When do babies say their first sentence

When do babies start talking? First words, sentences, and more

Babies typically say their first words between 7–12 months of age. But all babies develop at different speeds. Many start talking later than average, and this is rarely a cause for concern.

Below, we explore when babies start talking, how they learn a language, and what could cause delays.

Babies reach language milestones at different rates, and this is completely normal.

On average, they say their first words between 7–12 months of age and are constructing coherent sentences by 2–3 years of age.

Language develops alongside other skills, such as those relating to movement. As a result, many babies say their first words close to when they start walking — at about 12 months.

Learning a verbal language is a complex process. It helps a baby express their needs and can provide crucial insight about the rest of the world.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) offer the following approximate timeline of language development:

0–3 months: Babies recognize parental voices and make sounds that express their feelings.
4–6 months: They respond to changes in tone, follow sounds with their eyes, and babble.
7 months to 1 year: They understand basic words, respond to simple requests, and use their hands to communicate. Toward the end of this period, they may use a few words.
1–2 years: Babies understand basic questions, follow stories, and regularly pick up new words. They may also start to put words together to ask questions or express needs.
2–3 years: Toddlers start to string phrases together and speak coherently. They can usually refer to most things around them.
3–4 years: They can describe activities, use more complex sentences, and speak more fluently.
4–5 years: They use detailed sentences, tell stories, and can communicate easily with others.

A person can help encourage the development of language. If a baby is reaching these milestones more slowly, they may benefit from additional support from parents and other caregivers or a speech professional.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recommend the following ways to help babies and toddlers at different stages:

Birth to 2 years

To help with the development of language skills:

Respond when the baby laughs and makes faces or sounds.
Use sounds like “ma” and “da.”
Speak to them.
Narrate the world around them, such as by counting or describing the colors of objects.
Read to the baby.
Use gestures, such as pointing.

2–4 years

A person should:

Speak clearly, with good grammar, to the toddler.
Repeat what they say back to them.
Extend their words into sentences.
Help them ask questions.
Ask them to choose from a few options, such as by asking what they would like for dinner.
Sing songs and nursery rhymes.
Present pictures or objects and ask questions about them.

4–6 years

With a child in this age range, a person should:

Praise their speech.
Work on locations, such as by asking them to “Pick up the toy in the middle.”
Describe objects and ask the child to identify them.
Describe categories, such as barnyard animals, and ask the child for examples.
Ask them to give directions or describe where something is.
Take them along on daily activities and discuss these.
Also, discuss the stages or stories of a game, book, or TV show.

A variety of factors can influence the development of language. In many cases, exercising patience and taking additional steps to support speech development is all that is needed.

In some children, delays in language indicate speech disorders. However, these are relatively uncommon.

In the United States, around 5% of children and teens aged 3–17 years have had a speech disorder lasting at least 1 week in the past 12 months. In the same time frame, 3% of kids in this age range have had a language disorder lasting at least a week.

Meanwhile, having a hearing disorder may affect the development of language. In the U.S., 2–3 in every 1,000 children experience hearing problems from birth.

Some signs of a speech, language, or hearing disorder in babies and young children include:

0–3 months: The baby may not smile or interact.
4–7 months: They may not babble.
7–12 months: They rarely make sounds and use no gestures.
7 months to 2 years: A baby or toddler may say few words and have trouble understanding others.
2–3 years: They may say fewer than 50 words and rarely communicate or play with other children.
2.5–3 years: They may have difficulty with the beginning stages of reading and writing.

All babies develop differently — some pick up language right away, while others do not. Some babies start speaking early but take longer than expected to use coherent sentences.

In most cases, delays in language development do not indicate a disorder. But some babies and young children need additional support and activities that encourage speech.

Less often, a speech, language, or hearing disorder is involved, and the signs may be present from an early age. It is important to bring these up with a healthcare professional.

It is also important to attend all recommended pediatrician appointments, and the doctor should discuss the child’s development at each. Use the opportunity to ask questions and raise any concerns.

Health experts offer rough timelines about when babies, on average, reach milestones such as using their first words. However, all babies develop language at different rates.

