these movements is impaired, producing each sound takes more time and the transitions from sound to sound, from syllable to syllable, and from word to word slow down. This shows up as longer phoneme durations and longer gaps between segments, giving a slower, more effortful speech pattern with occasional groping as the speaker searches for the right sequence. The key feature is the extension of both the sounds and the pauses between them, rather than a simple shortening or a rhythm that’s just irregular.