The first word of baby

After holding a baby in your arms, the next most awaited moment is to hear your baby speak to you! Imagine, you suddenly hear your baby say “bye” to a stranger during a park visit! After months of squeals and shrieks, has your wait ended? Finally, your baby has reached this next milestone, Whoopie! Like most parents, you expected your baby to say “ma ma” as the first word.

It may also happen that your baby spoke “bye” the other day and didn’t utter another word for a couple of weeks. Was that a squeal misinterpreted? Or did they actually speak their first word? Let us look into the most common first words of a baby.

In This Article

• When Will I Hear My Baby’s First Words?
• The First Word Of The Baby
• How Can I Encourage My Baby to Talk?

When Will I Hear My Baby’s First Words?

Mostly the grimaces and hand movements are used by babies to express themselves and we try to encode them. By six months your baby will start babbling. The “ma ma”, “da da” and “na na”s are all babbles.

Around 6-8 months, they will try to imitate sounds of what they hear.

Most babies usually start speaking at 11-14 months, probably around their first birthday. And by the time your baby turns two, they will already be putting words together to form sentences, a bit broken though!

However, this varies from individual to individual. One in every 4 babies can be a late bloomer, and it might just be right to seek professional help till your baby is 2.5 years old. Late bloomers tend to catch up by this age. Good news for baby girls! They will reward you with more vocabulary than the baby boy and speak earlier too.

The First Word Of The Baby

The first time parents even tend to remember the first word spoken by their first child. Below is a list of the most common first words spoken by babies passed on from parent’s memories:

Da da

Studies indicate that consonant ‘d’ is easier for babies to utter rather than m therefore dada comes first than mama. It is said that ‘m’ requires forcing air through the nasal passage, which makes it difficult to spell out. It must be noted that at this stage, your baby does not really know what ma ma or da da means. They are simply testing their speech!

Ma ma

There are some proponents that ‘m’ is easier than ‘d’ since it’s uttered in the same position as suckling the breast. However, if your baby chose to speak ‘da da’ first, then don’t be disheartened, they will follow ‘ma ma’ soon

Hello

This is what probably everyone addresses your baby with when they see them, therefore they will pick this quickly

Sound Of Pet

Your baby will try to imitate the sound of your pet’s name since they are likely to be often hushed or shouted at (lovingly).

Bye, Ta Ta

We frequently say this to the baby while going out. And the baby picks this word fast.

No

Much to your chagrin! If you frequently use “No” to stop your baby from doing something, they are going to pick that word up

Car

“Caaaar” – after all you ask them to see cars every time you hit the road. Babies are able to spot and say ‘caaar’ pretty soon

Shoe

Many children are in awe of those pretty, light-emitting things worn at their feet. And it appears to come easily out of the mouth too.

Ball

Balls are common toys, and most babies are likely to have a couple of them. Balls enhance the gripping skills of a baby, and because they seem to be so close to the baby, a baby might say something like a ‘Baahhl’, focusing the least on the ‘l’

Na Na

The repetitions are easily recognized by the brain. They can be easily processed in young stages. This is why most of the baby words are repetitions, all over the word. Research conducted at the University of British Columbia supports this theory of babies recognize the repetition of words more easily.

How Can I Encourage My Baby to Talk?

Your baby will not learn to speak automatically. You need to provide them with a conducive environment so that they can pick up the correct words and start speaking at the appropriate time. Below are a few tips on helping you develop your baby’s vocabulary:

1. Encourage Your Baby to Express Themselves

If they kick in the air or squeal, look them in the eye, smile, and respond to them. You can then say, “Jay wants rattle”, “Jay wants milk” or “Jay wants to play with mama” and watch their response.

2. Listen to Your Baby

The baby expressions and squeals are your baby’s means of talking to you till they are able to speak properly. So when they coo to you, coo them back in an attempt to acknowledge what they said.

3. Speak Slowly and Clearly

Many studies have found that speaking clear and short instructions are more beneficial for your baby’s language development than addressing them in baby talk. For instance, say “shampoo” while using it. Let them hold the powder and say “powder”.

