A baby’s first word is one of the milestones parents most look forward to. But before a baby blurts out their first word, they will coo and babble since those milestones are actually the building blocks of language. As your baby grows, you'll notice their vocalizations becoming more complex. They'll start to string together syllables, like "dadada" or "mamama," even if they don't quite mean "Dad" or "Mom" yet.

From Babbles to Words

• Early Babbles: These are the first sounds your baby makes, often around 2-3 months old. They're simple vowel sounds like "ooh" and "aah."
• Consonant Sounds: As your baby gets older, they'll start adding consonants to their babbles, like "ba" or "da."
• Repetitive Sounds: Around 6-9 months, you might hear your baby repeating syllables, like "da-da-da" or "ma-ma."
• Imitating sounds: By 9-12 months, they might start to imitate sounds and simple words. They will also begin to use hand gestures and grunts to express their needs.
• First word: Around their first birthday, many babies utter their first words. However, for some babies it could be closer to the 16 month mark.

What Counts as a First Word?

So, how do you know when a sound is truly a word? A first word is usually a consistent sound or syllables that your baby uses to refer to a specific action, object or person, repeatedly and intentionally. For example, if your baby consistently says "ba-ba" when they see a bottle, or they say "dada" every time they see their dad, that’s a pretty good sign of a first word! They might even use a made-up word that doesn’t resemble the appropriate word.

How to Promote First Words

Here are some tips to encourage language development:

• Talk often: Talk to your baby often, make eye contact and use simple words and sentences. A great time to put in the effort is when you change their diaper or prepare their meal, you can “sportscast” what you’re doing. You can also try verbal storytelling; follow along in our storytelling activities.
• Read aloud: Reading books together helps expose your baby to language and builds a love of reading. You can make up stories using the illustrations, you can just mention the words, you can “read” it as a song, or you can actually read what the book says. Check out these videos on how to read to your 9-10 month old and 11-12 month old.
• Sing songs: Singing songs and nursery rhymes is a fun way to introduce language and rhythm. Try out this song from our catalog: Up, down & around
• Point and name: Point to objects and name them to help your baby associate words with objects.
• Listen attentively: When your baby babbles or says a word, listen attentively and respond. Check out this great activity to stimulate babbling and social interactions!
• Be patient: Language development takes time. Don't rush your baby or put pressure on them to speak. Here’s a video debunking some myths around late talkers.

Remember, the most important thing is to enjoy this special time with your baby. Every baby is unique; don't compare your baby's development to others. As long as they're making sounds, using gestures to communicate and responding to you, they're on track. If you have concerns about your baby's language development, consult with your pediatrician.