Another talking one - how many words at 16 months?

[GoesDownLikeACupOfColdSick]

Just wondering really if/when to be concerned about speech. I was a very early talker and reader, and originally thought DD would be the same as she was shouting , "YES" at people and things from about 10 months old, but now we're at 16 months and she doesn't really have many words at all. Certainly she can't say mummy and daddy (well she can, but as babble, not to us, IYSWIM). All the things I've read say they are looking for words in addition to mummy and daddy !

She can say "trees" and "cheese" and "this" and "what's this" and "cheeky" and "weewee" and can wave "byebye" - but that's about it, and I guess what is actually worrying me is that she doesn't seem to have learned any new words in a couple of months; she's known those for a while. Also if I point to a cat in a book and say "cat" 50 times, she still won't point at it if I say "where's the cat?" and she won't miaow like a cat. A friend's little boy, who is a month younger, has been pointing at pictures and saying things like "sssnake" for ages.

Otherwise not at all concerned about her development - she's a lovely little girl who thinks she is talking, as she babbles in nonstop baby gabble with lots of intonation, eats and walks well, is very sociable unless she's feeling shy, she points to everything, follows instructions like "close your eyes", "take this to daddy", "clap", "dance" etc. So I am not really worried about her communication or social skills, just wondering if I am being totally ridiculous by worrying about her apparent failure to learn any more words, or if they should be picking up lots of new words by this stage?

I am very very clueless about babies and she is PFB! Thanks all :)

21 month old here that wont talk, ds was the same till he hit 2 he hasn't shut up since

I would watch and wait at this stage. Ds didn't speak until 19 months but when he started he was saying tricky words straightaway (Pachacuti was his 4th word) and reading at 3. Having said that you need to be aware and make sure that she can hear properly. Can she follow an instruction if she can't see your face/ body language?

Hi both - thanks for the replies! Yes, she can - I really don't think there's anything wrong with her hearing; she can hear the rustle of a crisp packet at about 1000 yards, always responds to her name, copies noises that we make (another one I forgot is that she says "sneeze" if someone sneezes; the thing is that all her words sound a bit the same!) etc. DP isn't even remotely concerned, but I suppose I was just expecting a few more words by this stage...

She sounds fine. Saying plenty for that age. Well within normal limits. Keep talking to her lots and lots, and reading, labelling things etc. Worry again in 6 months time if no change

Fab, thank you, that makes me feel much better!

My DD is 15 months and can't say much, she says 'mama', 'dada', 'duck', 'want' and that's about it! At this age it's more that they can communicate effectively than the words - pointing, babbling, imitating sounds. Sounds like your DD is fine! My nephew didn't say pretty much anything until he was 2 and a half. He's almost 3 now and says loads so he was at the later end of the scale and that's fine too!

My 16 month old dd doesn't say many more words than your, daddy, ta, mummy and tree too, so even less words than your
She's my second so I've done the pfb bit, don't compare as i did this with my first and all it does is result in feeling inadequate.

She sounds fine but if you still are worrying in a month or two have a word with the hv.

Not many at all here at 15 months.

None. One, unclear, at 17 months. 'Vast and complex' vocabulary at 3 and a half, according to nursery (unstealthy boast).

I have heard repeatedly, though, that it's damn hard to tell if a small child has hearing problems. They might hear a crisp packet rustle a mile away, but still be missing out on a lot of speech frequencies.

I wouldn't worry. My DD was an early talker but didn't walk until 18 months. They work on different skills at different times.

2 yrs (just) says tractor, mummy, daddy, brothers name, nanny, and makes lots of animal noises.

DS only had a very few words a few months past being 2. DD was quite the shock when she was talking in sentences at 14 months.

you don't really know how many words a child of this age is using, you only know how many you are understanding. That is two completely different counts!