Relatively rarely, a disorder is responsible for delayed language development. If a child shows any signs of a speech, language, or hearing disorder, contact a healthcare provider.

When Do Babies Start Talking: Timeline and Tips

A common question among first time parents: When do babies start talking? Believe it or not, baby’s journey to two-way communication begins earlier than you might think. Here’s further proof that babies are pretty incredible: They start learning language even before birth! That’s because baby could hear you speaking while in the womb and got familiar with the rhythm and sounds of the language you spoke. In fact, studies show that babies whose moms read specific books to them while pregnant go on to prefer hearing those books once they’re born, as measured by an increase in their sucking motion.

But exactly when do babies start talking—or saying actual words? The baby-talking milestone is a particularly exciting one. Few things are as special as watching baby start to babble, form words and eventually string those words together into sentences. Of course, every baby’s speech path is different, but there are some common signals and stages to look for during their language development. What’s more, there are ways to encourage baby to start creating associations and forming words.

Ready to get the language low-down? When do babies start babbling? At what age do babies start talking? And what words might you hear first? Follow along to find out what you can expect and what to do if baby isn’t hitting certain milestones.

In this article:
When do babies start babbling?
When do babies start talking?
How to teach baby to talk
What to do if baby isn’t talking

When Do Babies Start Babbling?

Before learning to talk, babies begin babbling. It might sound like gibberish, but this is the foundation of verbal communication. Yes, it’s baby’s first attempt at speaking a language. Babbling is like baby’s training wheels, as it gets them ready for the real deal. “It’s all practice, because those babbles form the basis of their first words,” according to Marianella Casasola, PhD, who researches babies in her Infant Studies Laboratory at Cornell University. Babbling often includes sighing and cooing sounds, which eventually develop into consonant sounds.

For example, baby might start making the “m” sound. With plenty of practice, that sound may turn into “ma,” and before you know it: “ma-ma.” So when do babies start babbling? Many babies will be babbling by the six-month mark, and begin using multiple syllables around 9 months old. Here’s a closer look:

By 6 months

As mentioned above, most babies are babbling regularly by 6 months, making short strings of consonant-vowel sounds such as ba-ba, ma-ma and da-da. “Babies exposed to two languages will even babble in ways that are consistent with both languages,” says Casasola.

At this stage, baby is rapidly acquiring receptive language, meaning language that they can understand, even though they can’t yet speak it. Experimental studies show that babies can associate “mama” with their caregiver, as early as 6 months.

By 9 months

By about this age, babies can begin to string sounds together to form multiple syllables, such as “ba-da-ma.” Babies can understand a lot more language than they can produce at this stage—largely because infants don’t have the motor skills to form words with their mouths yet, Casasola explains, and because it takes more cognitive skill to be able to pull a specific word from their memory than it does to just understand it.

When Do Babies Start Talking?

Apart from babbling around 6 months of age, when babies start to play with language sounds, babies won’t say their official first words for a year or so. (Of course, they have their own ways of communicating with you from birth—by crying, gurgling, sighing, cooing and, starting around 2 months, smiling.)

So when do babies say their first word? Well, there isn’t an exact answer. “There is a range when babies say their first words,” says Jocelyn Wood, CCC-SLP, a speech language pathologist. “In general, babies will say their first words between 9 and 12 months of age.” And when should a baby start talking more regularly? While that can also vary from baby to baby, it’s helpful to have an idea of what to expect. Below, you’ll find a general timeline for when babies say their first word, when babies start talking in full sentences and when babies talk clearly.

By 12 months

Get ready for your heart to melt to the sounds of “mama” and “dada. ” Babies say their first word around 12 months and will talk more clearly at about 18 months. “First words are going to be the things that are most common in your child’s world,” Wood says, “such as food items (banana, apple, milk), toys (ball, baby, car), important people (Mama, Dada, a pet or sibling name) or words from familiar routines (more, mine or all done).”