4. Read Together

Get picture books and narrate what you see. You should point to things and spell their names.

5. Sing

Babies love music! They love the rhythm and rhyme. They will try to imitate the sounds of words being sung.

6. Report Your Actions

You need to narrate what you are doing. For instance, now, “Jay will drink milk now”, “hold my hand”, and “wear a nappy” and you can wave a nappy at them. It simply gives a chance to identify words and things.

7. Allow them to ask

Give your baby an opportunity to point, shriek, or babble words. Do not rush in to provide a toy that has fallen. Let them make noise for that!

8. Repeat

The more you repeat your actions and words, the quicker your baby will recite them. Here, you need to keep a check on words that you do not want your baby to learn. Avoid using expletives.

9. Use Names

At this stage, it’s the noun that will be more beneficial than the pronoun. You may want to say, “Here’s Jay’s candy” or “Mummy wants to drink tea.” This helps babies associate things with people.

Here the key is to talk more and talk sensible and your baby will follow suit! Make sure that you never shout in front of your baby. Hold them, love them, and speak short sentences (usually 2-3 words) to them.

The first word uttered by a child is one of the most exciting moments for parents. It’s kind of like hearing your baby speak, except they are only using one word. To make it even more exciting, there are certain first words that you can expect from your little bundle of joy!

The most common baby first words include variations for parents such as “mama,” “mommy,” “dada,” “daddy,” and “papa.” After those, you can expect a wide variety of words to follow such as “no,” “uh-oh,” “please,” “ball,” and more!

This article will discuss 30 common baby first words and their meanings so you can be sure to know what to say when your darling finally starts talking.

The Most Common Baby First Words to Expect

Here is an extensive list of common baby first words and their meanings:

1. Mama – This is usually the first word, or one of the very first uttered by a child. They are very likely to call their mother by this name.
2. Mommy – The female version of “Daddy,” this is another favorite first word used by young children when talking about their mother or any similar-looking female.
3. Dada – This is the male version of Mama, and it’s equally common for young children to use these words when referring to either parent.
4. Daddy – This is one of the most common first words, and it usually comes after they’ve seen you for a while or have been given to their father.
5. Papa – This is another common first word that babies will learn, and it usually means the same thing as “daddy.”
6. Uh-Oh – This is one of the first words that young children learn, and it’s usually used when they’ve done something wrong.
7. Ball – After parents, there are many first words that will be related to everyday objects. This is one of the most common, and it’s usually a ball of some kind (although sometimes children also use this word for other round things.).
8. Yes – This is one of the most common first words, and it’s usually followed by another word or phrase.
9. Stop – Another important first word used to express displeasure at something not wanted (such as a parent putting them down) or to emphasize something (such as “no” or “uh-oh”).
10. No – This is an important word, but it’s also a slightly negative one that can be used in place of “No.” You should teach your child the appropriate times to use this word, so they don’t accidentally start saying something inappropriate!
11. Up – The opposite of down, babies will learn these words at a very young age. They can be used to express that something is not where it should be or as an expression of excitement about being picked up from the ground!
12. Down – The opposite of up, this word will also be learned early on by babies and toddlers. It’s usually paired with “up” but can also mean other things, like the opposite of “stop” or that something is not where it should be.
13. Doggy – This word will usually follow the naming of a specific animal, and your child might repeat this many times when they see their pet in person after calling them by name at home.
14. Dog – This can be one of the first words, and it usually means any dog in general. Children will sometimes use this word when talking about other animals too (like a cat or even lion!)
15. Puppy – This is another word that will usually be used when naming a specific type of animal, and it’s often paired with the words “dog” or “cat.”
16. Cat – This is another common first word, and it’s usually used to describe any feline friend.
17. Kitty – This is another common first word and it will usually come after the naming of a specific type of feline.
18. Bye – It’s not unusual for babies to start saying their version of “goodbye” well before they learn how to actually wave bye-bye.
19. Bye-bye – Another common first word, this means that your little one wants you to pick them up or move them somewhere else. It can also be used as an all-purpose goodbye.
20. More – This is a common request from babies and toddlers, who might not yet know how to ask for more by using words like “please.” It can also be used as an expression of satisfaction when they’re done eating or playing!
21. Please – Another important word that will usually come after the first set of words, this is how your baby will ask for things from you. It’s important to teach them the difference between “Please” and “Thank You.”
22. Thank you – This is another common first word that babies learn very early on! It shows their gratitude after they’ve been given something or allowed to do something.
23. All done – They might not be able to say this word exactly, but your child will let you know when something is finished (like a meal, bath time, and playtime!)
24. All gone – This is an important word for babies because it refers to something being out of their reach! They might be too young to verbalize this specifically but will show you what they mean when there’s nothing left for them to eat or play with.
25. Boat – Another common first word based on an everyday object. This is usually paired with “Bye-bye” to mean the child wants you to give them their toy boat!
26. Car – Another common first word based on everyday objects, this will usually refer to any type of vehicle and not just cars! You might want to teach your child about the difference between “Car” and “Train.”
27. Plane – This is yet another common first word, but it can sometimes be used in place of “Car,” so you’ll want to teach your child the difference between these two vehicles. This is very common, especially in babies that are fed with the classic “here comes the plane!”
28. Here – One of the very first words, this is used when they want you to come over and pick them up or give something to them. It’s also paired with “There” for a few more common word combinations like “Hide-and-Seek.”
29. There – This will be another important word that your baby learns, and it’s usually paired with “Here” to mean that something is over there.
30. Shoe – This is another common first word, and your toddler will usually know how to use this because they see you putting them on their feet.

