From First Words to Full Sentences: Understanding Speech Milestones

Speech development is one of the most exciting parts of early childhood. At Chatterbox Pediatric Therapy, we often get questions like, “Should my child be talking more by now?”

Here’s a quick overview of typical speech milestones:

• 12 Months: Babbles, says 1-2 simple words like “mama” or “dada”
• 18 Months: Uses at least 10 words and understands simple directions
• 24 Months: Combines two words and has a vocabulary of 50+ words
• 3 Years: Speaks in short sentences and is understood most of the time

Every child is unique—but if your child isn’t meeting these milestones or seems frustrated when trying to communicate, a speech evaluation might help. Early support leads to lifelong success!