By 24 months

“Eighteen- to 24-month-old toddlers go through a period of rapid growth, when they are learning new word(s) every day,” Wood says. At this point your budding linguist may have a vocabulary of 50 to 100 words. “The 100 word milestone is important because this is when toddlers really start combining words to make simple phrases,” she explains. These sentences start as two- or three-word sentences (e.g., “my toy!”) and slowly but surely become more complex.“ Although there may be some slight variability, by 24 months you should be starting to lose track of the number of words they have and be focusing more on different combinations of words,” Wood says.

By 36 months

By 36 months, your toddler is likely to have a vocabulary of 200 words or more, though you probably won’t be counting anymore. Many kids this age can string together sentences of three or four words. You’ll also notice that your toddler speaks more clearly now; you should be able to understand at least 75 percent of what your little one says, which can also help reduce the number of tantrums (hurray!).

They’ll also be able to understand a lot of what you’re saying, so expect to get reactions from your little listener. You’ll notice your child may start to use language to solve problems and explain concepts around this age. Last but not least, get ready for storytime—your toddler will likely be telling you a few good tales pretty soon.

How to Teach Baby to Talk

“Babies are hardwired to learn language” in order to get what they need and connect with you, Casasola says. “The key is to interact and have fun, because every interaction is an opportunity to teach them language. ” The more baby gets familiar with the sounds and words in the language, the more inclined they’ll be to start trying them out for themselves. Try these tips to get the conversation started and help teach baby to talk.

Tip #1: Talk, talk and talk some more

“Studies show that how much you talk to your child is directly related to the number of words they learn, so simply chatting with them does wonders,” Casasola says. Naming things helps baby connect a word to an object, especially if they’re the one to show interest in it. So if baby points to a ball, for example, say its name out loud.

Visual cues help too, so point to the ball or hold it up for baby to see as you say its name. “Babies learn in realistic environments, so it will mean much more for a child to learn ‘more milk’ when they are sitting in their chair reaching for milk, rather than having a parent say they are pouring milk when the milk is out of sight,” Wood adds.

Tip #2: Use names instead of pronouns

To help baby start talking, use a specific name when referring to a person, such as “Daddy,” instead of saying “he. ” The more a baby hears a concrete name, the easier it’ll be for them to associate that name with a face.

Tip #3: Enunciate your words

Baby doesn’t automatically know how to make a “gra” sound using the back of their mouth and tongue. These speech skills must be learned. You can teach baby to talk by speaking slowly and articulating the various sounds that make up specific words, such as “Ggrraanndd-mmaaa” for “Grandma.”

Tip #4: Sing songs and read rhymes

There’s a reason that reading books and singing songs to babies is an age-old practice. “Music and language have always been very interconnected,” says Susan Darrow, a child development expert and CEO of Music Together. “Mothers instinctively know to speak to babies in higher, sing-songy voices, and research confirms that this higher-pitched, rhythmic, slower speech facilitates language comprehension in infants.” Just listening to music isn’t as effective as making your own though, so go ahead and sing your heart out. And no worries if you don’t have a voice like Adele—baby will be happy to hear you sing no matter how it sounds because it’s coming from you.

Tip #5: Repeat words

Baby’s babbling may signal that they’re focused and ready to learn, so offer specific words in response to their babbles and repeat them a few times. For example, if baby says “baba” while pointing to a banana, touch the banana and say the word a few times to help it start to stick. “It has to do with what child development experts call ‘serve and return,’” Darrow says. “A baby ‘serves’ a sound by making it, and you ‘return’ it by making the sound back to enable them to learn. It’s also a nice bonding experience.”

Tip #6: Give baby time to respond

“Talking is so new to babies, and they need time to process what you are saying and think about how they should move their mouth to get the right response,” Wood explains. When you talk to baby, she recommends building in pauses to see if your little one has a verbal (sounds or words) or non-verbal response (eye movement or gesture) to offer up.

Tip #7: Turn off the TV

Even educational programs can’t replace simply talking to baby when it comes to learning language. One study shows that 10-month-olds were able to understand some sounds of Mandarin Chinese when exposed to live speakers, but not when watching videos. “It makes sense that kids don’t learn from TV,” Casasola says. “Communicating is rewarding for kids because they’re connecting with you, and they can’t get that from screen time.”

