From coos, growls, and songs, your baby’s vocalising and verbal experimentation may sound both adorable and nonsensical to you. But listen closely, because soon you will hear it: your little one’s first real word! By nine months, your little one will probably start stringing mama and dada sounds, without necessarily knowing what they mean. But when these sounds start to transform into proper words with meanings, this milestone might feel like magic to you.
So if you are wondering when babies start talking and what your little bub’s first words will be, keep reading, as we discuss all the details and helpful tips to get your munchkin to start talking.
When Do Babies Start Talking?
Your baby tries to communicate with you as soon as they are born. Wondering how? The answer is by crying. In fact, crying is your little one’s only mode of communication with you at first, and also a quite powerful one.
With time, you will be able to understand what your baby’s cries mean, and how to meet their needs even before their crying starts. This method will also teach your baby how to connect and communicate with you.
Besides crying, there are many other ways your baby will try to communicate with you in the first few months, and note that these are all considered precursors to your little one’s language development. Here’s what you need to know about your munchkin’s early language milestones:
- At two months: Your baby will start turning their head toward you when you speak, and also start making gurgling and cooing sounds.
- At four months: Your baby will start to babble, and even begin to copy some of the sounds and annotations you make, and respond to your speech using sounds of their own.
- At six months: There is more back-and-forth conversation between you and your baby. Your munchkin will now begin responding to your questions, and also reply when you call their name. At this age, your baby’s babbling will become more fine-tuned, and you will hear them making more “m” and “b” sounds. They may also start squealing and blowing raspberries.
- By nine months: Your baby will look at you when you call their name and make a lot of “mamma” and “bababa” sounds. They will also start raising their arms, indicating they want to be picked up.
Common First Words
Most babies say their first word by the time they celebrate their first birthday. However, this development totally depends on each baby, and while some may say their first word earlier, it can take a little longer for others to start talking. Also, during this time, you will notice your baby’s receptive language skills (understanding what you are saying) become stronger.
Your baby’s first words will contain a lot of “b”, “d”, and “m” sounds, as they are the easiest to say. So don’t fret, as “mamma” and “dada” are usually the winners when it comes to your little bub’s first real words. But there is a wide variation, and some babies might even say even more obscure words than that.
Helpful Tips To Encourage Your Baby Talk
It may take up to two years for your little one to start talking in complete sentences. Meanwhile, you can try various interesting and fun activities to exercise your little one’s language skills. The more you expose them to new words, the more there will be the chances of them picking those words and adding them to their vocabulary. The following are some enjoyable activities you can consider trying to encourage your munchkin to talk.
- Sing to them: Try finding a song that your little one enjoys. Sing this song to your baby while they are playing, or while you are holding them in your arms. Choose songs with a catchy tune and easy words.
- Recite nursery rhymes: Nursery rhymes are created with the intent to attract your little one’s attention. They are short and have easy-to-understand words and sentences with a pleasant tune for quick grasping.
- Read to your baby: Read out small stories and sentences to your baby regularly. Make sure that the statements are easy, and the words are easy to utter.
- Talk to your baby: Sit with your baby and talk to them whenever you can. Start with describing your day and your routine chores. This will help them pick up words faster, and also help them learn the meanings.
- Watch some baby TV shows together: There are many baby TV shows that can help your munchkin learn new words, phrases, and numbers. Moreover, babies connect to cartoons quickly as they are attractive and have cute voices and sounds, making this activity all the more fun.
- Respond to your child’s actions: Babies love to pretend play. For instance, if your little one is playing pretend driving, ask them where they are going, and whether they will take you along with them. If your little one hands you an object, encourage them to describe the object in their own words.
- Try building up words when your baby speaks: If your baby says “apple” then you can respond by saying “yes it’s a juicy red apple.” This will help them learn to include newly learned words in meaningful sentences.
How To Identify Signs Of Speech Delay
Remember, some babies may speak early, and some a little later, and that’s completely OK! Milestones are just estimates, and you don’t need to stress or panic if your baby falls outside them. It can also be possible for your little one to have a delay in expressive speech (talking) but be particularly strong in receptive speech (understanding).
Having a delay in speech is quite common, and it usually resolves on its own. However, if you have concerns, it’s always good to discuss them with your child’s paediatrician, so that they can assess your little one’s language delay, and suggest appropriate therapy.
We hope we answered all your queries on “when do babies start talking.” Remember, every baby is different and they grow at their own speed. So be patient and give your little one some time to develop their language skills. In the meantime, you can also use the tips we discussed to encourage them to start talking. If you have any concerns about your child’s speech delay, consider talking with a paediatrician for further clarification and guidance.
Also read:
How to teach kids to read: Check out these helpful tips to encourage reading in your little one.
Different parenting styles: What is your parenting style? Tap this post to find out.
Best parenting books: Turn to these best parenting books for guidance and helpful tips.
Feature image: Freepik.com
