When is babys first word

It turns out that the high-pitched, sing-song voice people revert to using in front of puppies and babies is a universal way for parents to communicate basic sounds to babies and help them learn to talk. Pause for up to three seconds. But if they respond at all — a smile, a coo, a babble — parents should answer them back. After babies say their first word, their language and vocabulary continue to develop rapidly. But by age 2, kids should be able to answer simple directions and questions and identify things on sight.

Then, progress to three word-phrases, etc. By age 3, children should speak in at least a three-word phrase with ease and people outside the immediate family should be able to understand most of what the child says. Of course, babies may say not their first words or start talking until much later, even with a lot of parental engagement.

Delays can be caused by any number of factors. Too much screen time, for example, can lead to delayed verbal speech. Hearing loss may be due to a congenital condition, or a disease such as measles, chickenpox, or the flu.

Head injuries may also cause hearing loss. Your child's babbling will begin to sound more like words. She'll intentionally repeat sounds like "gaga" over and over. At about 9 months, she'll start to understand gestures, pointing and grunting to indicate her wants. At about 10 months, she'll gain more control and combine sounds, even using her own invented words. So when do babies usually say their first word? Around 12 months, according to experts. Common first words may be greetings "hi" or "bye-bye" or they might be very concrete: people "mama" or "dada" , pets "doggy" or "kitty" , or food "cookie," "juice," or "milk".

What your baby can understand: Your baby is slowly beginning to recognize and comprehend a few familiar words, such as names and everyday objects like "bottle" or "crib. As soon as your baby says that first word, he'll try for more. Vocabulary builds slowly at first , with just a few words per month. Kids seem to prefer nouns, then gradually add verbs and adjectives to their dictionary. He'll experiment with one-word questions, like "Cookie? What your toddler can understand: He should understand the first rudiments of grammar, such as the difference between "The dog bit the man.

As infants learn to communicate , they progress at very different rates. Your baby may lag behind at some points, but as long as she produces syllables with consonants such as "ba" or "da" by 10 months and doesn't suddenly lose the ability to babble once she's gained it, experts say there's no need to worry. Though linguists aren't sure why, toddlers have a "language explosion" around 19 to 20 months. After several weeks of slow progress, they suddenly start learning words at a ferocious rate—as many as nine words each day!

This explosion of words leads to the exhausting "Why? By the end of the second year, your toddler will be stringing two, or even four, words together in sentences. This is also an age of cute mistakes, as kids overextend and "under-extend" concepts.

For instance, your child may learn that the round toy is a "ball," figure all round things must be balls and point to the full moon, and chirp, "Ball! What your toddler can understand: Your baby will slowly begin to understand the idea of verbs. Fully aware that you are her key to language, she will watch and listen to you, absorbing everything you say and do.

During this time, your toddler is refining what he's learned so far. He adds "When? What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice.

Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. Registry Builder New. When Do Babies Start Talking? Medically Reviewed by Kyle Monk, M. Medical Review Policy All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals. Waiting for that first real word? Your baby is taking in everything you say — and will soon figure out how to say something back.

Back to Top. In This Article. Continue Reading Below. Read This Next.