PURPOSE: to determine the consonant phonemes articulation patterns in Chilean skeletal class I, II and III Spanish speakers and compare their phonetic differences. METHODS: fifty-four skeletal class I, II and III subjects were selected, based on intraoral clinical examination and Ricketts cephalometric analysis, constituting the study groups. A standardized phonoarticulatory test was applied to each patient to determine the modified phonemes and their compensatory patterns. RESULTS: the findings indicate changes in articulation in all three groups. Significant differences were found in anterior and medium phonemes between skeletal class I and II and only in the anterior phonemes between skeletal class I and III. There were no significant differences between II and III skeletal groups. Qualitatively different modifications and compensations between skeletal classes are reported. CONCLUSION: different degree of modification in consonant phonemes articulation is shown in class II and III patients when compared to class I skeletal subjects. These differences are related to the skeletal patterns.
Malocclusion, Angle Class I; Malocclusion, Angle Class II; Malocclusion, Angle Class III; Speech; Phonetics
