To be very worried about the fact my child doesn’t speak?

At 18 months, the NHS average is around 10 words, your child has 3 so below average but it isn't none! I have a completely non verbal child and can tell you that understanding language is a very good indicator for speech and development in general. You could get his ears checked and It's a good idea to flag this with your health visitor and GP so there is a record if he doesn't come on by 2/3. I really wouldn't panic from what you described though it's understandable especially when other children seem to be chatting away!

Keep reading, keep playing, keep a note of his words and any new ones and make some noise for him with professionals if needs be. There's plenty of time for him to catch up, though early intervention is preferable too. You have time for all of it. Don't panic just keep being proactive!

You're doing fine, you're spending time with him, talking to him, reading books with him. Not every child will get speaking before his age. Many parents at this age have their head glued to their phone and not interact as much as you do. So he does know words and his understanding is great, and that's half the battle. He'll speak when he's ready I'm sure.

One thing you can do is use questions he cannot nod or shake his head to or point eg 'would you like a plain biscuit or a chocolate one?' (no biscuits on show) Or 'shall we go to the park with the swings today or the park with the big climbing frame?' And see what he answers.

My son started to say 'mum, mum' at just 6 months old. I thought he was going to be a fast developer, but he didn't even start to toddle at 18 months. I was worried about his walking, but one day, as we were going past a school playground, my partner asked me to point me out which of the kids had been early walkers and which late. Of course I couldn't and got the point.

Completely normal in my experience. One son didn’t say much until at least 2.5 yrs and grandchild only really got going with her speech 2.5-3yrs.
She has an amazing vocabulary now aged 4.5 . Try not to worry.X

He’s still very little and clearly has a lot of receptive language. You will likely see a sudden explosion of words in the next 12 months.

Your son can communicate, and that’s the important thing. My DS didn’t speak very much at all as a toddler, to the point that the Health Visitor asked if I wanted speech therapy for him! I didn’t think there was anything wrong with him so I turned it down, then when he was three he suddenly came out with a whole sentence and after he that never looked back. I really wouldn’t worry, Op - if he can say a few words, it’ll come.

Neither of mine really said anything before the age of 2. They weren't saying anything at 18 months. Then they hit 2 and their speech started to soar.

Now they don't shut up!

I knew DS2 understood everything but he didn’t speak. I remember asking him on his 2nd birthday if he was ever going to speak to me. He looked up and said ‘no’! He actually didn’t really start talking for another year and then it was whole sentences (and to let us know all about his past lives!!!!). The vivid imagination waited for the right words!

Has he had a hearing test? I tried not to worry about youngest and went down the they are all different rabbithole only to find he had hearing issues later which were discovered when he had speech therapy (and then resolved quite quickly)

He sounds totally normal. I did a baby/ toddler speech and language course when my eldest was born. The advice on there was to narrate everything. It feels pretty stupid when you start because you're talking to yourself.

Basically a bit like

It's breakfast time. Mummy is going to the fridge. Lets open the fridge and see what fruit there is.(Get out and apple and pear) Do you want (hold up apple) and apple or (hold up pear) a pear.

Lets play with cars. Wow your playing with the red car. You bashed the red car. Your red car is so fast/slow.

Their speech development very quickly.

Although, I would second having a hearing check. My friends child's could hear but he had glue ear and his speech was very impacted by it.

I didn't speak until I was 3. My mum told me she was very worried at the time. I got a first class degree from a Russell Group university. Both my sons were only saying single words by the age 2.5. Both in top sets at secondary school. Dyspraxia runs in our family. One of my sons and I have an official diagnosis. I never spent the money on the 2nd son's testing as his school work isn't in the least affected

Some kids gradually creep up in the number of words they say and other go from saying hardly anything to practically talking in sentences! He's still little, just talk and read to him lots.

Most kids get there in their own time .

At 2 years and 2 months I saw the hv as dtd2 wasn’t talking. We walked in and she suddenly started chatting… so I looked like a paranoid mum but she’d only managed “bear, bear” up to that point 🙈 it’s far too early to worry.

My DSis was like that - hardly spoke any words for ages. She made noises and she understood what was said to her, but she was really late speaking. She was completely fine in the end. If you're worried though, speaking to the HV and definitely get hearing checked. My DS was speech-delayed and it turned out that he had glue ear and needed grommets.

He's very young but if you have concerns speak to your health visitor
My now 14 year is severely autistic and non verbal, he used to use and still uses objects of reference ,to communicate he would give me a plate if he was hungry or glass of thirsty etc ,he's never pointed or clapped,
I do not wish to worry you at all and hopefully he will gain speech very soon
I would speak yo your health visitor and get his hearing tested in your position.

My eldest didn't talk until he was 2.5 then it just exploded.

At 20 months DD said mama, dada, yes, no and naina ( her version of her name). She could also follow instructions, babbled incessantly but never ever copied a word you said to her. At 2 years old she was talking in full sentences..... It was as though she couldn't be bothered to talk until she could do it " properly! "

Mine didn’t even say three words at 19 months! He got the hang of it soon after that though and is now a very talkative, articulate five year old who is ahead of the class in literacy terms.

All kids develop at different rates. If he is hearing things ok then no need to worry.

Developmental learning isn't linear. And as you have noted he is understanding more than he is saying. So comprehension is there, this is generally accepted as an indicator that he is developing in line with what is the average child.

He is walking? Did he walk early, how is his grip, his hand eye coordination because I would bet he is ahead in some and still working towards on others.

That is the way most children develop. But at the time as parents we are focused on maybe walk/talk not appreciating that his brain has been working on comprehension.

My eldest was a talker but slow walker. He had conversations very early but didn't walk till 15/16 months, he was just able to ensure someone else did the fetching and carrying.

My second was an early walker 10 months, scared the hell out of me. He spoke very little until nearer to two, but was running around kicking a ball. And once he started to talk he spoke in very clear sentences, and hasn't stopped since 😭

Your son is doing well, keep talking to them and encouraging him showing you know he understands. Isn't he a clever pup popping his feet up.

But this is unusual.

With speech you can’t assume your child will be the unusual one, the majority of children who cannot speak at 2/3 have a speech delay and need help.

I find these threads quite disingenuous because suddenly all kinds of ‘he started with full sentences at 4’ posts come up when that is very much not the norm.

Mine didn’t really talk much, but when they did it was straight into full sentences.

I was too lazy to talk apparently, until I was over three. I just grunted and pointed and my needs were met 😂 I’m very well educated now.

DS1 could manage over 300 words by his second birthday and use 3 words together.

DS2 (5 years younger) barely managed 10 words by aged 2 and those were difficult to understand. We used sign to communicate instead.

DS2 is now 8 and although he is selective over who he talks to, he has a superb vocabulary and is a very bright boy and woke me at 7am to tell me the cube root of 125 is 5!

All kids get there in their own time.

My eldest child didn't speak until she turned 3yrs old. She hasn't shut up since.

Mine is 21 months, he has somewhere around 5 words, but he’s finally trying to talk. It’s been frustrating as his sister spoke so much earlier. I think it’s a combination of him being a second child, a boy, and just taking his time. It’s hard when they’re starting so slow though. Once you’re “on alert” for signs of a problem, you’re constantly looking. Ours said “two” the other day, and held up a card with the number two, and completely freaked me out. It’s likely complete coincidence, but I’m not going to lie/say I’m not worried. A lot of our friend’s second children do speech therapy, and that seems to mainly circle around naming everything about every item they see. So we will keep trying that for now. Good luck, just know you’re not alone.