What counts as words?

[Hoping4amiracle]

Just that really. I’m a first time mum and my son was very prem so it’s kind of been drummed into me to look for delays. He is 16months corrected now. So for example, he will call me ‘mummy’ and I’ve never been called anything else by him but recently has fell in love with Bluey and he gives me the remote and goes ‘MOM’ just like the theme tune … when it comes on he goes ‘MOM’ then ‘Tttttt’ like he is trying to sing the little song. So long story short is mummy and mom one word or two because clearly in his head they mean two different things? Same with Hiya and Hello … funny when we play phone he answers it with a hello which I suppose I do but then face to face he goes with hiya. But given they mean the same thing is that one or two words?

I really don't think it matters!

This is one of those things you'll laugh about in years to come.

He's using words to communicate, that's great. You'll no doubt be getting more soon. Probably Bingo or Bluey!

At this age, a 'word' is a sound that is consistently used to mean something. It doesn't have to sound anything like the actual word, and things like animals sounds, 'broom' for car, etc. also count.

Based on that, I would say 'Mummy' meaning you and 'Mom!' meaning 'I want to watch Bluey' are definitely two separate words. 'Hiya' and 'Hello' are a bit closer, but I think I'd also call that two, in the same way that an older toddler knowing 'small' and 'little' counts as two words.

Thanks both - and I know that to parents whose kids have like 50 words at this stage it sounds pedantic but when you are a parent of a tot that is struggling you want to know and push for that help as early as you can so you do overthink but it does matter. X

I agree with the mummy and mom being two separate words as well - I think if he was using them all interchangeably to refer to me it might be different but he doesn’t. hiya and hello - im the same as you as he is saying them in the same context x

If you really want to analyze it then I’d say mummy and mom in this example are two words as he’s using them for different meanings. And hello and hiya are 1 word as they mean the same to him, just in a slightly different context. So 3 words altogether.