speech and language milestones

0 – 3 Months

  • Startles to loud sounds
  • Quiets or smiles when spoken to
  • Seems to recognise your voice and quiets if crying
  • Makes pleasure sounds (cooing, gooing)

4 - 6 Months

  • Moves eyes in direction of sounds
  • Responds to changes in tone of your voice
  • Pays attention to music
  • Babbling sounds more speech-like with many different sounds, including, p, b, and m
  • Makes gurgling sounds when left alone and when playing with you

7 - 12 Months

  • Enjoys games like peek-a-boo
  • Turns and looks in direction of sounds
  • Listens when spoken to
  • Recognises words for common items like "cup", "shoe," "juice"
  • Babbling has both long and short groups of sounds such as "tataupup bibibibibi"
  • Uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention
  • Imitates different speech sounds
  • Has 1 or 2 words

7 - 12 Months

  • Enjoys games like peek-a-boo
  • Turns and looks in direction of sounds
  • Listens when spoken to
  • Recognises words for common items like "cup", "shoe," "juice"
  • Babbling has both long and short groups of sounds such as "tataupup bibibibibi"
  • Uses speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention
  • Imitates different speech sounds
  • Has 1 or 2 words

12 Months

  • Responds to their name
  • Understands simple directions with gestures
  • Uses a variety of sounds
  • Plays social games like peek a boo
  • First words appear

12 Months

  • Responds to their name
  • Understands simple directions with gestures
  • Uses a variety of sounds
  • Plays social games like peek a boo
  • First words appear

15 Months

  • Uses a variety of sounds and gestures to communicate
  • Uses some simple words to communicate
  • Plays with different toys
  • Understands simple directions
  • 5-10 words

18 Months

  • Understands several body parts
  • Attempts to imitate words you say
  • Uses at least 10 - 20 words
  • Uses pretend play
  • Starts to combine words (2-word sentences)

24 Months

  • Uses at least 50 words
  • Recognizes pictures in books and listens to simple stories
  • Begins to combine two words
  • Uses many different sounds at the beginning of words

2 - 3 Years

  • Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time
  • Understands differences in meaning
  • Follows two part requests
  • Combines three or more words into sentences
  • Understands simple questions
  • Recognises at least two colours
  • Understands descriptive concepts

3 - 4 Years

  • Uses sentences with 4 or more words
  • Talks about activities at school or at friends' homes
  • People outside family usually understand child's speech
  • Identifies colours
  • Compares objects
  • Answers questions logically
  • Tells how objects are used