When Do Babies Start Talking?

If you’re wondering when babies should start talking, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions pediatricians hear. But pediatric speech-language pathologist Meghan Mingee, SLP, says there’s a wide range of what’s considered normal.

“A lot of children say their first word around 12 months,” Mingee says. “Some are a little earlier, though, and some are a little later. And even if a child is a little delayed at a young age, that doesn’t mean they’ll be delayed forever.”

Mingee and pediatrician Kimberly Churbock, MD, offer a look at how kids’ language skills typically unfold.

Stages of language development

“Speech and language development is a huge spectrum,” Dr. Churbock says. “Kids tend to follow a predictable pattern of skill progression, but the timing can vary a lot.”

Here’s how babies’ language skills typically develop — and when to check in with your child’s provider.

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Pre-linguistic communication (birth to 6 months)

Even though newborns can’t talk, they’re learning to communicate.

• Crying: Crying is your baby’s first language. Over time, they learn that their tears get a response, like food or comfort. “Newborns start to connect their crying with a result,” Dr. Churbock says. “They learn, ‘When I cry, someone responds.’”
• Cooing: Around 2 months, babies begin making happy cooing sounds. By 3 to 4 months, they often start making simple vowel sounds like “oooh” and “ahh.” These early sounds are important building blocks of speech.
• Babbling: Around 6 months, you may hear your child make repetitive sounds like “ba-ba-ba” or “da-da-da.” This is called “reduplicated babbling” — when they’re practicing the mouth movements that eventually turn into language.

Around 4 to 6 months, babies should also start turning to search for sounds and music when they hear it.

When to talk to a provider: “I’d recommend checking in with your child’s doctor if they’re not babbling by about 6 months,” Mingee says.

Babbling with variety (6 to 12 months)

By their first birthday, most babies say their first real word (like “mama” or “dada”) and use it with meaning. This often happens around 10 to 11 months, though for some babies, it can happen earlier, and others won’t do it until later.

But before that first word arrives, you’ll start to hear more variety in your child’s babbles. Instead of repeating the same sound, they start to mix them up.

“In the earlier months of this phase, it’s still about just imitating sounds like ‘ma-ma-ma’ and ‘ba-ba-ba,’ but without real meaning,” Minghee says. “Around 9 or 10 months is when they usually start to switch up their babbling to become more speech-like.”

At this point, it may sound like they’re having a conversation, even if it doesn’t yet make sense.

At this stage, babies should also:

• Turn consistently toward nearby sounds (6-9 months)
• Turn in response to their name when it’s called (6-9 months)
• Show interest in voices and pictures (9-10 months)
• Look at people and objects as you name them (9-10 months)

When to talk to a provider: If your baby isn’t hitting these responsiveness milestones, that could be a sign of hearing-related issues, which can affect speech and language development. “If you have any concern whatsoever about your child’s hearing, we want to evaluate that earlier rather than later,” Dr. Churbock emphasizes.

First words and word growth (12 to 18 months)

Many babies start talking in a more meaningful way around their first birthday. This is the stage when they really start attaching meaning to their words. And they may use a few specific words for people or favorite things.

By 18 months, many toddlers can say 10 or more words. Some have many more, while others are just getting started.

“New words should be heard each week at this age,” Minghee says.

But what matters just as much is your child’s ability to understand words. Receptive language (what your child comprehends) often develops before expressive language (what your child is able to say).

“Some children have fewer words but still seem very engaged, try to communicate and clearly understand what’s being said to them,” Dr. Churbock says. “When it comes to language development, all of those things are reassuring.”

Mingee agrees.

“The most important thing is that they understand what you’re saying,” she emphasizes. “If they can follow simple directions like ‘get the ball’ or point to something you name, those are great signs of language development.”

When to talk to a provider: Dr. Churbock says 18 months is a common age for referrals to a speech-language pathologist. “Look for a milestone of 10 or more words,” she recommends. “If you don’t see many specific words or attempts to make specific words, that’s when we’d think about extra support.”

Putting words together: 18 to 24 months

Between 18 and 24 months, toddlers often experience a language “burst.”

“This is often when it seems like the rate of new word acquisition really starts to speed up,” Dr. Churbock explains. “For some kids, it almost seems like a switch flips, and suddenly, they have more and more words.”

By age 2, most children are starting to combine two words to make short phrases, like:

• “Mama up”
• “Doggy go”
• “More milk”

These phrases don’t need to be grammatically correct, and your child’s pronunciation doesn’t need to be perfect. What matters is that they’re putting together two separate ideas.

“At this point, we’re looking for enough of a vocabulary that it includes some nouns, some verbs and maybe some adjectives,” Dr. Churbock says.

You may even start to hear three-word phrases emerging, especially closer to 2 and a half years.

When to talk to a provider: If your child isn’t putting together two- to three-word phrases by age 2, bring it up at their next appointment.

Factors that influence language development

Babies’ individual personalities and preferences can account for a lot of the differences between them — including when they start talking.

“Some children are early talkers,” Mingee acknowledges. “Others take their time. It’s most important that your child demonstrates an increasing understanding of words and is engaging with you throughout the day.”

But several other factors may be at play, too.

• Hearing ability: This is a big one. Frequent ear infections or fluid in the ears can affect how clearly your baby hears sounds. If you’re concerned, your provider may recommend a hearing test.
• Focus on other skills: “Kids often focus on one area of development at a time,” Dr. Churbock says. “A toddler who’s working hard on walking may show slower language growth. But once they master that motor skill, their language often picks up.”
• Environment: The more exposure kids have to language, the better they can develop their own skills. “Singing, narrating and reading books are some of the best ways to promote speech and language,” Dr. Churbock says.

Try your best not to compare your child’s progress to others’, especially in a time of milestone checklists and social media parenting brags.

“In this day and age, there are so many factors that can fuel parental anxiety,” Dr. Churbock acknowledges. “Social media can absolutely contribute (oftentimes, unnecessarily) to parental worries, especially if you feel like your kid isn’t doing something by a certain time.”

Don’t hesitate to talk to your pediatrician if you have questions or concerns about your child’s language development skills. If they’re found to have a speech delay, early intervention and support can make a big difference.

How to help your baby learn to talk

You don’t need flashcards or special programs to help your baby learn how to talk. Simple, everyday interactions can go a long way.

Try these strategies:

• Narrate your day. Even when your baby can’t talk, they benefit from listening to you. So, narrate what you and your child are doing: “You’re eating carrots. Yum, carrots!”
• Read together. You don’t have to read every word. And it’s OK if your toddler won’t sit for a whole book. Pointing to pictures, identifying objects and making animal sounds all count.
• Use “parentese.” Do you ever catch yourself using a higher-pitched, extra-upbeat voice when you talk to your little one? There’s a name for it: parentese, which has been shown to facilitate kids’ language learning.
• Sing songs and rhymes. Repetition helps build language skills. And nursery rhymes have been shown to help kids understand word sounds and concepts like rhyming.
• Pause and wait. When you’re talking to your child, be sure to give them time to respond. “Sometimes, that awkward pause is when they jump in and try,” Mingee notes.
• Use baby sign language. Foster your child’s language development skills by pairing words with signs. This helps cement their meaning and may allow them to better communicate with you before they can actually talk.
• Name things. Watch how your child tries to communicate — and then help them find the right words. If they point to an airplane, for example say, “Airplane! Big airplane.”

Above all, try to keep it fun.

“We want language and communication to be enjoyable,” Dr. Churbock encourage,s. “And your pediatrician is there to walk alongside you — both to celebrate milestones and to help if there’s an area that needs extra support.”