16 months and no words

[Jhas]

Hi all, I am just wondering when people's toddlers started talking as my DS2 is 16 months with no words at all, whereas DS1 started with the word "ball" at 12 months and although he stuck to "dad", "ball" and "nana" till 15 months, he was then finding new words and phases every day. DS1 is three now and chatting to me about all sorts of things. I know DS2 isn't deaf because he can understand me perfectly. there is babble and we did think he was saying dad for a day or two but that's stopped now. Any input would be good please.

Babbling then blending babbling sounds are the building blocks for talking. So that's good.
Use words like 'uh oh' as they are easy to use.
Also use ready steady go. Say ready steady go and then do something amazingly fun - throw in the air, tickle, roll a ball, splash water in the bath etc. keep saying it all the time in different scenarios. Your child will then Remember the rhyme and know something amazing happens when you say go. Now say ready steady and wait. Wait to see if your little one shows you he wants you to say go and be tickled etc. take any noise or gesture as a signal. If he makes a noise you say 'go' and tickle etc. do it instantly so he can relate the noise to you saying go. This is to explode communication out of them.
But don't worry as he is still young. This is just a tip to support normal development.