When Should You Expect Their First Words?

According to parents, most babies start speaking their first words around the age of 12 months. Typically, at this time they also begin walking and making other developments in motor skills as well.  It is a pivotal point in their lives and marks the beginning of a whole new world.

It can be surprising to most parents when their baby says his or her first word, but there are also words that you should expect from your little one based on statistics.

However, you can begin to expect cooing as early as 2 months old. Cooing should sound distinct from babbling. At this point they are just beginning to learn how to use their vocal cords. Parents can encourage this behavior by acknowledging them when they coo.

How Can You Encourage Your Baby to Talk?

There are many ways you can encourage your baby to speak.

Talk Back

First, talk back! As soon as they begin cooing or babbling respond by smiling and saying words like “yes” or “oh?” This encourages them to keep communicating with you in this way.

You should also get down on the floor around their level when they want something. This is a great way for them to learn valuable communication skills and how they can get what they need from an adult when in the future, it’s not possible to always have their needs met by you or someone else who loves them so much.

Listen to Them

Parents should also take the time to listen. If you’re cooking dinner and your child is playing nearby, stop for a few moments every now and then to focus on what they are saying or asking for!

Even when they’re only making random sounds, they could already be attempting to vocalize actual words. Thus, it is important to listen to them.

Read Together

Reading to your baby is another great way for them to learn! Read books that are appropriate for their age and read slowly so they can hear each word. This will help them begin to understand language as well as expand upon what words sound like outside of just hearing you speak around the house or at bedtime every night.

Sing Songs Together

This can be a great way to bond and spend quality time with your child as well. They will enjoy the tunes and repetition of certain songs, so sing these often or even just hum them when you’re thinking about them!

Repeat Words

The more parents repeat common words, the more likely their baby will learn that word and use it themselves. Try to incorporate these words into your everyday speech as much as possible, even if they don’t understand what you’re saying just yet!

Should You Worry about Their First Words?

Your baby’s first words are an important milestone.

However, if your child isn’t saying any real words by the time they’re 15 months old you should talk to their doctor. This is a reasonable expectation and might not require too much concern on your part, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry! If there is some kind of issue, early intervention can help them gain their language skills and be on the same developmental track as most children.

Think about it – right from the beginning, your baby learns to communicate. The first form of communication in any baby is crying. Every time your baby cries and you rush to tend to her, you are laying down the foundation for communication. The next way babies start to communicate is through sounds like cooing, growling and babbling. Once your baby starts to practice her consonants, it is only a matter of time before your baby starts trying to imitate the sounds you make while speaking.