Tip 8: Encourage imitation

Narrate what you’re doing—and be sure to use specific words—when you’re with baby to help them learn to label their world. You might say, “Mommy is scrambling eggs with a spoon for Brianna’s breakfast. Can you say ‘egg?’” Look her in the eye and say “egg” a few times to see if she tries to mimic you. You can also use words to describe baby’s actions as well. (Think: “Brianna is putting the bottle in her mouth.”)

What to Do If Baby Isn’t Talking

Keep in mind that there’s a wide range of normal when it comes to babies developing language skills. Sometimes, although you may be concerned that baby isn’t yet talking, all the language-learning they’ve been doing suddenly clicks, and they’ll start talking nonstop, seemingly out of nowhere. Be patient, as babies learn to speak at their own pace.

In fact, baby boys tend to develop language skills slower than girls. According to Wood, male brains function more unilaterally, with each side of the brain working separately, while female brains are more bilateral, with both sides of the brain working together. “Because of these differences, girls are usually more attuned to caregivers and can pick up on various tones and social cues, while boys may be a little slower,” she says. “These are the differences that cause parents to use different conversational styles with boys and girls, which may account for the differences in development.” In terms of language skills, boys may be three to four months behind their female peers, but they catch up completely by age 3.

When to seek help

What defines a “late talker?” It’s important to know that every baby is on their own unique timeline. The truth is that the questions, “when do babies say their first word?” and “when do babies start talking?” don’t have concrete answers. Try not to worry if your little one isn’t chatting away just yet—some babies are simply late talkers. However, if baby’s first word hasn’t been said by 15 months, or if by age 2, baby has less than 25 words, speak to your doctor. “It’s important that parents be aware of the signs of a speech delay so that they can receive support as early as possible,” Wood says. “Early intervention is crucial in helping children catch up to their peers.” She emphasizes that 8 percent of children in the US have communication disorders.

According to Wood, it may be time to turn to a professional if your child:

Hasn’t started babbling or making sounds by 7 months
Doesn’t respond to their name by 9 months
Hasn’t said their first words by 15 months or has a sudden loss of language skills
Has less than 25 words by 24 months
Isn’t making two-word sentences by 24 months
Has trouble producing a variety of speech sounds by 36 months

“The sooner you recognize any potential problems, the sooner you can get help that could enable your child to catch up developmentally,” Casasola says. “Trust your gut as a parent if you think something might be abnormal. It’s okay to be assertive or ask for a second opinion.”

If baby isn’t reaching their speech milestones, here are some other tests you might want to ask about:

• Hearing tests. If your child has trouble hearing, there’s a good chance they’ll also have speech delays. Babies are screened for hearing impairment soon after birth but some things, such as recurring ear infections, can affect hearing and lead to language delays.

• Speech evaluation. Speech-language pathologists are specialists who help with communication issues of all kinds, from stuttering and lisps to language comprehension. The type of testing and therapy baby may need will depend on their particular challenges. For example, sometimes children can hear and understand speech but they’re just not able to articulate the sounds themselves and need some help learning how.

• Developmental screenings. These screenings are typically done at well-child visits and are a way for your doctor to tell if baby is hitting typical milestones for their age or if they might be delayed. For example, if your one-year-old isn’t making eye contact or doesn’t seem motivated to communicate, it could be a sign of a delay.

“Don’t worry about stigmatization,” Casasola says. “Testing can help give kids the skills they need to overcome their challenges and adapt their learning and environment in a way that’s best suited for them.”

Remember that every child is unique and develops on their own timeline. “There can be huge differences in how language progresses from one child to another,” Casasola says. But if you’re ever concerned about baby’s progress, don’t hesitate to contact your pediatrician.

