First Words During Infancy and Toddlerhood: Part 1

Infants recognize many words before they can speak them.

For instance, when six-month-olds hear the word “banana,” they look at a picture of a banana.

Most infants say their first word between 10 and 14 months.This marks the beginning of linguistic speech, in which spoken words convey meaning.

At 10 months, they often link a new word to an interesting object, even if the name is incorrect.

By 12 months, infants pay attention to adult cues, like looking or pointing at an object while saying its name.

They are more likely to learn words for objects they find interesting.

By 13 months, children understand that a word represents a specific thing or event.

Depending on context or tone, they may use the same syllable, like “Da!”, to mean different things, such as “I want Daddy now!” or “Where is Daddy?”

This use of a single word to express a full idea is called a holophrase.

By 18 to 24 months, children use an adult’s gaze, gestures, and tone to learn words, even for objects that do not interest them.

By 24 months, children quickly recognize familiar object names even when the object is out of sight.