How Many Words Should My Child Have?
As parents and caregivers, one of the most exciting parts of watching your child grow is seeing their communication skills start to take shape. We’re eager to hear what they have to say! But as their language begins to develop, it can be tough to know if things are on track. For example, by their first birthday, a child should have one word- but after that, things can get a bit unclear. Your pediatrician might tell you one thing, while a friend or another provider may say something totally different. Often, this confusion comes from mixing up milestones (the minimum we expect by a certain age) with averages (what many kids might be doing). Those numbers can look really different, so let’s talk about it!
Like we mentioned earlier, a milestone is the minimum skill we expect most kids to reach by a certain age. Research shows that about 90% of children at that age have hit that milestone. On the other hand, being in the average range means your child is doing what about 50% of kids their age are doing. Of course, we want children to meet their milestones, but it’s also natural to feel concerned if they don’t seem to fall within the average range, too. It’s important to understand the difference, because it can really shape how we view a child’s development.
Before we dive in even deeper, it’s helpful to understand what actually counts as a word. If you haven’t already, check out our previous blog post, “What Counts as a Word?”. As you start figuring out your child’s vocabulary count, keeping this information in mind will help you get the most accurate picture of your child’s language skills.
See below for a breakdown of vocabulary development by age, including both milestone and average expectations:
12 months:
Milestone: 1 word
Average: 5+ words
18 months:
Milestone: 10 words
Average: 50+ words
24 months:
Milestone: 50 words
Average: 300+ words and combining 2 words into novel utterances (“thank you” counts as one word but “thanks mama” is two”)
36 months:
Milestone: 240 words
Average: 1000+ words and combining 3 words into novel utterances
As you can see from looking at both milestones and averages, the gap between the two grows as a child gets older. For reference, between 18 months and 6 years of age, a typically developing child learns about 9 to 10 new words every day. That’s a lot of language growth in a short time! If a child’s language development begins to fall behind, the difference between their skills and age expectations can widen fast. This doesn’t just affect how well they can express themselves—it can also impact their ability to build social relationships with others and develop pre-academic skills. On top of that, struggling to communicate can lead to frustration and even emotional or behavioral changes. Just because a child isn’t using many words doesn’t mean they don’t have thoughts or ideas—they do! And when those thoughts can’t be expressed, everyday life can start to feel really frustrating for them.
While it’s important to understand developmental milestones, most speech-language pathologists frequently reference average age expectations as well. This is because we recognize how crucial expressive language development is and its impact on a child’s ability to communicate their thoughts and needs. When language delays go unaddressed, they can snowball into larger challenges over time—impacting social skills, emotional development, and even academic success. Early intervention is crucial for supporting strong language development in the long run.
If you’re feeling unsure about your child’s language development or have concerns about their communication skills, you’re not alone—and we’re here to help. Reach out to us for a free consultation so we can talk through your questions and support your child’s communication development together.
No need to search for speech, feeding, or dyslexia therapy near me—
we come to you!
Northern Virginia:
Phone: 703-470-6957
Email: info@owlstherapy.com
Philadelphia’s Main Line
Phone: 610-579-0914
Email: philadelphia@owlstherapy.com