When Do Infants Start Talking?
Every child learns to start talking and forming sentences at their own pace. This process normally develops between the ages of 6-24 months. Prior to the age of 1, some children might say a few words, like "Mama." They gradually start expressing themselves by forming two- or three-word sentences after the age of 18 months, though this can vary with each individual child. At different stages, babies communicate differently, using gestures, noises and a few words to get what they want.
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Up to 6 Months
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Initially, babies cry to get attention and communicate. At around 4 to 6 months, babies start cooing and babbling. Although they cannot form words yet, this is their way of communication, and it's important to encourage it by constantly talking to your baby. They can make single syllable noises, and will repeat certain sounds over and over again as their means of communication. Sounds like "ba-ba" or "da-da" may slip out, even though they don't have any comprehensible meaning yet.
7 to 12 Months
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This is the period where babies' cognitive abilities really flourish. Though they still cannot form proper words, their babbling and gesturing will start to make sense. They might have specific sounds associated with specific needs. For instance, if a baby wants his bottle, he might repeatedly say "ka-ka." He will also be able to understand simple instructions like "no" and will respond to the sound of his name.
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12 to 18 Months
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By now, many infants will have learned a few words and their meanings. She will be able to associate the words "mama" and "dada," or similar phrases, with her parents. She might even have words for her favorite toys. She is likely to have a wide range of sounds in her babbling and will try to imitate common words spoken by those around her. By the time your child is around 18 months, she'll typically have 10 to 15 words in her vocabulary.
19 to 24 Months
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At this stage, infants learn five to ten new words every day and their vocabulary grows rapidly. He'll understand many more words than he can actually say. Sometimes he'll be able to put two words together to ask a question or form a sentence. Though he is likely to make grammatical errors and be confused by pronouns, you will understand what he's trying to say. By the time he nears 2, he'll be able to form comprehensible two- to three-word sentences. Past the age of 2, an infant's vocabulary grows rapidly and he's able to form proper sentences by the age of 3.
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