First Words 101: A Parent’s Guide to Early Communication
Practical Tips to SUPPOrt Your Toddler’S First Words
Hearing your baby say their first word is a magical milestone! While most children speak their first word around 12 months, it’s perfectly normal for it to happen earlier or later. Curious about what else to expect as your child grows? Let’s dive into early communication milestones and how you can support your toddler’s language development.
In This Post, You’ll Learn:
The key skills toddlers need before they start talking.
What actually counts as a “word.”
Common first words for toddlers.
Easy, actionable ways to encourage early communication.
Before your child says their first words, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes in their development. Let’s take a look at the essential skills they’re working on that lay the foundation for talking.
PRE-LANGUAGE SKILLS: Key Skills to Watch For
In their first year, a child is busy listening, observing, and learning how to connect with the world around them.
These foundational skills—called pre-language skills—are key stepping stones to talking.
If you’re wondering how your toddler is progressing, here are the major pre-language skills to watch for:
(If you have our Play Guide, refer to page 56 for a list and color coding method to identify areas where your child might need extra support.)
Does your child respond to their surroundings? Think about how they react to sights, sounds, or textures around them. Do they notice and respond consistently?
How do they engage with people? Do they enjoy social interactions, like playing peek-a-boo or smiling back at you?
Can they stay focused? Pay attention to how long they can independently focus on an activity—3–5 minutes is typical—or even longer with a little support.
Do they share focus with you? Joint attention is when your child looks at or plays with something while also staying engaged with you.
What about their play? Are they exploring and engaging with a variety of toys and objects in different ways?
Do they follow simple directions? For example, can they respond to basic instructions like "Come here" or "Give me the ball"?
Are they vocalizing with purpose? Notice if they use sounds to express their needs or get your attention.
Do they imitate you? Look for moments when they mimic gestures, actions, or even words—like clapping after you do or saying “bye-bye.”
How are they using gestures? Gestures like pointing, waving, or nodding are great ways your child can communicate without words.
Are they initiating interactions? Watch for times when they actively seek you out to request something or let you know what they need.
If your toddler is doing most of these, their first word might be just around the corner! If not, don’t worry—we’ve got tips to help you build these skills and encourage talking.
Once those foundational skills are in place, your child will start using words—but what actually counts as a word? Let’s break it down to help you recognize and celebrate their progress.
What Counts as a First Word?
It’s not always easy to tell if your child has said their first word—early words are often unclear or unexpected. As speech-language pathologists, we define a word as something your child uses independently, consistently, and intentionally in the right context.
Here are some examples of what counts as a first word:
If your child says “ga” for “go” every time you say, “Ready, set, ___,” it counts! Clarity isn’t important at this stage. We refer to this as a word approximation.
Animal or environmental sounds: “Moo” for a cow or “beep beep” for a car counts as long as it’s used to label something.
If your child says “uh-oh” when they drop something or “yay” when excited, it counts! We call these exclamatory words and they are some of our favorite go-to’s to get toddlers talking.
If your child signs “eat” when they’re hungry, it counts! Signs also do not need to be perfect. Just like spoken speech, a child’s fine and gross motor skills are still developing. And no, sign language won’t delay spoken language—research shows it actually supports it!
Note for bilingual/multilingual families: Each word in different languages counts separately. For example, “milk” and “leche” are two words!
Now that you know what qualifies as a word, it’s helpful to keep track of your child’s growing vocabulary. Here’s why and how to make it simple and stress-free.
Tracking Your Child’s Words
Keeping track of your child’s vocabulary can be helpful, especially before they’re stringing multiple words together.
For our pen and paper friends, keep a notepad handy near your child’s play area to jot down new words as they say them. For ultimate convenience, try your phone’s Notes app or even a shared document that everyone can update on the go. (This one’s our personal favorite!)
WHY TRACK WORDS?
It’s valuable for pediatrician visits. Sharing a list of words gives a clear picture of your child’s progress and makes conversations about milestones easier.
You’ll see how their vocabulary is growing. Tracking helps you notice patterns and ensures your child’s development is on track.
It helps you focus your efforts. Tools like our Play Guide (see pages 66–67) provide targeted activities to build on their vocabulary and support their growth.
As your toddler starts talking, you’ll notice that their first words are often simple, familiar, and tied to their daily world. Here are some of the most common first words and what they tell us about early speech development.
Common First Words for Toddlers
Toddlers tend to say their first words based on familiar people, objects, and routines in their environment. Many of these words use simple sounds they’ve already been practicing during babbling.
Here are some common first words:
Mama
Dada
Hi
Bye
Uh-oh
No
Ball (“ba”)
Dog (“da”)
Moo
Boo
Simple, repetitive word shapes (like consonant-vowel combinations) are easiest for toddlers to say, so you’ll often hear these first.
If your child hasn’t said their first word yet, or if you want to keep building their vocabulary, there are simple strategies you can use to support their communication journey. Here’s how to get started.
How to Encourage First Words
You’ve probably heard the advice to “talk to your child” and “read more books”—and we agree! Creating a language-rich environment is essential. But if your child is struggling with speech or you want to go beyond the basics, this advice can feel a bit overwhelming. That’s where revisiting those pre-language skills comes in! They are the foundation for first words, and here are some practical tips to help your toddler build on them.
A kind reminder: while we’re speech therapists, we’re not your child’s speech therapist. These tips are general strategies we often recommend, but every child is unique. If you’re concerned about your child’s development, consider reaching out to a speech therapist for individualized support.
Imitate Your Child
If your child isn’t imitating you, try flipping the script and imitating them! Copy their actions, gestures, or sounds. For example, if they roll a car, roll it too. If they say “baba,” repeat it back. This encourages them to keep communicating.Model Gestures
Pointing and waving are early gestures that can be used for communication. Here’s the thing - we have to model these gestures! Point to pictures in books. Point to a favorite toy on a shelf. Wave hi and bye in the mirror or as you enter and exit your child’s room after their nap.Serve and Return
This approach is from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child. When your child babbles, gestures, or vocalizes, respond! This could be as simple as saying a word, making eye contact, or giving a hug. It shows them their efforts are meaningful and encourages back-and-forth communication.Pair Sounds with Words
Notice the sounds your child makes during play. If they say “ah,” pair it with “on” or “up” in context. For example, say “on” when turning on a light or “up” when lifting a toy. This helps them connect their babbling to real words.Use Sign Language
Introduce simple signs like “milk,” “eat,” “more,” or “help.” Signs are a powerful tool to reduce frustration and build communication skills—even before your child can speak.
Start Building Communication Skills Today
Every child’s journey to first words is unique, so celebrate their progress, no matter how big or small. For a deeper dive into these strategies, check out our 7-Day Play Challenge or grab our comprehensive Play Guide for step-by-step tips to boost your toddler’s communication skills.
You’ve got this—your child’s first words are closer than you think!