Since we are all talking about speech - 18mo DS only says a few words

[GreatBigHairyMonsterlapin]

"Daddy" clear as a bell
"ank oo" (thank you)
"dere oo are" (when playing peekaboo)
"down"
"yes" (strangely, not "no" yet!)
and "ello!" to everyone we pass.

A lot of my friends' DCs of the same age are much more chatty. He does babble, and his comprehension seems pretty good - I wasn't too concerned until I saw my friend's DS of the same age who can name all the parts of the face, asks for "milk" and "biscuit" and basically can repeat anything she says (my DS rarely wants to repeat stuff).

It seems to me that the earlier walkers are later talkers, and vice versa (friend's DS has just started walking, mine at 10/11m.) Does that hold true in your experience? and should I be doing anything to improve his speech? I do chat to him a lot.

my 23 month old says

Mumeeeeeee
Ca (car)
Ca (cat)
Buh (bus)
plllll (please)

New one this week, very loudly with emphasis...

BA-BAAAAAA (bye bye)

I love the emphasis

Ooh, he can however sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in what sounds like Swahili

ds was the same LL. I remember visiting a friend whose 18 months old was already asking for a "kiwi" fruit. The humiliation Ds could only manage a few words, brum brum among those... He started to talk after he was 2 in the space of 2 weeks (yes, he was exposed to two different languages, but I don't thjink it made a big difference)

MOst of DD3s (18m) revolve around food

moooore
gonnnne
ana (banana)

She calls me Daddeeee more than she calls me mummy , but does know I am mummy IYSWIM

Lots of thngs sound the same as each other unless you know the context (e.g. baa means bag when it is nursery time, but bath or dirty bum nappy when she is standing at the stair gate).

She also says the first sound for a lot of words - but not the whole word. eg "wa" means will you bloody put me down so I can run up the drive 'walk'.

TBH her vocabulary has increased meassively over the last 2 weeks. She was 18m yesterday.

I expect you will see his voocab expand massively over the next month or so. Isn't there a stage soon where they are supposed to learn 20 new words every day or something?

I am in a very similar position.
My dd is 19 mo and says
"Ne" (no)
"Yeh"
"Da-dai" (bye-bye)

She can tell you the noises made by cows, ducks, dogs, cats and tigers (obviously) and will repeat Mummy ("Mumum") and Daddy ("Dai-da") but never volunteers them. Also several friends' children are talking a lot more.
Dd never did the "ba-ba-ba" "duh-duh-duh" thing that I noticed other children doing at around 10-12 mo.
I'm not going to get worried yet. Her hearing is fine and her understanding is fantastic. I mentioned it to the gp when I had her there for a chest infection and he said to wait until she is 2 and, if things haven't improved, take her back.
HTH

I thought my DD was less verbal than her friends at about this age. Got a really helpful book called Baby Talk by Sally Ward.
I can't remember everything but IIRC, getting kids to repeat things or 'testing 'what they can say is a big no-no.

Where did all of the witches hats come from....

My 18 month old says

Up!
Doos! (juice)
Din!(drink)
CaaaaAAAAAAAAAA!!! (cat)
Doh Dare! (downstairs)
Nih!(accompanied by shake of head - no.)

Various imperious yet unintelligable utterances of baby latin - "Oooooayyy! wob wob wob buuuhhhh! Eeeyn. Bap bap bap! BAP!"

I think if you talk to your kids loadsa d without too much complication they'll be fine and their speech will develop at its own rate. They all seem to catch each other up on the whole. I did read that you should try to avoid having too much background noise ie tv or radio as they struggle to differentiate between background and foreground sounds.

I don't think there is anything to worry about at 18 months. As long as it is clear that there are no hearing issues, and your DS can say a few words, then he's probably just developing in other ways - eg physically.

Some kids just start talking in whole sentences when they are about 2. We have certainly found that, as well as experiencing early talkers.

Ds is 19 months and I know he doesn't say as many words as others his age, or even younger in some cases.
Food, of all descriptions, has always been 'num-num' to ds - not a word but it is to him. Also some words appear then disappear so never sure whether to count those. The straight forward ones are;
Bye
No
Oh noooooooooooooooooo (in a very theatrical voice, usually when Thomas comes off his rails (every episode) or when he 'accidently' drops something on the floor)
Up
Mama
Dada
Wossat? (Whats that?)
Beebee (baby)

WRT the walking thing, he started walking at 13 months, so pretty average.

