Toddler milestone: Talking and understanding

Talking

As a baby, your child discovered first how to make sounds, then how to make those sounds into real words ("mama" and "dada" may have slipped out as early as 4 or 5 months). By the time they were a year old, they were trying to imitate the sounds around them (though you probably heard them babbling away in a language that only they could understand).

Now comes a period of extraordinary growth, as your toddler goes from speaking a few simple words to asking questions, giving directions, and even telling you stories they've made up. 

When and how it develops

Here's a general idea of how you can expect your toddler's language skills to progress. Keep in mind that every child is different.

If your child varies somewhat from these general guidelines, don't worry. (If they're being raised in a bilingual environment, the number of words they can speak may be split between the languages they're learning.)

12 to 18 months

Your toddler may not be saying much yet, but they're listening and starting to understand. Over the next few months, they'll try to copy words, and you may hear them babbling away as if they're having a real conversation. They'll even practice speech sounds, raising their tone when asking a question. They might say "Up-py?" when asking to be carried, for example.

By their first birthday, your child will probably begin to use one or two words meaningfully. When you say “chair” or “ball,” they may look at it or point to it. You can help by naming things as you talk to them. Many toddlers love hear animal names and sounds, so when they hear "duck," they think "quack." They're also learning their own body parts, and you can build on this by playing naming games: "Where is your nose? Oh, there it is!"

Your toddler is learning to tell you what they need, but may combine words with gestures. They'll reach their arms toward their favorite toy, for example, and say "ball." Some toddlers develop a whole sign language of gestures to communicate with their parents. Your child might put their fingers to their lips when they want food, for example.

Don't worry if they struggle to get their meaning across now and then. This frustration is actually a healthy sign that they're trying hard to communicate and care whether you understand them.

By 18 months, your toddler will probably start making many common consonant sounds, such as t, d, n, w, and h. Learning to make these sounds is a big event, and leads to big gains in vocabulary. Don't expect to hear all these sounds in actual words yet. But you may hear your toddler repeating them when they're alone in their crib or playing with their toys.

By 18 months, your toddler may be speaking only a few words — five to 20 is typical — but they'll understand about 50 to 100. And they may be able to understand and begin to follow your directions even if they involve two separate actions. For example, they'll understand, "Pick up those building blocks and put them in the toy chest."

When to be concerned: If your child isn't saying any words by 12 months (including "mama" or "dada"), didn't babble before their first birthday, is unable to point to things, doesn't respond to others or their name, or you still can't understand a word they're saying by 18 months, check in with your pediatrician.

19 to 24 months

Your child now understands simple commands and questions. Each month they'll add more words to their vocabulary. Many of these words will be nouns common things, such as "spoon" and "car."

When you're reading a picture book to your child, ask them to point out items you name. Even though they may not use the word themself, they can likely pick out a cow or a duck. They may also try to name new things by "overextending" the words they already know, so that all new animals are called "dogs," for example.

By their second birthday, your child may begin stringing together simple two- to four-word sentences. These will likely have a noun and a verb and be directly related to their life, like "Dog bark" or "Go car." English is tricky, so you might hear some funny grammar like "Me go." They may be using around 100 words, but may understand several hundred, and are capable of paying attention to what you say.

As their sense of self matures, they'll use "me" to refer to themself, and they're likely to tell you what they like and don't like, what they think, and how they feel. You may also hear them say, "Jenny want milk" or "Baby throw," for instance. They may start to understand that you have different opinions than they do, and may feel possessive of their favorites, letting you know which toys are theirs.

When to be concerned: If your child rarely attempts to speak or imitate others and doesn't seem to get frustrated when you can't understand what they want, you may want to ask at your next doctor visit.

25 to 30 months

Between ages 2 and 3, most children understand at least 200 to 300 words and add as many as 10 new ones to their vocabulary every day. They'll string nouns and verbs together to form complete but simple sentences, such as "I eat now."

