What do you count as a word your child knows?

[itsonlysubterfuge]

I was just wondering, when it comes to language development, what you classify as a word your child knows? So for example my DD says 'ella' for elephant. Would you say that is a word she knows or not? What about if she knows a word, but just doesn't say it properly, for example she can't miaow, she says 'maow'? Or if she says a word that only we as her parents understand and other people do not, for example instead of thank you shes says 'gyou'? Then there are the words that sound nothing like the original word that she just picked up on, she says 'ga-la-lay' for climb. Just curious, I understand it isn't important, but was just wondering.

The technical way to count them is anything you as the primary carer understands the meaning of- so all those you mention will count. :)

I count them as words when it's consistently combination of sounds representing that 'thing' even if it doesn't sound like the adult version.

Any gesture or verbal sound that they use to communicate something specific, counts as a single word. Ga-la-lay is climb to her, so then it's a "word".
Comprehensibility, Clarity of expression tends to come later.

thank you all .