18-month-old speech has no single right number, but it does have a reliable baseline: most children try at least 3 words besides "mama" and "dada" by this age. Word count is also not the only measure. How well your child understands you, uses gestures and wants to communicate with you matters at least as much.
This article explains how to count 18-month-old speech correctly at home, how skills usually progress between 15 and 24 months, and 6 warning signs. It also covers when waiting is reasonable, why hearing is the first check and what to do in daily routines.
18-month-old speech: how many words are normal?
According to the developmental milestones the CDC revised in 2022, children try to say at least 3 words besides "mama" and "dada" by 18 months. The list contains skills that at least 75 percent of children reach, so 3 words is not an average but a figure close to the lower limit.
That is why seeing figures such as 3, 10, 20 or even 50 online gets confusing. Each number describes something different: one is a baseline, another an average and another a target closer to age 2. Indeed, 18-month-old speech can look very different even within one home, as one sibling reaches this age with a few words and another with dozens.
So do not look at the number alone, because the real information lies in the direction of travel. For example, new words arriving over the months are a good sign. Then take understanding and gestures into account as well.
What should you watch for when counting words at home?
When assessing 18-month-old speech, families tend to undercount, because they only write down clearly pronounced words. At this age, however, children usually shorten words. For example, they say "ba" for ball or "wa" for water.
So keep a list for one week using these four rules:
- Count consistency: If your child uses the same sound for the same thing, write it down as a word. Clear pronunciation is not required.
- Look for meaningful use: If your child says "dada" while looking at their father, it is a word. If they repeat "dadada" during play, it is babbling.
- Include sound imitations: For example, saying "woof" on seeing a dog or "vroom" on seeing a car is also a word used to communicate.
- Separate repetition: Write the words your child only repeats straight after you in a separate column. Words that come spontaneously tell you more.
Expected progress at 15, 18 and 24 months
The table below brings together the communication items on the CDC list for 18-month-old speech. So read the progress from left to right rather than fixating on one row, because a child with 3 words who follows every direction is not in the same position as a child with 3 words who does not understand directions.
| Age | Saying | Understanding | Gestures and sharing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months | Tries 1 or 2 words besides "mama" and "dada" | Looks at a familiar object when you name it, follows directions given with a gesture | Points to ask for something or get help, shows you an object they like |
| 18 months | Tries at least 3 words besides "mama" and "dada" | Follows one-step directions without gestures ("Give it to me") | Points to show you something interesting, looks at a few book pages with you |
| 24 months | Puts at least two words together ("More milk") | Points to at least two body parts when asked, finds the picture you ask about in a book | Uses more gestures than waving and pointing, such as blowing a kiss or nodding yes |
For a wider age range, see our article on language milestones from 0 to 6.
3 skills as important as 18-month-old speech
Even two children who say the same number of words can be on very different paths. These three skills usually show the difference.
1. Understanding
Children understand far more than they say. So if understanding is strong, the picture is less worrying even when 18-month-old speech lags behind. Indeed, research uses the term "late talker" for children whose understanding is intact. For more detail, read our article on receptive and expressive language.
2. Gestures
Pointing, waving and nodding prepare the ground for speech. In a small study by Iverson and Goldin-Meadow, many things children first expressed with a gesture later moved into their spoken words. The first children to combine a gesture with a word were also the first to combine two words. To build this bridge at home, read our article on baby sign language.
3. The wish to share
When your child sees a plane, do they look at you first and then point at it? We call this joint attention. A child with few words who keeps seeking you out with looks, sounds and gestures is ready to communicate.
A 3-minute check at home: When your child is calm, say "Give me the ball" without holding out your hand or looking at it. Note what happens, and repeat this with different objects on different days.
Then put a favourite toy where your child can see it but not reach it. Do they look at you, point or make a sound? This check is not a diagnostic tool, it only organises your observations.
3 different pictures in a child who says few words
If 18-month-old speech seems behind, first see which picture yours is closest to, because each one calls for a different step. This distinction is not a diagnosis, it only clarifies which specialist to speak to.
| What you notice | What it may mean | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Few words, but strong understanding and gestures, and a clear wish to communicate | Close to the late talker picture | Have hearing checked, start focused interaction at home, review progress in 2 to 3 months |
| Few words, and also misses directions and familiar names | Understanding may also be behind | Arrange a hearing check and a speech and language assessment without waiting |
| Few words, no pointing, little response to their name or your gaze | Social communication needs a closer look | Speak to your paediatrician this month and, if needed, see a child psychiatrist or developmental paediatrician |
6 warning signs in 18-month-old speech
If even one of the following applies, do not wait for the next check-up. These signs do not mean autism or any other condition, they only show that it is time for an assessment.
