How many words can your 12-18 month old say? And what are they?

[RitaMorgan]

I have read that children should have 20-50 words by 18 months, though I guess there is a big variation in this. 15 month old DS seems pretty average compared to other young toddlers we know, though there is no sign of Mama/Mummy yet

At the moment he says about 11 recognisable words:

Dada
Ta
Yeah
No
Hiya
Bye-bye (buh-buh)
Boo (buh)
More (muh)
Again (geh)
Woof (wuh)
Quack (gak)

He is yet to have a developmental check with the HV so I'm assuming he's developing fine

Not many from DD yet (18 months)
Hiya
Ma Mum
Ma Da Da
Jacket
Tractor
Woof
Quack
Yum Yum
Oh-No!
Cheese
Plat Plat (Would LOVE to know what this is as she uses it loads!!!)

oh and Zak (ddog) which was her first word!

Oh God no, don't do this OP.

Each of my dcs have been very different at this age, it means nothing unless they say absolutely nothing or 1000 words!!

Such a vast range of normal. DD spoke fluently at 18 months. Just normal conversation. It was blooming freaky. My niece said 2 words at 18 months. They're both 4 now and equally capable of jabbering on about nothing for hours on end.

Hi Daddy!

DS2 is just over 2 and thats all he has every said. He does say it very well though :)

They seem to go in spurts. First they get one word, and use it for everything. Then they pick up a few more, maybe one every few weeks, then it seems to explode at random points over the next few months until before you know it they know most words even the ones you don't want them to

I get the impression DS thinks quicker than he can work out what word to use sometimes, he's 3. So he'll be jabbering on and then descend into "and then then then then then then then" until he runs out of breath because he can't work out what word it is he needs next. It's quite cute

This was what I noted down that DS could say at almost 18 months.

Look
Beeebeee (beep beep)
Dat (that, or cat, occasionally)
SSSS (meaning snake - hissss)
Raaa (meaning lion/tiger)
Gooo Gooo (in the tone of choo choo)
Ba (bye)
Where (but does not combine into a sentence)
Mama/Dada/Nana/Rama (grandma)
Bips (biscuit or drink)
Baps (fruit, usually apple)
Brr (ball)
Teesh (teeth)
Ta (thanks)
Do, do, DO! (one two three, not counting but leading up to something)
Dump (jump)
(Also possibly kick and duck/dog though I am not sure)

He can also sign:
Milk
Food/drink
Cat
Dog
Elephant
Monkey
Cuddle (he uses this to mean that he can see a teddy or baby most often)
Duck

My ds has just turned two and only has about ten words and animal/car sounds etc. He does however understand EVERYTHING so it looks like it might just be laziness on his part. We have an appointment to start speech therapy as I have been tying myself in knots over his speech for months.

Your list sounds great, I'm quite sure there aren't any problems there!

DS is 15m

dada, up, 'dow', vroom-vroom, 'gen' (again), where, chair, 'cheers', cat, baba (bye bye), baba (baby), choo-choo, 'all gone', and a variety of animal noises

dd and ds1 at 18 months were speaking in sentences

ds2 wasn't even babbling at that age, he said Mama (his first word) at 22 months of age and now at 2 3/4 he has about 10 words and a few animal sounds.

Joining in as it's fun to make a list! DD is 14 months and says:

Baboon
Shoes
No
Stop
Mummy
Daddy
Nan-Nan (Nanny)
Boo (instead of moo)
Baaa
Woof woof
sssssss (snake)
elephant noise with trunk
Teddy
Turtle
Nana (banana)
Ta
Miaow
Baby
Hiya
Bye bye
Socks

My 2.4 year old was saying full sentences at 18 months, potty trained day and night by 22 months...she just needed to talk....and won't shut up!! She is a second child which helps

DS however said a small range of words at 18 months, and was much more baby like......I liked that!! They soon explode and really, you cannot jeep them quiet..your dc sounds fab!

My DC5 is 18mths and can say
Hiya!
Dadda
Mamma
Tank too (thank you)
Bye bye

Thats about it. He is, however, a bloody genius

Ds is 14m next week and can say
Mama
all gone
hiya
ta
bah bah (bye bye)
ca (cat)
nih nih (night night)
go go go (when pushing toys along)
wow

and we get a lot of random oohs and aahhs as well as lots of babbling, he has a lot to say for himself!

My ds (now 2) said only 4 words at 18 months - daddy, tortoise, duck and that. Unless you count err.

6 months on we get 5 word sentences! :)

I feel bad after reading this, DD is 17 months and doesn't really say anything we recognise.

"mumumum" when she wants something

"aahhh" for meow

that's about it. Nowhere near walking either :(

Happygilmore, my almost 17 month old doesn't really say anything either. The only word she says consistently is 'yeah'. She can repeat 'up' and sometimes says hiya and bye bye. Other than that it's all pointing and 'uh uh uh'.

She doesn't even say mummy or daddy yet.

As far as I was aware they're 'expected' to say around 6 words by 18 months so I don't think we should be panicking yet.

The baby stage rushes by so quickly, I'm trying my very best to just her being a baby - she'll soon be talking my ears off!!

Thanks Ling, that makes me feel a little better. I even called the HV this week (and I've never done that before!) because every time I read a thread about baby speech on here my DD seems way behind. She said there's a wide range of normal, and 10 words by 2 was fine.

Lots of uh uh uhs here too. I think it's the fact she's nowhere near walking either, wondering what I'm doing wrong - you'd think she'd be late with one but not both!

She does however seem to understand most of what we say, which the HV said was a good sign.

There is a huge amount that happens between 12 - 18 months imo. My son had very few words at 12 months but has a very extensive vocabulary now at 18 months. It really happened in stops and starts.

DS is 14mo and says regularly:

Daddy
Teddy
Ducky

We've had a couple of words once or twice, peppa being yesterdays

Reading this thread with interest as I've just come home from my 18 month old sons meet and greet session with his new Dr. We just moved from The UK to Canada and I've been told to look into speech therapy as ds can only say mum and dada. He understands loads and he'll say 'rrrraa' for lion or tiger and 'ssss' for snake but I've been told that doesn't count :(

Speech therapy sounds such a drastic measure and I've been really upset by the suggestion. Apparently I was a late talker and I wonder if because I know what ds means when he points out things and he understands a lot (eg go get your shoes - and he runs back with them) I haven't encouraged him enough to talk? I read to him lots and he identifies pictures, pointing out whatever you ask him to. I wasn't at all worried about his progress until the dr flagged it as an issue :(

howcomes - who says that doesn't count? I would count that!

DD is 17mo and can say lots of 'words' ending in -ah. So:

Dada (daddy)
Ted-da (teddy)
Baba (rabbit)
baaa (her first word used in context at the sheep)
mmaaa (cow)
(ba)Nana
Nana (for Nanny)
Papa (one gp)
Rah (for lion/tiger/dinosaur/monster)
gah-gah (duck, quack)
Ma (more)
Ya (yes)
haya (hello)
Goh (for dog)
Goh-goh (all gone)

and most bizarre...

Ll (the welsh sound) which depending on context means 'cat' (she tries to purr) or 'milk' while pointing at my chest

And she says 'non' which I think means 'that one', because she's normally pointing at something she wants.

She's only just started uh-uh for o-oh, if something's fallen on the floor.

She understands waaaaay more than she actually verbalises though.