A baby’s first words are some of the most unforgettable moments of its parents’ lives, but there are many other speech development milestones worth jotting down in the baby book. These important changes happen in the first year of life.

Birth to three months

In the first three months, your baby will cry, coo, and make facial expressions to communicate. You may also see them turn their heads in response to voices and other sounds. It’s important to respond to these attempts with warmth. Gently touch them, smile, and make soothing noises. Your baby will learn to understand two-way communication and be encouraged to keep trying to connect with you.

Four to six months

As your child begins to coo and babble, they experience what it feels like to move their jaw, lips, and tongue. Your child has been watching you move your mouth when you speak and is trying to replicate this. Their movements are too big and imprecise at first, but over time they will get better with practice, making cute coos and babbling sounds.

Seven to nine months

Your baby’s babbling grows more complex throughout this time. They may start to use different vocal tones and rhythms, as if they believe they’re having a conversation with you.

They may also mimic sounds in their environment. This is a wonderful time to begin reading to them to expose them to new words and language patterns.

Ten to twelve months

By the time your baby is 10 to 12 months old, they may say their first words. These words are usually simple, like "mama," "dada," or "bye-bye." Your baby may also start to understand simple commands, such as "no" or "come here." This is a great time to talk to your baby frequently and encourage them to respond to you. You can also play simple games with your baby, like peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek, to encourage language development.

Your baby may be saying a few simple words around this time. Think “mama,” “dada,” or “bye-bye.” They may also start to understand commands such as “no” or “come here."

Speech is just one part of your baby’s overall development, and, as you can explore in Unii’s other Baby Journeys, they are also learning important social, emotional, and cognitive skills during their first year. We hope you take time to enjoy and celebrate these milestones equally.

Every child is unique, so stay positive and never compare your baby's development to other children's or worry if they don't meet every milestone exactly when they're "supposed to."

Takeaway points:

You should enjoy and celebrate the early milestones of speech development. They are not just important; they’re adorable. From cooing and babbling to saying their very first words, every step on your baby's journey to language development can be joyful.

Remember to respond to any and all of your baby’s forms of communication with warmth and enthusiasm. Praise means the most to them when it comes from you. Talk to them often, sing, and read to them regularly to encourage their speech development.

What are the milestones of early speech development?

From Unii’s Baby Speech Journey, these are the first year’s speech development milestones.