When Do Babies Start Talking? Speech Development From 0–12 Months

"When will they start talking?" is one of the most frequently asked questions in baby development. The answer depends on what you mean by "talking" — because communication begins at birth, long before the first recognisable word arrives.

Communication starts at birth

Babies are primed for language from day one. They:

• Prefer the sound of their mother's voice over any other
• Show a preference for speech sounds over non-speech sounds
• Distinguish their mother tongue from other languages within days of birth
• Communicate through crying, eye contact, and facial expression from the start

The journey to first words is built on months of listening, watching, vocalising, and connection.

Speech milestones: month by month

0–2 months

• Startles at loud sounds; settles to familiar voice
• Makes small "ooh" and "ahh" sounds
• Cries have different qualities for different needs (hunger vs pain vs tired)
• Watches your face and mouth intently when you speak

2–3 months

• Begins cooing — soft, musical vowel sounds ("ooooh", "aaahh")
• Responds to your voice by becoming quieter or more alert
• "Proto-conversations" — you talk, baby vocalises back, you respond

4–5 months

• Babbling begins — consonant-vowel combinations ("ba", "da", "ma")
• Laughing — one of the most joyful milestones
• Varies volume and pitch intentionally
• Responds to their name

6–7 months

• Reduplicated babbling — "bababa", "mamama", "dadada"
• Points at objects of interest (some babies, not all)
• Responds to tone of voice — excited by excited voice, soothed by calm voice
• Understands "no" (though not guaranteed to comply)

8–9 months

• Variegated babbling — different sounds in combination ("badaga")
• May use gestures — waving, clapping, pointing
• Looks toward named familiar people when asked "where's mummy?"
• Shows clear intentional communication — holds up objects, reaches, makes sounds with purpose

10–11 months

• Babbling sounds increasingly like real speech in rhythm and intonation
• Proto-words — consistent sounds used for specific meanings, not yet real words (e.g., always says "baba" when they want their bottle)
• Follows simple instructions ("come here", "give it to me")
• May say first real words — typically "mama," "dada," "no," "more"

12 months

• First word: The average is around 12 months, but anywhere from 9–15 months is well within normal range
• Most 12-month-olds have 1–3 words with consistent meaning
• Understands significantly more than they can say — 50+ words understood before many are spoken
• Communicates with pointing, reaching, eye contact, vocalisations, and gestures

What counts as a "first word"?

A true word must be:

• Used consistently for the same person, object, or concept
• Recognisable as an attempt at a real word (baby's version of "cat" might be "da" but used every time they see the cat)
• Used with communicative intent — to refer to or request something

"Mama" and "dada" are often first words, but only once baby uses them specifically to refer to their parents (not just as babble).

How to support speech development

Talk. Constantly.

Narrate everything: "I'm putting on your nappy now. Here comes a cold wipe! There we go." It sounds absurd. It's crucial. Language exposure is the single biggest predictor of early vocabulary.

Serve and return

When baby vocalises, respond as if it's meaningful. Pause. Let them respond to you. These back-and-forth "conversations" are the foundation of communication development.

Read together every day

Even very young babies benefit from being read to — they hear vocabulary, sentence structures, and the rhythms of language. Board books, picture books, rhyming books. Start early and keep going.

Sing songs and nursery rhymes

Repetitive songs (Wheels on the Bus, Incy Wincy Spider) expose babies to patterns in language and music. The repetition is the point.

Reduce screen time

Passive screen time (baby watching TV alone) shows no language benefit for under 2s. Responsive human interaction is the irreplaceable ingredient.

Limit background noise

Constant TV or radio in the background reduces the clarity of speech input. Quiet environments during interaction and feeding support listening.

When to seek a speech and language assessment

Speak to your health visitor or GP if:

• By 12 months: no babbling, no gestures (pointing, waving), no response to name
• By 18 months: fewer than 6–10 words; not pointing to show things
• By 24 months: fewer than 50 words; not combining two words
• Any loss of previously acquired skills — always warrants urgent assessment

Early referral to Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) is always better than waiting. NHS referral can be made via your GP or health visitor; waiting lists vary by area.

Log first words in TinyYears

First words are among the most treasured milestones — capture the date, what the word was, and the context in TinyYears. "First time she said 'dog' while pointing at the neighbour's Labrador" is the kind of detail that makes the memory vivid for decades.