At What Age Babies Speak Their First Word?

When do babies say their first word? The average age at which kids utter their first real word is around the one year mark. By the age of two, babies can generally form two word sentences such as “doggy nice” (The dog is nice) or “got boo-boo” (I got hurt). Most children are able to form more advanced, though not perfect sentences once they are three. For example, your child may say “I drinked all my juice” instead of “I drank all my juice” as they are not yet able to understand tenses.

Baby-Speaking Milestones

The first two years of your baby’s life are the most important for speech. Before using any words themselves, babies learn to communicate by watching how the adults around them do it. Your child will first begin by exploring the tongue, lips, palate and any grown teeth and making sounds with them. As your baby develops, she will be able to learn to use words to describe things in her life and what she wants.

Some of the most common first words of babies are “Dada”, “Mama” and “Bye-Bye.” At the age of 12 months, words like “ball” and “dog” go on the baby first words list. Some of the important milestones to look out for when it comes to your child’s speech development are as follows:

1. Baby’s First Words at the 3^rd Month:

Everything is new to babies of this age, and they spend a lot of time observing your facial expressions and listening to the sound of your voice. They are also curious about any other sounds that they can hear around the house. Babies prefer the sound of a female voice over a male one and are more partial to the voices they heard while in the womb. By the end of three months, babies learn to coo.

1. Baby’s Words at the 6^th Month:

This is the age at which babies learn to babble. They begin with simple things like “da da”, and they are able to recognise their own names. They can also distinguish their mother tongue from other languages. They learn to communicate if they are happy or sad through tone of voice. They do not understand the meanings of any words yet.

1. Baby’s Words at the 9^th Month:

Now babies are beginning to understand the meaning of some very simple words such as “yes” and “bye” and will start to practice their consonant sounds.

1. Baby’s Words at the 12^th Month:

Your baby now understands the meaning behind the words that she hears all the time. This is the age at which most babies utter their first real word.

1. Baby’s Words at the 18^th Month:

Your baby’s vocabulary expands at this age, and she will be able to point out objects to you if you name them for her. Many babies have fun learning the names of their body parts by pointing to the one they think you are asking for and try to imitate what you are saying.

1. Baby’s Words at 2 Years:

Babies are finally starting to understand that words are not only meant to refer to objects but also to other things like possession and they can even put together two-word sentences like “ball mine!” to communicate.

How To Make Your Baby Talk

Keep talking to your baby. Make sure to focus on pronouncing each individual word carefully when speaking to your child and tell her what you are doing as you do it. Here are some ways of helping your baby learn to talk:

1. Be Observant:

Young babies often communicate through actions, and you should pay attention to their every attempt. Your baby may hold up her arms to you to let you know she wants to be carried, or she could push her food away to let you know she is full. When these things happen, smile and make eye contact so that she will feel encouraged to communicate more.

2. Listen Carefully:

When your baby coos at you, coo back at her. This will help her learn to vary pitch and tone as she will imitate the way you make the sounds. When your child is speaking to you, look at her and be responsive so that she feels more comfortable talking to you.

3. Lots of Praise:

Babies often do not make any sense as they experiment with and learn different sounds. Praise your child for every attempt, whether it makes sense to you or not.

4. The Art of Imitation:

If your baby happens to glance at the cat and say “cah” you should do the same, except, use the correct word, “cat.” It will help her learn the correct way to say things and also confirms for her that yes; that is a “cah,” making her more confident in her associations.

5. Small Talk:

At mealtime, if your baby points to her bowl and makes a noise, don’t just give her more food. Converse with her first, “Would you like more pasta? It tastes lovely with cheese, doesn’t it?”

6. Narration:

Tell your baby everything you are doing to help her connect certain words with activities. “Let’s put on this green hat!” or “Mommy is cutting carrots for Cara.”

7. Don’t Give Up:

If you don’t understand what your baby is saying, clarify it with her, “Ball? Do you want the ball?”
Even if you still don’t understand what she is trying to say, don’t lose heart. Show your baby a lot of love. She will still feel rewarded for trying.