Meant to say - I dont worry about it as he babbles away constantly and understands us perfectly, so knows the words for things, just doesn't choose to say them yet!

ds1 failed his 2 year assesement as he was meant to have 20 words and had maybe 2 - not even animal sounds - wouldn't say his name or anything. For some reason I wasn't worried since he understood everything. When he was about 2.5 he started talking in proper sentences and we missed all the baby talk. By nursery at 4 he had some of the best language in the class. I found getting rid of the baby talk with the other two much more of an issue than the late talking.

I definitely think we are getting some baby latin. Hey, maybe he is an undiscovered genius!

Well, I just took him to be weighed for the first time in 6 months ("uh-oh" as DS would say ) and I asked the HV - she said not to worry at all, that 5 words or so was the average, and since he obviously understands, hears well and is extremely interactive, I shouldn't worry at all.

Then on the way home, DS said "why don't we see proper paediatricians, Mum?" (can you imagine, I'd have crashed the car!)

Hiya

my 3 girls were all very different.. Kit now 4 spoke quite early, Remy now 3 is stil hard for outsiders to understand.. and Lola 16 mths, is also proving an early speaker..says Down, UP, Mummy VERY loud and Daddy, I also get called Daddy a lot..
Says Baby about her dolls which she loves, nana (banana), NO and does a mean Tantrum.. isnt she too young for tantys!!! apparently not...
Maybe my new business can help them to talk earlier?? excuse my sales pitch, but I need lots of help to get it off the ground..I
have just launched www.mykidsbooks.co.uk where you can make Personalised ABC books..you upload a digital photo and text for each letter, ie a photo of Mummy for M with the text Magnificent Mummy!
I would love your feedback..

cheers
Deb

Hi I have just read this thread and now worrying despite everyone telling me not to.
My DS is 2.4 and really not saying many proper words at all. He says hiya, bye bye and daddeee clearly. Other than that its buh for bus, dee-ar for digger, dar for car, byeee for mummy, ish for fish. He can't seem to say 'm' or 'c' and he is getting very frustrated as he can't communicate.There is no problem with hearing as far as I can tell - he sings in tune very well - and he understands a lot. My DD now 5 was very ahead with speech and I think I have just been telling myself not to compare the two to the point where I might not be accepting there is a problem. What do other mumsnetters think? Should I see someone now or wait till he is 3? HVs do not do checks here (you get a leaflet!)so he has not really been seen by anyone since babyhood. Any advice appreciated.

My dd is 20 months now, and her talking really took off about 6 weeks ago. Now she's the chattiest on our post-natal thread, and has only 1 chattier friend of the same age in real life. Her friends really vary in how much they speak, but plenty of them still only have a handful of words at this age.

The early walker/late talker doesn't hold true for us, as dd also walked before 11 months.

I think that chatting to him a lot, and using the same words over and over is all you can do, but I suspect it won't make a lot of difference until he is 'ready'.

curlydolly - just read your post, and although it could be normal, if it is worrying you, then why not give your h/v a call, and see if she is at all concerned or can offer advice.

CSWS, I read that as your DD being the most prolific poster on your post-natal thread - now that is advanced!

curlydolly, have a look at this - your DS sounds like he is fine by these criteria, but as CSWS says, maybe get him checked out if you are at all concerned, if only to put your mind at rest

My ds is 20 months and says mum and no. Well, he says alot, but they are the only words I can understand.

The variety in what is considered normal at this age is huge. I'm really not worried.

My friends ds who was still not speaking at 2 was referred for speach therapy. Now at almost three his language is ahead of what is considered average. I would speak to your H/V curlydolly, even if it is just to put your mind at rest.

lapin.

Lapin - at 16 months my ds could only say 3 words. At 19 months he could only say 3 words (he spent those 3 months learning to walk, having taken his first steps at 16 months). However, he soon caught up, and is now a very talkative, expressive, eloquent 6 year old with an extensive vocabulary, who is happiest when having a conversation with adults about fire engines/lifeboats etc. So I wouldn't worry!

I am waiting for DS to point at the nearest big grey boat and say "aircwaft cawwier"