Early speech and language milestones

This information is provided as a guide only. It is important to remember that each child is an individual.

Birth to 3 Months

• Sudden loud noises should stir or wake a sleeping baby or startle/alert an awake baby.

• Quieten to sounds of familiar voices.
  

3 to 6 Months

• Turns to the side of a sound or voice but can't yet localise up or down.

• Cooing sounds commence.

• Babbling, combining consonants and vowels (ba, da, ga, goo, etc) commences.
  

6 to 9 Months

• Babbling increases (babababa, lalalala, etc)

• Looks for sounds or voices that are out of sight.

• Responds to music.

• Enjoys sounds from rattles and noisy toys.
  

By 9 Months

• Understands some individual words (eg. such as mummy, daddy, no) by 10 months.

• Uses mamma and/or dada appropriately.

• Responds to simple (one-step) commands/questions? (eg. where's teddy? or come here)
  

By 12 Months

• Says 1 or 2 words other than mamma/dada.
  

By 19 Months

• Has a vocabulary of at least 20 words

• Can point to 1 body part
  

By 2 Years

• Says at least 50 words

• Combines 2 words (eg. mummy go; more juice)

• Refers to self by name

• Follows 2-step commands (eg. get the block and put it in the bucket)

• Can identify at least 6 body parts.
  

By 2 and 1/2 Years

• Uses at least 200 words

• Uses some pronouns (me, you, he, she) but may get them confused

• Speech is understood by most people some of the time

• Speaks in small phrases
  

By 3 Years

• Uses at least 300 words

• Uses pronouns correctly

• Can put 2 or 3 phrases together

• Speech understood by most people most of the time

• Can follow 2 step instructions using prepositions (eg. put the block on the table next to the book)
  If your child is not achieving these milestones or you are concerned about your child's hearing at any time, please discuss any concerns with your doctor.

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