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Original poster

How many words can your 18 month old say?

40 replies

Catsu · 25/02/2013 20:38

Trying to get an idea of what's 'average'
Have dr appointment tomorrow to ask about dd possibly having enlarged adenoids (ooh doctor suggested we look into it as dd gets frequent infections and this could be a cause)
One sign of it is poor hearing (possible) and behind in talking
Dd has 15 meaningful words (that I understand and that she says off her own back rather than just repeating a sound)
Does that sound average?

OP posts:
Original poster
Catsu · 25/02/2013 20:39

Words like mama, dada, cat, baby etc

OP posts:
lizandlulu · 25/02/2013 21:38

My dd has just turned 19 months. She says mummy dad, lulu, nanny, book, stuck, baby, bobble, bobbo,yes,no, bye bye. Look, more, Think that's about it. All said quite clearly, and she is beginning to say more, although not clear enough yet to count them as words.

CharlotteBronteSaurus · 25/02/2013 21:43

at 18mo dd1 was talking in full sentences.
at the same age dd2 didn't have a single word. not one.

i was assured by the h/v that both were well within the normal range.

ZuleikaD · 26/02/2013 10:33

Agree with PP. DC1 was talking in sentences at 18m, DC2 had about four words at the same age.

Sunshine200 · 26/02/2013 17:43

My 18 month old doesn't have 15 words yet, 8 that I can think of, and they have only just started to come, and aren't all that clear.

firawla · 26/02/2013 17:52

mine has about 4

Nicolaeus · 26/02/2013 17:59

Hardly any. A couple of animal sounds and some vague words that only we understand.

He understands everything we say though in 2 languages.

Honesttodog · 26/02/2013 18:14

ds says daddy, mummy, ds name occasionally, num num for yummy, hat, version of thank you, bear,, buh for button, bah for quite a lot of things Blush

DD could say a whole lot more at this age. But ds hums proper tunes which I am still really impressed with for some reason. and he repeats intonation so I know that he is getting there. He understands pretty much everything I say to him.

Honesttodog · 26/02/2013 18:15

oh yes, and shz for shoes!

Teladi · 27/02/2013 21:34

I think DD (bang on 18mo at the moment) has about 20 words. She also has a few animal noises. Her hearing and comprehension are very good as far as I can tell. That is, she follows instructions, answers questions etc.

JollyYellowGiant · 27/02/2013 21:39

At 14 months DS had 50.

At 20 months he could say over 200 of these words, and quite a few not on that list: babylab.psy.ox.ac.uk/research/oxford-cdi/oxford-cdi-online

Teladi · 27/02/2013 21:39

I meant to add onto the end of my post that I am surprised that your DD is considered behind in talking, it sounds pretty normal. I thought my own DD was very much following her 'line' of development, as she has done with everything else, and yours sounds to be at a similar stage verbally.

WhereAreMyShoes · 27/02/2013 21:43

My DS didn't say any words at that age. He once said 'out' to the dogs but then nothing until just before his 2nd birthday.
Then the words started falling out...

georgedawes · 27/02/2013 21:44

My dd prob had between 5-10 at that age.

georgedawes · 27/02/2013 21:45

And is talking probably ahead of her age now at 2. Understanding of words probably more important at this age.

vamosbebe · 27/02/2013 21:46

Oh crap, our ds is just 15 mo and can say mummy, daddy, yeah (into the phone/anything he holds to his ear) and can woof when he sees a dog.
Is he not advancing? I'm worried now. What are the guidelines, anyone?

BurnThisDiscoDown · 27/02/2013 21:51

DS (19 months) can say: hiya, daddy, mama, cat, pussy, grrr, moo, where, this, that, yes (kind of!), and a few others that I can tell what he's saying but others probably wouldn't. He understands a lot (when he wants to!), and our GP said he's normal.

BurnThisDiscoDown · 27/02/2013 21:53

Vamos - DS was only saying daddy and hiya at that age, I wouldn't worry too much.

Teladi · 27/02/2013 21:53

Wow, that link includes a lot of words I hadn't thought of! I just went through the tick boxes and it would seem that DD actually has 30 words and 7 animal noises. That is more than I thought she was using.

dorapeppageorgenoddy · 27/02/2013 21:53

My son is 18 months and has possibly 8 words if I am being generous I too think he is a bit behind - but he is not really behind just not as forward as some with speech - but he walked before 12 months and is much more physical than his brother was at his age - also my number 2 will climb to the top of the play centre and go down the slide at 18 months but number 1 still hates this type of thing at 3 -

The main thing to check is the understanding which is apparently 4/6 months ahead of speech so if they understand what you are asking/saying then there is no real cause for concern but if the understanding is behind it may be worth chatting to your HV -

If I said to mine - we are going out can you grab your boots - he will go and get them - our son was in hospital recently and the doc said as long as he is showing understanding the speech will come -

pinkpudding · 27/02/2013 21:53

my ds is now 3.5 and chatting away but at 18m didn't say a word, just screamed if he disliked something. he got his first words at 2 and sentances at 2.5. caught up with his friends by 3. just gets mixed up with technicalities now like him/her etc

Teladi · 27/02/2013 21:54

Vamos, my DD has just come out with all these words over the past 2 weeks, all she said before that was daddy and SNACK

impecuniousmarmoset · 27/02/2013 21:58

Dd had about 300. Ds had...none, but talking fine a year down the line. The range of normal is truly enormous at that age.

BackforGood · 27/02/2013 22:10

Here is the poster from I Can which tells you what children 'ought' to be able to do at different stages

impecuniousmarmoset · 27/02/2013 23:07

It's a funny one that - I've seen that poster up in various places and it seems very ambitious for under 2s but very limited for 3-4 year old especially. I don't know many 3-rising 4s who only use 4-6 word sentences and would be a big worried if that was the case, but I know a good few 18-2 year olds who are no way putting 2-3 words together, and LOADS if 12-18 month olds who don't know 10 words. I'm no expert, but ds has been under the supervision of developmental psychologists (born very early) who have had very very different expectations to the ones in that poster.