By now, your child may also be able to understand and respond to who, where, and what questions. If you ask them, "Where are your shoes?" they may go look. They're also starting to get the hang of pronouns, such as "I," "me," and "you."

Now that they have a bigger vocabulary, your toddler will begin to experiment with sound levels. For a while they may yell when they mean to speak normally and whisper softly when answering a question, but they'll figure out volume soon enough.

They may also try talking about events that happened in the past, so you'll hear them say things like "I runned" or "I swimmed." Sure, it's cute, but it also shows that they're picking up on the basic grammar (that you add an -ed sound to a word if it happened yesterday, for example, and an -s sound to make things plural).

When to be concerned: If you notice that they don't use two-word phrases, consistently echo your familiar expressions, or don't respond to their name, bring it up with your child's doctor. This can be an early sign of a developmental delay.

31 to 36 months

By the time they're 3, your child will be a more sophisticated talker. They may know as many as 900 words, and use about 300 regularly. It's not just quantity, though. They're beginning to truly understand adjectives, such as dirty and clean. They're using more verbs, such as walk, run, or play, and adding prepositions such as over, under, and behind.

They'll be able to carry on a conversation and even adjust their tone, speech patterns, and vocabulary to fit the person they're talking to. They may use simpler words with a peer ("I go potty") but more complex sentences with you ("I need to go to the bathroom"). They'll also understand simple rules of grammar and use plurals and pronouns correctly.

By now, other adults, including strangers, can likely understand almost everything your child says, which means you won't have to do as much translating. They'll even be a pro at saying their first and last name and age.

When to be concerned: By the time they're 3, if your child doesn't understand simple instructions, doesn't ask questions, or can't pronounce vowels, check in with your pediatrician.

A word on stuttering: If your child stutters, it doesn't necessarily signal a problem. Stuttering is a normal phase, especially when their thinking and language skills are expanding so fast.

Parents can help by speaking slowly and clearly, and pausing. Try not to complete sentences or interrupt your child, just give them time with good eye contact and non-verbal feedback like patiently nodding your head. But if stuttering continues for more than six months, or if it's bad enough that they tense their jaw or grimace in an effort to get the words out, talk with the doctor about it.

Your role

You can help your child's language skills at any age providing a stimulating environment. The most important things to do:

• Talk. Research shows that parents who talk to their baby play a critical role in their child's language development. You don't need to chatter nonstop, but speak to your child whenever you're together. Describe what you're doing, point things out, ask questions, sing songs. (Although some baby talk is okay, resist the temptation to coo and babble. Your child will learn to speak well by listening to you speak well.)
• Read. Reading to your child is a great way to expose him to new vocabulary, the way sentences are put together, and how stories flow. But don't just read the words – ask your child to find things in the illustrations or tell you what happened to the characters.
• Listen. When your child talks to you, be a good listener – look at them and be responsive. They're more likely to speak up when they know you're interested in what they're saying. 

If you're concerned

You're the best judge of your child's progress, and children develop at different rates. Still, it it’s a good idea to speak with their pediatrician if your child is showing these signs age 3:

• Has trouble understanding the simplest directions and suggestions
• Shows little or no progress over a period of 3 to 6 months, or loses skills they had
• Others can't understand them most of the time
• Relies on physical gestures to communicate (like pointing to the cookie jar instead of asking for a cookie)

For a more detailed discussion of when to worry, see our warning signs of a language delay or hearing problem. Your doctor's office, daycare provider, or local school might also be able to direct you to an early intervention program in your area that will provide free screening for language problems.

If needed, your doctor will refer your child to a pediatric speech-language pathologist for an evaluation. (A searchable directory of certified therapists can be found on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's websiteOpens a new window.) 

What comes next

As your child grows, they'll become more of a chatterbox. There might be moments when you long for those peaceful quiet days, but for the most part, you'll delight in their play-by-plays of what happened at preschool, what they think about things, and their descriptions of what their best friend likes to eat.

Your child will begin to understand and use correct tenses, along with the contractions "won't" and "can't." Oh, and get ready for every why, what, and who question under the sun.