8. Follow the Leader:

Let your baby set the pace during playtime and follow your child’s interests. Let her pick the topic of conversation in her own way. This will teach her that that communication is a two-way street where there is talking, listening, following and leading.

9. Playacting:

Children should be encouraged to play and pretend, using creative imaginary scenes as these activities can help them develop their verbal skills as they become toddlers.

10. Read Out Loud:

Young children enjoy things that are pleasant and if you make reading sessions fun and relaxing, your child will not only develop her verbal skills, learn how to form sentences and how stories flow from listening to and imitating you, but could also develop a love for reading as she grows.

How to Deal With Speech Delay

At around two years is when the average child learns to speak. If your child is still not speaking, it is best to consult a doctor. If the problem is diagnosed early, the chances of your child getting back on track is higher. Here are some ways to help with delayed speech:

1. Hearing Test:

Hearing loss is a major cause of delayed speech development. Three out of 1000 babies have it, Make sure to get your baby fully checked for this problem.

2. Consult a Professional:

An SLP (Speech-Language Pathologist) will be able to diagnose and treat whatever is causing your child to have delayed speech development. Treatments could involve giving you tips and games to improve her speech skills.

3. Developmental Screening:

Development or behavioural disabilities such as autism or cognitive disabilities can cause speech delays, and it is in your child’s best interest to have these diagnosed and properly treated if she is found to have any.

Like every other milestone in your child’s life, she will hit all her speech ones when she is ready. Parents really need not worry about their children developing their verbal skills at exactly the ages given above, as those are the average ages at which things should fall into place.

Also Read: What is Baby Babble?

What is Baby Babbling?

“Baba”, “mama”, “egoo” These sounds (baby jargon) are known as babbling. Babbling is an essential phase of speech development in a child. In this stage, an infant appears to be experimenting with creating first words but is not quite ready.

Babbling is one way to measure how a child’s language is developing. Language milestones are progress recorded as a child goes through the various stages of language development. These developmental milestones involve hearing, understanding, and the ability to speak (i.e., receptive and expressive language skills).

Stages of Language Development — When Do Babies Talk?

Parents and caregivers often ask questions such as: “When do babies start making sounds?”, “When do babies start giggling?”, “When do babies start cooing?”, “When do babies start babbling?”, «When do babies talk?»

Speech Milestones involve a series of stages that begins with crying, cooing, forming a few words, and culminates in sentences. Note that the following dates overlap and vary from one child to the next and should not be interpreted too rigidly.

BIRTH

Babies communicate pain and pleasure by making sounds.

0-3 MONTHS

The pre-talking stage is the baby’s first sound production (besides crying and sucking). Babies laugh or giggle in response to things in their world. This period also involves the cooing phase; cooing refers to the baby producing vowel-like sounds. The sounds like Oooooooooooo and Aaaaaaaaaaaa are noticeable. Infants make these coos when having face-to-face interactions with caregivers. Babies may use a different cry for different situations.

4-6 MONTHS

In this stage, babies begin to use babbling to include consonant and vowels combinations such as “da, da, da.” They may use their babbling to gain attention and make different sounds to express feelings.

7-12 MONTHS

During this period, a baby’s speech uses a broader range of sounds and syllable combinations in babbling. Young children may attempt to imitate sounds that they hear. They may use simple gestures such as shaking their head no. As they approach their first birthday, first words may emerge.

1- 2 YEARS

In this stage, babies utter their first one word as a means of expressing their emotional state. The child’s vocabulary continues to grow. Here children begin to form words and two-word sentences such as “Baby go” or “More ball.” Your baby’s grammar will not be perfect in the beginning but as they develop their sentences will become longer and sound more adult-like.

2-3 YEARS

In this period, the child’s vocabulary is expanding rapidly. A child goes from a few words to producing statements that are one, two, or three words in length.

The Phases of Babbling

There are three main phases (types) of babbling, with each stage overlapping with the next as the child develops. These phases are:

MARGINAL BABBLING

This babbling usually occurs between 4-6 months of age. During this period, the infants put together consonant-vowel or vowel-consonant sound combinations like “baa,” “maaa,” or “uuum.” Marginal babbling is also called pre-canonical vocalization. It is also accompanied by squealing and cooing.

