What should speech be like at 18 months?

[Nannyplum2015]

My LO is almost 18 months and can only say a few words. Mama, dada and makes sounds for some animals bird, dog, cat. And that's it . He can use signs for about 10 more words and understands a lot of what we are saying. Is this normal? Or is he behind?

Thanks

Sounds normal to me.

Yeah sounds normal to me too, my DS is 22months and only now have I really noticed him saying more words.

What worked for me is a picture book with loads of just objects to go through and point and say "that is a flower, that's a hat" etc and read every day then after week or two change it to what's that? My DS then replied "Hat" etc.

Totally normal.

Mine's 19 months and also says very little. He's very physical though and can do things it took dc1 ages to do! Dc 1 at this age said a lot more words though. They're all different.

I'm not too worried as I know he understands everything, and so I'm fairly sure there's no hearing issues. He's just taking his time. They'll get there and then never shut up like my 4 year old!

Mine is 18 months old. She can't say any words - although I think she might have said hello now. I'm not worried.

Very normal. Mines almost 21 months and speech has only properly taken off in the last couple of weeks.

My little one had about 15 words at 18 months, but not all clear (only myself, my husband and my Mum who looks after him when I'm working could understand him) He's now 20 months, and has over 40 words, picking up more everyday! I think it suddenly comes! Again not all of these are pronounced correctly infact most of them aren't! I have taught him some signs- please, thankyou, help, sorry, drink, snack, more, to help us understand him and stop him getting frustrated, but the words are coming :) Obviously with the signing I have had to teach my sisters/grandparents and anyone else who sees him regularly so that they understand too! The words will come when you little one is ready, sounds completely normal to me!

Can I jump in and ask, for kids this age, what do their words sound like? My 17 month old says only 3 complete words (mama, papa, teddy) but has lots of other words that's he can't say fully - raa for rice, paa for panda, mm for milk, wa for water, and so on.

Are these incomplete words wha everyone means by 'words' for young toddlers or do they actually say complete words at this age?

I know they are all different, but I mean for those kids whose parents say they have x number of words,
Complete or incomplete?

wesail I would call those words, if he's consistently making the same sound and knows what he means and wants. Especially words with more than one syllable.

It's a "word" when they consistently use the same sound to refer to a specific thing or category of things. Even if only the parents can understand them.

It's much longer until perfect strangers can understand them I reckon.

My 19 month DS doesn't say any recognisable (to me!) words. He does babble a lot more than he used to though and understands a lots e.g arms up / run / let's go out /no and will bring shoes/ coat/ teddy/ phone to the right person (mum/dad/granny) if asked. Can't wait to hear him talk to me though .

Ah, that makes sense, thank you!

I don't class my baby saying words til she's saying the words, not sounds. She can say chocolate now as well - not 100% clear but you can tell what it is and it's not just a sound. She can say woof woof too now