Speech and Language Milestones: Birth to 12 Months

Most babies in this range: startle or react to sudden loud sounds; calm or smile when they hear a familiar caregiver’s voice; make soft cooing sounds and small throaty noises; cry differently for different needs (hunger, discomfort, tiredness).

Early responsiveness to voice — even before any sounds are produced — is a significant early sign that communication pathways are developing.

Around this period: babbling begins, often starting with consonant-vowel combinations (ba, ma, da); babies start taking turns making sounds with a caregiver — they produce a sound, pause, and respond to yours; they laugh and make squealing sounds; they turn their head toward sounds.

This turn-taking with sounds is one of the earliest forms of conversation.

Babbling becomes more varied and sustained. Many babies produce longer strings of sounds (ba-ba-ba, da-da-da-da). They may begin imitating sounds they hear. They respond consistently to their own name. They show clear emotional reactions — excitement, displeasure — through sound and body language.

By around 9 months, many babies also wave bye-bye and look where a caregiver points.

By around 12 months, many children: use “mama” and “dada” to refer to the right person; say one or two other words with intention (not just as sounds); point to things they want or find interesting; understand simple phrases like “come here” and “no”; imitate gestures and sounds with increasing accuracy.

The average is around one to three recognisable words by 12 months — but the range of typical development is wide. A child who babbles actively, uses gestures, and engages in back-and-forth interaction is showing strong early communication, even if words haven’t appeared.