How Many Words Does Your Child Use?

Photo by Tatiana Syrikova

Milestone charts will tell you that a child should have at least 1 word by 12 months and 50 by 24 months.

But what is a word?

The speech therapist explanation is: 1. anything used independently, 2. phonetically consistent and 3. meaningful. 

Translation: 

1. Used independently: They’re not repeating after you. No, "Say, 'Bye!'". They say it on their own, or they say it with an open ended prompt like, "What do we say?" 

2. Phonetically consistent: The word sounds the same way each time. It doesn’t have to sound “right”! Just consistent. If they say "bobo" every time they see a dog, it counts.

3. Meaningful: You can tell they mean something by it. For example, they say it every time they see a person or thing, or play with a specific toy.

Important note: Words do not have to be spoken! Sign language (baby signs, ASL or any other sign language), and AAC devices and systems are all valid. Count every word. 

Examples of words:

1. Early words: mama, dada, no, doggie, baba etc. 

2. Approximations: Speech is complex! They won’t say words “right” the first time. Saying ba instead of ball? Counts. Nana for banana? Counts. “Ena” for gramma? Check!

3. Exclamatory sounds: Oh! Uh oh! Yay! Uh-uh. 

4. Other sounds: moo, choo-choo, siren sounds ( woo woo woo), animal sounds (moo, baa). 

5. Names: every name is a word, every attempt at a name for each person. For kids who say “mama” for everyone, that’s 1 word.

6. Signs: Every sign is a word. Many babies will sign their first word before their first birthday, and well before their first spoken word. 

Bi-/multilingual babies: all of the above applies. Learning more languages does not cause delays or disorders. Count words, not concepts. If they use, milk, leche and [milk] in sign, that's 3 words.

Vocabulary Spurt

Between 18 and 24 months, most babies experience a dramatic spike in their vocabulary. Just like a growth spurt, a vocabulary spurt comes on suddenly and has you wondering if you're imaging things.

You're not. It's likely you'll hear them say something new everyday.

Just in time for 2-word combinations on their 2nd birthday.

Words are just one part of communication

Words matter. We want to help your child communicate independently, efficiently, and effectively with everyone.

But words are just a piece of communication. Facial expressions, gestures, intonation are all part of spoken language, as is understanding questions, participating in conversations, following directions, and more.

When a speech therapist does a comprehensive evaluation, we look at all domains of communication: verbal and non verbal communication, ease of communication, receptive language (how well they understand communication) and more.

Want to learn more about verbal skills? Read Verbal Skills: A Quick Primer.

If you have questions or concerns, book a consultation or screening.