CANONICAL BABBLING

The canonical babbling period usually spans between 6-10 months of age. This phase can be further divided into two subtypes:

• Reduplicated Babbling: The period when infants repeat the same syllable over and over, such as “babababa” or “mamamama” or “gagagaga”.

• Non-Reduplicated Babbling: In this phase of babbling, the sounds are now more varied. Instead of producing the same syllable over and over, they start to combine different sounds and syllables like “magaga,” “gagamee,” or “gababama”. This type is also called variegated babbling.

CONVERSATIONAL BABBLING

The final period of babbling typically begins at approximately 10 months of age. Babies enter a stage called conversational babbling (baby jargon), including pauses, turn-talking, rhythm, and intonation. It can appear as an adult conversation, e.g., a form of pseudo dialogue. This stage often overlaps with a child’s first word.

Babies First Words

When do babies start talking? Every parent dreams of the day their child will utter that first meaningful word. Soon after the conversational babbling phase, most babies start talking around their first birthday. When babies say their first word, it often becomes a sign of the child’s emerging personality.

Once they start talking, it can become overwhelming for parents to understand what their baby is saying. It is difficult because there are so many words to learn, and they often use short sentences or even one word such as “Mommy” or “Daddy.” Even though they say words, babies may not understand the meaning yet.

The first words are usually one-word utterances. For instance, a child may hear the word “dog” and unconsciously pick it up to refer to a specific dog. Or they may learn it from their parents and caregivers in context. That is why it can be difficult for parents to determine when their baby truly understands how to use a word.

First words are usually grammatically correct because children learn them from people around them who speak with proper grammar. Babies learn to copy everything they hear, so be careful about what you say to your child. Although this may seem like a blessing for parents, it also means that babies pick up bad habits in speaking too. That is why parents need to provide their children with age-appropriate and positive input. This will help them learn to speak properly.

First Word Combinations

• Intrinsic Combination: They make up their combination of two words (e.g., “bye-boo”).

• Extrinsic Combination: When a child uses the first word to modify another word or sentence, such as “mama milk” or “gaga night.”

The Most Common First Words: List of 10 Popular Baby Words

When do babies start saying mama and dada? Babies learn at their own pace, but more than likely, your child will say these simple words before any others. These words are very common and expected!

Baby babble beginning words:

1. Mama: According to linguists, this word is on top of the list of first words that babies learn before any other words. It seems to be instinctive for them to call their mother “mama.”

2. Dada (Daddy): Dada is equally likely to be a baby’s first word as Mama. Why do babies say dada first? Saying dada is easy to sound out for babies.

3. Dog: Another common word in baby babbling, dog or doggie. A baby’s first words are likely tied to how they see the world around them. A child living with a dog is likely to have «dog» as one of their first words since language is related strongly to their visual experiences.

4. Ball: Soon after learning the word for dog, many infants learn the word for ball. They then use it to refer to anything round, such as a bead or an apple.

5. Kitty: Another favorite animal of babies is a kitty! This first word refers to both cats and kittens. When your child starts to talk, you may notice that they are using their own version of terms for a cat or kitten.

6. Bye: Babies pick up the word bye or bye bye because of their frequent exposure to adults saying goodbye to each other. It usually has no special meaning or connotation, except that it marks the end of an activity.

7. Hi: They learn this word in much the same way they learn bye. The difference is that hi is used as a greeting instead of bye.

8. No: This is one of the simplest first words for babies to learn since it only has one syllable and follows the pattern of “yes,” which most children pick up before the age of 1.

9. Mommy: It is a good thing that “mama” was the first word because this one follows right behind it in popularity too! You will hear babies even use this word to call other caregivers.

10. Banana: Bananas are often the first food and babies may see the fruit eaten and shared by caregivers. Babies’ first words usually involve concrete objects in their immediate surroundings, making banana or just nana a popular first word.

