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Original poster

How many words could your child say at 1?

55 replies

lovescake83 · 15/12/2011 11:01

My son can say :

Mum (rarely, he mostly calls me Dad)
Dad (which he says alot [resentment smiley])
Hello (Haaa-oooh)
Hi ya
Uh oh
Dog/Duck (same word)
He understands phone/wave/clap/etc

All my friends are telling me their children are really advanced in the language stakes and frankly, Im taking it as a slight against my boy because he does clam up around other people. Im fed up of the pitying looks, because thats not behind at all is it? or is it...

Please reassure me Xmas Smile x

OP posts:
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Methe · 15/12/2011 15:52

None.

He's 3 next month a right chatterbox. They get there in their own time.

exexpat · 15/12/2011 15:52

DS: no words at all at 12 months. Didn't say mama till nearly 18 months. No one else could really understand what he said until he was about three. Is now 13, very articulate, and learning three other languages.

DD: started talking around 9 months, very clear and complex speech by 18 months, is now 9, very articulate and learning two other languages.

They're all different, and parents of PFBs like to boast compare notes about their little ones' development. Tune them out if it worries you.

cenicienta · 15/12/2011 16:04

My BIL couldn't talk til he was 3 1/2. He's now a high flying academic. His DD was exactly the same and could only make sounds until she was 3 1/2 and is now a very intelligent, articulate teenager.

Both my DDs were fluent in English by their 2nd birthday (DD1 fluent in Spanish by the age of 3), but I don't think this has anything to do with their level of intelligence, just one of those genetic things, some talk earlier than others!

Even when they start school there's an obvious difference in vocabulary and fluency but they all catch up in the end.

Competitive parents.... aaahhhh!

Original poster
lovescake83 · 15/12/2011 16:52

That's the thing, I wasn't even remotely worried until my friends harp on about 'such advanced language skills' and 'at one she was playing snap on my iPhone and singing Jingle Bells!' type crap.

Thanks for the reassurance. Its good to know that eventually it evens out Xmas Smile

OP posts:
jeee · 15/12/2011 16:57

My four children had no words at one... or at two. My boy got talking at 2.5. The girls didn't talk until over three.

Notanexcitingname · 15/12/2011 17:25

ds1-none
ds2-none

(I believe milestone is 6 words by 18th months, so you've really nothing to worry about)

BeeBread · 15/12/2011 17:27

DS1: no words at one.

Quite a few now at two, but only recently.

Your son is not remotely behind.

whenPaschagotstuckupthechimney · 15/12/2011 17:30

None. At 15 months we have progressed as far as dad, mumumum, doggy and a kind of squeal which means cat.

AngelsfromtherealmsofgloryDog · 15/12/2011 21:43

About 2 words. By 19 m.o. he had over 500, lots of his peers had none, but now at nearly 2 there's not much difference between most of them.

Our HV said 5 words at age 2 is what they look for.

I always say 'I', rarely 'Mummy' as it just sounds odd. DS is 2 now and seems to be coping okay so far.

Motherofhobbit · 15/12/2011 21:49

Wow, that's impressive. DS may have said duck around one, but it was probably coincidence amongst all the babbling.

Notanexcitingname · 15/12/2011 22:24

AngelDog, unless it has changed in the last 3 years, or it varies massively (and it therefore meaningless) your HV is wrong. My DS1 was referred to SLT at 2 because although he had 50 words he was not putting two together. The milestone is putting two words together by 2. The SLT didn't think the referral was out of place, either. (Although he did turn out to be one who was just a bit behind the curve)

AngelsfromtherealmsofgloryDog · 15/12/2011 22:28

From what I've read on here, it does vary a lot. I was surprised it was so low, but it was in the context of the HV being surprised at how verbal DS was, so I didn't have any way to know how correct it was. Maybe she meant to say an earlier age than 2 but made a mistake.

AngelsfromtherealmsofgloryDog · 15/12/2011 22:29

TBH though none of our HVs have inspired me with any confidence on any other issue Xmas Hmm, so it's entirely possible she was just wrong.

EmmaCate · 16/12/2011 07:48

Can't remember but DS wasn't very verbose; prob just the usual. We did Sing & Sign and it was his signing that took off at age 1 more than his words. Now at 22 months he has loads of words and is a real mimic (unfortunately yesterday was his first 'bugger' after he dropped a toy while I was struggling to carry him and DD along a road to car). So I'd say don't worry as they all vary and will get there in time. Even if he waits until after two to get talking a lot who cares? DS can't jump properly, even on a bed, and is generally slower physically; I think they have different natural strengths. The age ranges for what's 'normal' are fairly generous and the majority of children make it within those, eg. up to 18 months for walking (DS was 16 months).

Bonsoir · 16/12/2011 07:54

Thank you
Papa
Car
Bike

bigkidsdidit · 16/12/2011 07:58

bloody hell!

My DS is 11 months and says nothing. Well, he says Daddy but not when looking at DH. I had no idea some children had so many words at one!

Eek!

matana · 16/12/2011 08:14

Don't know for sure tbh - at that age some of the sounds they make accidentally sound like words. The ones my DS (13 months) says on a regular basis are mumum, dada, what's that (whilst pointing at something "wah dah?")
and he's just started saying nanananana when he doesn't want to do something. Oh and he says 'dare' for 'there' - also whilst pointing at something. So i guess it's about 5 on a regular basis, with a few curve balls thrown in.

I think at that age anything between 2 and 9 words is considered within the normal range. As someone else has said though, it's an age of huge developmental leaps, so if your LO can't say something today in all likelihood they'll surprise you by saying it tomorrow. It literally happens overnight.

MeMySonAndI · 16/12/2011 08:19

At 1...Nothing, not even mum. Two years later I couldn't stop him talking, had a vocabulary well above his age, and could communicate in 3 languages, and understand a 4th, without problem.

mybrainsthinkingfuckyousanta · 16/12/2011 08:22

ma
ba
da
nah
sister's name
blowing whenever she sees an animal - nope,me neither
squeals squeaks babbling

tis only her sister's name she seems to use in context though

FanjoForTheReindeerJumper · 16/12/2011 08:41

having hundreds of words is not that ideal either, my dd had hundreds at 1 and now has none at 5 Wink sounds like your wee one is doing just fine

Pursang · 16/12/2011 13:10

DS just turned 1, his entire vocabulary consists of...DADA. A very occasional mama, but prefers to look me in the eye, grinning, and repeating Dada with a wicked wicked look in his eyes. And a little bit of Uh-uh when he's near the fire or grandmother's best ornaments.

dogindisguise · 16/12/2011 14:01
Shock

My son is nearly 13 months and has a grand total of zero words!
He babbles almost constantly but hasn't said a recognisable word yet.

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 16/12/2011 14:03

DS1 and DD all had a huge vocabulary by 1.

Sadly 99% of it was gobbledegook.

brettgirl2 · 16/12/2011 20:36

None. Once they get going and start seemingly learning 100 words a day whay they could say at 1 or not isnt really that relevant.

A friend of dds had picked up 'duck' 'tree' parrot fashion at that age but they are about the same now I would say.

Sookeh · 16/12/2011 22:18

DS is 1 in two weeks. He only says Dada. Everything is Dada Grin

I was getting a bit worried before I read this thread. He's my second so I thought I'd be a bit more relaxed this time around Blush