- No words besides "mama" and "dada". If your 18-month-old is not talking and no new sound has appeared in recent months, book an appointment.
- Does not follow one-step directions without gestures. Take it seriously if "Bring your shoes" gets no response without your look or hand.
- Does not point. Your child does not show what they want or what they find interesting with a finger or hand.
- Responds inconsistently to their name and to sounds. Our article on children who do not respond to their name sets out the first steps.
- Does not seek you out to communicate. For example, there is very little eye contact or effort to share something through gestures and sounds.
- Loses words they used to say. This is the most urgent sign, so see a doctor the same week. Our article on children who stop talking gives the details.
18-month-old speech examples: what are the first words?
First words usually come from the people, food, toys and actions a child meets every day. Examples include "milk", "ball", "woof", "more", "no" and "bye-bye". Short words such as "more", "gone" and "give" do a lot of work, because they fit every routine.
So do not make a long target list for 18-month-old speech. Instead, choose 5 words from the things your child wants most and let them hear those words often during the day. If your child hears Turkish and English, count words from both languages together.
Should we wait? How late talkers progress
"Their father talked late too, just wait" rests on a partly true observation about 18-month-old speech. Many late talkers catch up with their peers later on. In the study by Dale and colleagues, which followed 8,386 twins, difficulties continued at age 3 in 44 percent of children with a small vocabulary at 2. At age 4, this figure fell to 40 percent.
However, the same study showed that data from age 2 cannot reliably predict the outcome. Rescorla's review also reports that most late talkers reach the average range by age 5 to 7, yet as a group stay slightly behind into adolescence.
So the right question for 18-month-old speech is not "should we wait?" but "what are we doing while we wait?". One explicit aim of the working group that revised the CDC list was to discourage a "wait and see" approach. A hearing check and interaction at home therefore come before waiting, not alongside it.
An audiologist's view: check hearing first
When 18-month-old speech lags behind, hearing is the first check. Passing the newborn hearing screen does not settle this question, because fluid in the middle ear can appear later and often muffles sounds without causing pain.
In this case a child may not turn to you in a noisy room, yet still startles at a loud sound. Families therefore assume the child "can hear". Telling words apart takes far more hearing than startling at a noise. So see an ear, nose and throat doctor or an audiology unit, and read our article on ear fluid and adenoids for details.
How do you work out age in a premature baby?
In a child born early, judge 18-month-old speech by corrected age. For example, compare a child born 2 months early with 16-month-olds first, even if the calendar says 18 months. Correction only adjusts expectations and does not erase warning signs, so discuss the same calculation with your doctor.
4 factors often blamed for late speech
Families ask most about these four topics at this age. In each case the short answer is not to pin the decision on one factor.
- Screens: Van den Heuvel and colleagues found in 893 children that each extra 30 minutes of mobile device use was linked with parent-reported expressive language delay. However, the study is cross-sectional and relies on parent reports, so it does not prove cause and effect. For practical tips, see our article on screen time.
- Two languages: Hearing two languages does not cause speech problems. So count words in both languages together. Details are in our article on bilingualism.
- Dummies: A dummy in the mouth all day leaves little room for trying out sounds. So try taking it out during talking and play. For a plan, read our article on giving up the dummy.
- Sex: Boys as a group talk slightly later. However, this difference does not explain the warning signs above. So do not use "boys talk late" as a reason to delay a check.
What should you do at home for 18-month-old speech?
For 18-month-old speech, the most effective setting is not a separate lesson but daily routines. Roberts and Kaiser's meta-analysis showed that language work delivered by parents significantly supports understanding and expression in children aged 18 to 60 months. Romeo and colleagues also found in older children that conversational turns, more than the number of words heard, were linked with brain response.
So take turns with 18-month-old speech instead of saying "say it". This turns talking into an invitation rather than a test.
| Routine | What to do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Meals | Offer a choice, then wait | Show two fruits: "Apple or banana?" Then stay quiet for 5 seconds. |
| Dressing | Describe the action in a short sentence | "Sock on. Foot in!" |
| Bath | Repeat one word | Blow bubbles: "Pop! Pop! Pop again!" |
| Play | Name what your child is looking at | If they are looking at the car: "Car. Car goes." |
| Books | Talk about the pictures rather than reading | Ask "Where is the cat?" and when they point say "Yes, cat. Meow!" |
| Going out | Add one word to what they say | When they say "ba": "Ball. Big ball." |
By contrast, drop these three habits:
- Pressuring: "No juice until you say it" takes the pleasure out of communication.
