As new parents, one of the most exciting milestones is watching your baby start to communicate. Between diaper changes and sleepless nights, you might find yourself wondering: when do babies actually start talking? After all, it’s hard to believe that these tiny humans, who once communicated solely through cries and gurgles, will soon be bargaining for cookies before dinner. Fear not! Let’s break down the delightful journey of speech development.
When do babies start babbling?
Think of babbling as the first step, the rehearsal if you will, leading up to the big show: Saying actual words and sentences. Babies can laugh, giggle, gurgle, and say vowel sounds very early on, but babbling with a purpose usually starts at around 6 months when they will start to experiment with consonant sounds like m, b, and p. They will start combining those sounds with their vowel sounds, creating adorable babblings like ba-ba, da-da, ma-ma, ga-ga and so on. Remember to encourage this by responding enthusiastically - your little one will love being the star of the show.
When do babies start saying words?
Fast forward to your baby’s first birthday, and your little one might surprise you with their first real words! Often, these magical utterances include “mama” or “dada,” followed by a lot of joy (and possibly some proud tears). It can also be common greetings like “hi” or “bye,” as well as words related to food and toys, like “juice” and “ball.” During this period your baby also starts to associate names and sounds with actual things and people, encouraging them even more to use words to communicate their wants and needs. Don’t be surprised if the word “NO!” soon enters their vocabulary…
When do babies start putting words together?
When babies are around 13-18 months old, they will keep adding words and meanings to their vocabulary and start experimenting with intonation by copying your speech patterns, turning a demand: “juice!” into a question: “juice?”. You should also get some good laughs during this period as your budding toddler learns to recognize and differentiate words and things. For example, you could have a family dog, and your toddler knows that the word “dog” = the four-legged furry friend. So they might shout “dog!” when they greet the neighbor's cat on the street or shout “ball!” at the moon because it’s round like their toy ball.
From 18-24 months, get ready for a language explosion, as your baby’s vocabulary expands faster than you can keep up. Around this time, they will also start putting two or more words together to make their wants even more clear: “My ball,” “My cookie,” and “More juice!” You’re getting the picture.
When do babies start saying sentences?
By the time they reach the age of two, your toddler may start forming sentences with three or four words strung together, like “All done food” or “Doggy go out”. From now on, their vocabulary will continue to grow with more and more words – sometimes it can seem like they learn 10 new words every day!
You might as well start preparing yourself mentally for the “why”-phase – it’ll happen sooner than you think. While it can seem like the questions are never-ending, your little one’s curiosity is a good sign that their language development is right on track.
What can you do to help?
Babies are pretty hardwired to learn language, but if you want to support your baby’s language-learning journey even more, here are some tips and strategies you can incorporate into your day-to-day practice:
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Avoid baby talk: The best thing for your baby’s language development is to, you guessed it, hear language. The first step is to keep baby talk to a minimum – We know it’s so tempting, but it’s important that you speak normally around your baby. You might think that you’re making it easier for them to understand you, but babies learn by copying your words, sentences, and intonation, and even though it might seem like they don’t understand anything, they’re absorbing everything like an adorable little sponge.
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Narrate what you’re doing: If you’re home alone with your baby, it can be difficult to remember to talk and use your language (after all, there’s not much reaction or feedback coming from the recipient just yet) but a good way to do this is by narrating you and your baby’s actions. “Mommy is making dinner. Mommy is chopping tomatoes with a knife.” “Do you want to play with the ball? Let’s play with the ball. See, now we’re playing with the ball!”
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Use names for people and objects: Referring to people by their names instead of pronouns (‘Daddy’ instead of ‘he’) helps your baby make clear associations, reinforcing their understanding of who’s who. The same principle goes for objects: “Daddy is putting food on the plate. Here is your plate, Gabby. This is Gabby’s plate.”
It can seem like a bit much, but repetition is important.
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Expand sentences and descriptions: When your little one reaches the toddler stage where they know more words and start to form sentences, you can help further their language by expanding their words and sentences. If they shout: “Dog!”, you can respond with: “Yes, that’s a big dog! The dog is running after the ball.”
- Read stories and sing songs: Reading books and singing songs is an important step in your baby’s language development. Reading age-appropriate books can help teach your toddler about colors, animals, foods, and a host of other important things as well as expanding their vocabulary further. Singing is also important; music and child brain development are closely linked, and melodies can help your child learn intonation and remember words, just like it’s easier for adults to remember lyrics to a song when we hear it with music.
When should you see a specialist?
Every child develops at their own pace, and some kids take a little longer than others to find their voice. However, if your toddler is more interested in perfecting their silent ninja skills than in saying their first words, it might be time to check in with a specialist. While a “late talker” isn’t always a cause for concern, there are some signs that could indicate a speech delay that needs professional attention.
If your baby isn’t babbling by 7 to 9 months, isn’t saying any words by 12 to 15 months, or hasn’t started combining words by the age of 2, it’s worth having a conversation with your pediatrician. Other things to watch out for include difficulty making eye contact, not responding to their name or a sudden loss of words they previously used.
In some cases, speech delays are simply a matter of needing a little extra encouragement, but in others, they could be linked to hearing issues, oral-motor challenges, or developmental disorders like autism. The good news? Early intervention can make a huge difference, helping your child build confidence and develop the skills they need to become a little chatterbox in no time.
From first words to full sentences, it’s an amazing ride
By understanding the stages of speech development and engaging with your baby in a fun and meaningful way, you can create an environment that fosters communication and expression. Each child is unique, so celebrate their milestones and enjoy the ride. Before you know it, you’ll be having full conversations about their day, their favorite toys, and their latest shenanigans—just don’t be surprised if they start negotiating for dessert before dinner!