The moment a little one joins the family, you can’t wait to hear their very first word. What will it be, – mama? dada? kitty? Or maybe something completely original and unexpected? Waiting for those first words is just as magical as the moment you’re longing to see your baby for the first time.
Parents of toddlers and preschoolers will tell you: just wait, soon this baby will bombard you with questions like “Why is an orange–orange?”, “Why is the sun round?”, “Why do cars need wheels?” and countless other fascinating conversations. Still, watching your child reach their speech and language developmental milestones is always exciting and enchanting.
Speech Milestones by Age
In general, speech milestones look something like this:
|
Age Range |
Key Speech Milestones |
|
Birth–6 Months |
Cooing, babbling, response to sound |
|
7–12 Months |
Babbling, gestures, first words |
|
12–24 Months |
Vocabulary growth, first phrases, basic comprehension |
|
2–3 Years |
Multiword sentences, grammar use, improved clarity |
Birth to 12 Months: Baby Speech Milestones Begin
Babies quickly start to recognize familiar voices and respond to them. Soon, they begin smiling at people and cooing when they see something pleasant or interesting. Overall, baby speech milestones include:
- From birth to three months – begin cooing and vocal play (e.g., “goo,” “aah”).
- At 4–6 months, babbling with single syllables (“pa,” “ba,” “mi”) is added. Babies also start paying attention to toys that make sounds, enjoy listening to music, and hearing lullabies.
- At this stage, they respond with different sounds when they are happy, upset, or want something.
- By 7–9 months, things get even more interesting. Babies begin to understand their name, may start to use gestures, point, and imitate sounds. Around this time, a baby may say their first word.
- By 9–12 months, they not only say their first meaningful word but also begin to expand their vocabulary. They may use their own speech-like “jargon” along with simple words (“dada,” “mama”).
- In their first 12 months of life, babies make an incredible developmental journey – progressing from first smiles to first real words.
12 to 18 Months: More Understanding
From one to one-and-a-half years, toddlers begin to better understand what is said to them. For example, if you ask where the nose, eyes, hair, or ears are, they may point to the correct body part. They can also understand simple requests: push the ball, take this, give me that, etc. Vocabulary may expand to 10–50 words.
18–24 Months: Language Explosion
Each month, several new words are added to their vocabulary. Long words with multiple syllables are often pronounced in funny, mixed-up ways, but they keep trying. By 24 months, they can not only combine words (“more milk,” “my toy”) but also form simple sentences. Toddlers can point to pictures in books when you name them.
2 to 3 Years: The “Why” Stage
Among speech and language developmental milestones, this stage is one of the most exciting because speech improves almost daily. Vocabulary reaches 250–300 words, and sentences grow to 2–3 words. Children begin using plurals, pronouns, basic tenses, descriptive words, and questions. Speech becomes understandable to strangers – not just to parents.
Comprehension also improves. For example, a child can now follow two-step instructions such as “Pick up the ball and put it in the box.” They begin to understand opposites: hot–cold, big–small, and more.
3 to 5 Years: Refining Speech and Improving Pronunciation
Some sounds may still be difficult after age three, but most are pronounced correctly. Children speak in full phrases and sentences. By age five, they recognize numbers up to ten, some letters, colors, and sometimes even shades.
This preschool period is part of the speech and language developmental milestones, where changes again happen rapidly. Kids move from single sentences to short stories, pronunciation becomes clearer, and they can maintain conversations, talk with peers and adults, invent games, and explain the rules.
Supporting Your Child's Speech Development at Every Age
It’s important not only to know about speech milestones by age but also to understand what to do at each stage. Parental support at every stage can work wonders. The speed of moving from one stage to the next is individual and depends on the child’s health and certain genetic factors. Still, the influence parents have on the process of speech development is remarkable.
Birth–6 Months
Your baby may not yet be able to tell you about their emotions, impressions, or actions – but you can! Comment on what you are doing and describe what you see around you (“We’re going to the kitchen, here’s the kettle”). Even if it feels a little silly, try to respond to your baby’s sounds – imitate their “goo” and “aah” to help build dialogue skills. Use facial expressions as an additional communication tool. Babies will react to smiles, facial expressions, and changes in your tone of voice. And of course, sing to your baby – lullabies, children’s songs, or even your favorite tunes.
7–12 Months
By 6–7 months, your baby can usually sit up – this is the perfect time to introduce their first bright books with simple, clear illustrations. Show the pictures, name the objects, imitate animal sounds, vehicle noises, and more. You can also teach your baby their first gestures: hello, bye-bye, give. This helps combine verbal and non-verbal skills. Speak simple words and phrases with clear articulation: “Where’s your toy? Here it is!”
One thing to avoid at any stage of speech development is switching to baby talk. While it may seem cute, it only makes it harder for the child to understand how to speak correctly. By articulating words clearly and naturally, you help your child repeat them correctly.
After 12 Months and Onwards
Talk to your child about your everyday activities: “Now we’re getting ready for a walk,” “We’re washing our hands,” and so on. Continue naming objects around you: “That’s a big dog,” “That’s a fluffy kitty,” “That’s a green leaf.” When your child says a word, expand on it. For example, if they say “tree,” you can add “a tall tree.”
Whenever possible, tell stories about the previous day and encourage your child to add details. Regularly engage in pretend play: Supermarket, Builder, Teacher, Doctor – any role works, as long as the child interacts with different objects and tries different roles.
Before bedtime or during rest, read to your child, sing songs, and listen to audiobooks together. Use every opportunity to create a language-rich environment.
When to Seek Help
Early intervention is key – many speech and language developmental milestones build on one another, so delays in early stages can affect later skills. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to whether your child is progressing through these stages. This isn’t to cause worry, but to help you know when to seek support if your child is not meeting key speech milestones. In particular, watch for:
- An infant under 6 months does not respond to voices, startle at sounds, or smile at parents when they speak.
- No consonant-like sounds by 12 months.
- Fewer than 10 words by 18 months.
- Inability to combine words by age 2.
- Speech still unclear at age 3.
- The child does not follow simple instructions like “Give me the ball.”
- Avoids eye contact, does not respond to name, or prefers to play alone.
Who Can Help?
- Audiologists – if there is a concern that the child may not be hearing sounds.
- Speech-language pathologists (SLPs)/speech therapists – for detailed speech and language evaluation.
- Pediatricians – to assess possible medical concerns.
The earlier you provide your child with the right support and help, the better, as it’s easier to address issues in early childhood.
