When Do Babies Start Talking?

“When do babies start talking? I have been reading to my 4 m/o and showing her flashcards with words, spelling them out, etc. but I’m not sure how long it will take for her to start understanding/talking/trying to speak?” 

Typically, children: 

• Between 4 and 6 months, vocalize back when talked to and they can repeat sounds, such as ‘ooh’, ‘aah’, and ‘ba-ba’.  

• Start babbling long strings of sounds like “bababababababa”, “mamamamamamama”, or “dadadadadada”, around 6 months of age.  

• By the time they are 12 months they start saying single words (e.g., “dada“, “dog“, “water“). 

• Around 24 months they start to put very simple sentences together (e.g., “more water”, “mummy more”).  

Babies can understand speech before they can talk. Babies between 6 to 9 months old start to understand the meaning of simple words. This is followed by a comprehension of more complex words, simple phrases, and their own names, typically by the age of 12 months.  

Keep doing what you are doing to help your baby develop his speech and communication skills:  

• Sing 

• Read books  

• Tell him stories 

• Point to objects (e.g., “look at the cow”) 

• Respond to your baby (e.g., If he says: “ba-ba”, respond to him: “Oh you said ba-ba, ba-ba”). This interaction sets a foundation for communication.   

• Describe your actions (e.g., “Mommy is washing your hair”),

• Use Infant Directed Speech (IDS) or ‘baby talk’. Babies love it and they prefer adults to talk that way.

Remember that not all babies develop speech and language on the same timetable. Some may go a bit faster, whereas others may be a bit slower. Keep an eye on your baby and if you ever think he may be falling behind his peers, talk to his doctor.  

I hope this information helps! 

Regards,  

Ana 

Dr Ana Aznar 

Related articles: 

How Many Words Should a 17 Month Old Say? 

Understanding Brain Development in Children 

How to Encourage my Toddler’s Speech Development