2. Distortion of Sounds
Some people with apraxia may speak more slowly, but the words they are saying are quite clear. Others may speak in distorted sounds that do not resemble regular speech. Even if the words are recognizable, they may add certain sounds at the beginning, middle or end of the word, or replace some sounds with others.
A person could be talking with the speech that sounds quite regular until the end of the sentence, when they may add a strange sound at the end or leave out essential sounds altogether. The person with apraxia usually recognizes that his or her speech is not regular, and they may express distress or surprise at first.
In the case of a child, they may not realize that their speech is not understood by others, at least when they are very young. The distortion of sounds is one of the first symptoms of apraxia and can come on quite suddenly or gradually.