Give Janina a break! We are judging her as if we are so fluent in English and don’t make mistakes ever! Let’s just say she has a speech problem and needs to be seen by a speech pathologist. Normal speech may seem effortless, but it's actually a complex process that requires precise timing, nerve, and muscle control. When we speak, we must coordinate many muscles from various body parts and systems, including the larynx, which contains the vocal cords; the teeth, lips, tongue, and mouth; and the respiratory system. Producing speech and understanding the language is then coordinated in the brain. Some people with speech problems, particularly articulation disorders, may have hearing problems. Even mild hearing loss may have an impact on how a person reproduces the sounds they hear. Certain birth defects, such as a cleft palate, can interfere with someone's ability to produce speech. When a person has a cleft palate there is a hole in the roof of the mouth, which affe