You’re eager to chit-chat with your child. And they’re excited by their budding vocabulary. When baby does start talking, it’ll be a whole new world. In the meantime, enjoy the early babbling and curious coos. And if you’re still wondering when you’ll hear that awesome first word come out of baby’s mouth, remember that there are simple ways to foster language development: Read to baby, sing to baby and keep on talking. And if your little one isn’t hitting the expected milestones, reach out to your pediatrician—early intervention can help.

About the experts:

Marianella Casasola, PhD, is an associate professor in the department of human development at Cornell University. She earned her PhD in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Her expertise is in infant cognitive development and early word learning with a particular interest in the interaction between thought and language during the first years of development.

Jocelyn M. Wood, MA, CCC-SLP, is a bilingual speech language pathologist with over a decade of experience. She specializes in working with parents who are seeking advice on how to introduce speech and language activities into everyday routines.

Susan Darrow is a child development expert and CEO of Music Together, a music program for babies and parents that has classes in more than 40 countries.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

Plus, more from The Bump:

How to Teach Baby 25 Key Words in Baby Sign Language

How to Perfect Your ‘Baby Talk’ to Boost Baby’s Speech Development

How to Boost Baby’s Speech Sound Development in Their First Year

What time do children start talking and how to help them

November 6, 2019 Likbez Adviсe

If a child is already 15 months old and the first word has not been spoken, this is an alarm signal.

When children start talking

There is no single answer to this question. The thing is that children's speech occurs much earlier than the conscious “mother” or “give” sounds.

The first form of communication is crying. Parents know that it differs depending on what the child wants to convey. For example, a high-pitched scream most likely means that the baby needs food, and a grunting whimper means it's time to change the diaper.

Sounds similar to real words appear at the age of 4-6 months. By this time, the speech apparatus is being improved and the child begins to experiment, opening and closing his mouth, inhaling and exhaling, moving his tongue, changing the shape of his lips. This is how baby babble appears: “a-ba-ba”, “aha” or even “mother”.

But one should not take such first words seriously: this is an accident. The child does not yet associate his "mother", "woman" or "give" with specific people or actions.

If a person claims that his child spoke at 7–9 months, he is either delusional or wishful thinking.

The first meaningful word appears between 11 and 12 months of age. And then the process goes like an avalanche. By the age of one, a child usually knows and pronounces not one, but from 2 to 20 words: “mom”, “dad”, “woman”, “give” and sometimes distorted, but nevertheless understandable “tu-tu” (train) , "boom" (fall) or "am" (eat).

Actually, the year can be considered the very boundary after which confident speech appears. Of course, children are different: someone starts chatting at 11 months, and someone keeps quiet for up to a year with a ponytail (babble does not count). But there is an important time point. If a child does not utter a single conscious word by 15 months, it is imperative to consult a pediatrician. He may have to undergo additional examinations, such as a hearing test or a visit to a neurologist.

How to understand that a child has speech problems

A mother is the most important expert on her own baby. Therefore, if it seems to her that the child has difficulties with the pronunciation of sounds or the reaction to what he hears, this is already enough to talk with the doctor.

But apart from "seems" there are objective signs of speech problems. They differ according to age.

3-4 months: the child does not babble, does not experiment with sounds.
5-6 months: does not react to unexpected sounds, does not turn his head to the call, does not laugh.
8–9 months: does not respond to his own name, babble is rare and monotonous.
12 months: doesn't say a single word, not even "mom", "give" or "na".
13-18 months: does not show simple objects in or around the picture (eg, does not understand the question "Where is the ball?"), does not have at least six words in the vocabulary by the age of 18 months, and does not learn new ones.

Another alarming symptom is the loss of acquired language skills. For example, if by 18 months the child uses the “normative” six words, but you know for sure that just a couple of months ago there were more than 20 of them, tell the pediatrician about such a regression.

How to help a child to speak

The best way is to create all conditions for communication. Here are the three most important things every parent should do.

1. Talk

Don't talk non-stop. Just talk to your child when you spend time together.

Name the things you are holding or holding out to your baby: “This is a ball. And this is a machine."
Describe what you are doing: “Now we are putting on our pants. And now, a jacket. And let's go for a walk!"
Explain what is going on around: “Wow, what a loud car drove!”, “Kar! This is a crow croaking”, “But my mother’s phone is ringing”.
Ask questions: “Do you hear how dad calls us? Run to him!”, “Your bunny is probably tired? Does he want to go to bed?
Sing lullabies.