- Correcting: Instead of "Not ba, say ball", let them hear the right form in your own sentence.
- Getting there first: If you hand over the cup the moment your child looks at it, they have no reason to speak. So wait a few seconds first.
For more ideas, read our articles on reading with your child and imitation skills.
Is 18-month-old speech progressing? What to look for in 3 months
A single day's list says little about 18-month-old speech, so count again the same way after 2 to 3 months. Then put the two lists side by side and look for these three changes:
- New words: Is the list growing? In particular, are there more words that come spontaneously, without repeating you?
- Gesture plus word: For example, does your child point at the ball and say "ball" at the same moment? This combination is an early step towards two-word phrases.
- New purposes: Does your child use words not only to ask for things but also to show, greet or protest?
If you see no change under any of the three headings, do not keep waiting. A list that stands still is more important information than a low number on its own.
What should you take to the paediatrician?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends autism screening at 18 and 24 months. Your paediatrician or family doctor carries this out, and we describe the process in our M-CHAT article. So go to the appointment with these:
- A one-week word list with a note of the spontaneous words
- Directions your child does and does not follow without gestures
- A short video of play
- Past ear infections and the newborn hearing screen result
- Any family history of late talking or language difficulties
How does the process work at our centre?
Our centre works with families whose 18-month-old speech is behind to support the child's understanding, gestures, play and word skills. At the first meeting we go through your word list together and get to know your child through play. Then, depending on their needs, we continue with speech delay work or DIR/Floortime.
At this age the real opportunity lies in the hours at home, so we choose goals that fit your routines through Parent Guidance. Our sessions last 40 minutes. If you are curious how an assessment goes, read our article on speech and language assessment.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should an 18-month-old say?
According to the CDC list, most children try at least 3 words besides "mama" and "dada" by 18 months. Many say far more, so treat 3 words as a baseline rather than a target.
My 18-month-old is not talking but understands everything. Is there a problem?
Strong understanding is a good sign for 18-month-old speech, but it does not explain the lack of words on its own. Have hearing checked first. Then speak to a specialist and start focused interaction at home.
What should I do if there are no words besides "mama" and "dada"?
In this case do not wait for the next check-up. Speak to your paediatrician, ask for a hearing check and note your child's gestures and sounds for a week.
Do 18-month-olds put two words together?
Some do, but this skill usually arrives closer to age 2. So the absence of two-word phrases at this age is not a problem on its own.
Is not talking a sign of autism?
Not on its own. However, if it comes with no pointing, little response to their name and little wish to share, consult your paediatrician. Autism is diagnosed by a child psychiatrist or developmental paediatrician.
My 18-month-old is not talking. How long is it safe to wait?
There is no safe waiting threshold. Start the hearing check and the work at home straight away. If there are problems with understanding directions, gestures or lost skills, see a specialist without waiting.
Do boys really talk later?
As a group they talk slightly later, but the difference is small. So do not put warning signs down to sex and delay.
Can speech therapy start at 18 months?
Yes, if there is a need. Work on 18-month-old speech does not happen at a table, it moves forward through play. The family's routines at home are also a core part of the work.
Is talking a lot to my child enough for 18-month-old speech?
One-way talk is not enough. Use short sentences, name what your child is looking at and wait a few seconds for a response. Taking turns makes the real difference here.
Related articles
18-month-old speech changes quickly within a few months. For the next stage, see our article on the 2-year-old who is not talking. For the distinction, our comparison of autism and speech delay offers guidance.
Sources
The research information in this article is based on the following sources:
- CDC. Milestones by 18 months (also the 15-month and 2-year lists).
- Zubler JM et al. Evidence-informed milestones for developmental surveillance tools. Pediatrics, 2022.
- Iverson JM, Goldin-Meadow S. Gesture paves the way for language development. Psychological Science, 2005.
- Hawa VV, Spanoudis G. Toddlers with delayed expressive language. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 2014.
- Dale PS et al. Outcomes of early language delay: I. Predicting persistent and transient language difficulties at 3 and 4 years. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2003.
- Rescorla L. Late talkers: do good predictors of outcome exist? Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 2011.
- van den Heuvel M et al. Mobile media device use is associated with expressive language delay in 18-month-old children. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 2019.
- Roberts MY, Kaiser AP. The effectiveness of parent-implemented language interventions: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 2011.
- Romeo RR et al. Beyond the 30-million-word gap. Psychological Science, 2018.
- Hyman SL, Levy SE, Myers SM. Identification, evaluation, and management of children with autism spectrum disorder. Pediatrics, 2020.