The Significance of Babbling in Language Milestones

Babies are one of life’s most precious gifts. However, it seems almost as soon as your little bundle of joy is born, you begin to ask questions like:

“Is my child speech development on track?”, “Is it too early for my baby to start talking?”, “When will my baby say mama or when will my baby say dada?”, the questions are endless and, of course, compelling.

Babbling is a prelinguistic tool, and it serves as a stepping stone to actual words and a key marker of speech and language development. Babbling is vital, and research suggests that when parents/caregivers respond to these initial attempts at communication, it:

• Shows the child what communication is genuinely about. Communication is a two-way affair; one person speaks, the other person listens, and then gives an appropriate response.

• Motivates the infant to continue trying to make sounds.

• It helps the child realize the importance of first words. Babbling indicates that the infant’s first word is near.

• Lastly, there is evidence that canonical babbling is an essential precursor to later language development. Some research points out that delays in canonical babbling can sometimes predict later disabilities like language and speech delays or learning disabilities.

Causes of Delayed Speech or Language Acquisition in Infants

If your baby does not seem to be using their voice to make early communication attempts, you should speak to your pediatrician. A wide range of factors may contribute to speech delays. Some factors may include hearing impairment, communication delay, or neurological impairment, and often the cause is unknown. A lack of babbling can be predictive of later language delays. Parents should remain diligent about language developmental delays because with early awareness comes early intervention.

Early intervention can often make a tremendous difference in the outcome of language or speech delay.

If your pediatrician suspects that there has been a delay in your baby’s speech and language acquisition, you will be referred to a speech-language pathologist. They will work with you and your child to pinpoint the reason for the delay. The treatment plan may include concentrating on different areas of development like:

• Motor skills (tongue rolling, lip movement, and articulation)

• Vocalizations (including canonical babbling and early words)

• Hand skills (demonstrating awareness of the mouth for feeding and talking as well as hand movements that complement speech)

• Social interaction (interaction with caregivers, peers, or objects)

Ways to Encourage Communication in Infants

To aid both receptive and expressive language development, it is important to always respond to your little ones. Studies show that infants acquire communication skills faster when their parents react to their babbling with supportive language cues. Some things that you can do now include:

• Maintain eye contact with your infant while they are having a “conversation” with you.

• Imitate your child’s babble. When adults mimic babies’ vocalization, it increases the likelihood that babies will make the sounds again. So even though it may feel a little silly, bring out the baby sounds. Babies exposed to this will love the back and forth game, and it will be an exciting practice.

• Give your baby a toy and talk about it with them.

• Sing and read to your baby and ask a lot of questions too.

• Do not interrupt. Infants need to hear themselves make these sounds; the auditory feedback they receive after making babbling noises is good for proper language development. A slight nod and a smile will serve as a form of encouragement.

• Diets: Babies use the same oral muscles to speak as they use to eat. Each time they graduate to a new category of solid foods, they use their muscles in more robust, more coordinated ways. Solid food will also help them to make more complicated speech sounds. A well-fed infant is a happy Infant, and a happy infant is a chatty infant.

With enough practice and encouragement from you, your baby’s babbling will eventually lead to their first essential real words.

Reliable Approach to Teach Your Toddler to Talk

Conclusion

During a baby’s first year, you should expect to hear vocalizations like crying, babbling (like “coo” and “goo”, “mama” and “dada”), and vocal exploration like squealing and yelling.

A baby’s first babbling sounds usually are made around 4-6 months of life, as infants practice the speech sounds used later to form syllables, words, or sentences.

In time, the syllables they form become more complex, and by the end of the first year, infants may begin producing their actual first words.

If your baby hasn’t started making these early developing sounds, we recommend consulting with your pediatrician because early recognition of delayed speech and language is essential.

When is it the Right Time for a Speech-Language Evaluation?

Free Consultation

Do you have questions or want to learn more about our early intervention program? At Connected Speech Pathology, we provide an early intervention service to parents and children approximately 16 months or older. Set up a free phone consultation with our lead speech pathologist.

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.

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.

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.

“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.”)

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:

“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.

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