2. Read aloud

Reading shows the child that there are many different words, teaches how to make sentences, shows how the action develops. This encourages him to tell his own stories, such as how dolls play with each other, why the car was hidden, or why he does not want to eat your soup.

3. Listen

Be grateful for stories: be interested, listen carefully, make eye contact. Make sure that the child wants to talk with you about what is happening around. This will encourage him to use more words and put them into more complex sentences.

Early Childhood Speech Development Calendar

Early childhood is considered a very important period in a child's life.

This is the time of the most rapid and rapid changes in the mental and physical development of the baby, the child takes the first steps, learns to speak, begins to use gestures and other means of communication.

3 weeks - 1 month - there is a cry indicating emotional discomfort, pain or hunger. With physical stress, the child groans, making the sounds "a", "e".

2 - 3 months : the baby has a cooing, he utters simple sounds - " a", "y", "s ", sometimes in combination with " g ". This is an important stage in the development of speech in young children.

4 - 6 months - emits high melodious sounds, sounds of exclamation, reacts with joyful sounds to the faces of loved ones.

6 - 9 months - babbling, he repeats the same syllables (“ma-ma-ma”, “ba-ba-ba”, “dya-dya-dya”, “gu-gu-gu”).

9 - 11 months - the baby begins to imitate the sounds of adult speech.

11 - 14 months - the first meaningful words "mom", "dad", "woman", "uncle" appear, from 8 to 14 words. Correlates a word with an object

By the age of 2 years there are 100-200 words in the baby's vocabulary. He is already building a sentence of 2-3 words.

By the age of 3 the volume of the dictionary increases to 1000 words by enriching the child's life experience. Simple prepositions appear: in, on, under, for, with, at. The child remembers poems, children's songs.

By the end of 3 years , most children are able to construct sentences grammatically correctly, conduct dialogues, tell what they have seen and heard.

Important to know:

Do not listen to advice from other parents whose children began to say after 3 years that the child will speak on his own. He will speak, the only question is what kind of speech it will be, its quality.

How can I identify the signs of speech disorders in a child?

By the end of 1 month the baby does not cry before feeding

By the end of 4 months does not smile when his mother talks to him, does not coo.

By the end of the 5th month does not listen to sounds and music

By the end of the 7th month does not react to the intonation of the voice, does not recognize the mother’s voice with a “revitalization complex” syllables for adults

By the end of 1 year the child does not wave his head when saying goodbye in denial. He does not utter a single word and does not follow simple instructions: “give”, “on”, “take”.

By the age of 1.5, does not show or name mom and dad, does not build a tower of blocks, does not differentiate sounding toys, does not use a pointing gesture.

By age 2 does not show body parts, does not show mum and dad in the photo, does not follow the two-step instruction (go to the kitchen and put the plate on the table)

By the age of 2.5, does not distinguish between “big and small”, does not communicate with children.

By the age of 3, cannot give his first and last name, tell a simple poem and a fairy tale.

If this does not happen, there is a reason to contact specialists.

Possible causes of speech disorders

Viral and endocrine diseases of the mother, threatened miscarriage, trauma, toxicosis, low hemoglobin level.
Genetic anomalies, hereditary predisposition.
Unfavorable childbirth.
Diseases suffered by a child in the first years of life
Babies with low Apgar scores at birth

The exact cause of the disorders is determined by the doctor, and the type of speech disorder is determined by the speech therapist.

What can parents do for successful speech development?

Speech is the highest mental function, so the period of intrauterine development of a child is very important. Parents need to take care of the development of speech even before his birth. It is important that the expectant mother receives only positive emotions i.

Communicate more with your baby! Goodwill, a soft and calm voice, grammatically correct speech is another important factor in the development of speech.

Often, children, using only a pointing gesture, get what they want. Teach your child to express his desires as fully as possible, say new words, sentences.