The sound of your baby’s first words is surely some of the most anticipated in any parent’s life. Words and word combinations are also some of the most exciting milestones in speech development. They are a sign that your baby is developing important communicative and cognitive skills, and Unii hopes that this article is a helpful guide to how you can support them.

So, when will my baby start saying their first words?

Every baby is unique. Most begin to say their first words between nine and 14 months. Try to respect that your baby is progressing at their own pace, and there is a wide range of what is considered normal.

In general, a baby will say simple words that are easy to pronounce first. Think “dada,” "bye-bye,” and other basic vocabulary. First words often refer to objects, people, or actions that are familiar to the baby. As they grow, they will start to combine them in sentence fragments like “mama go.” This in itself is a milestone that shows your baby is starting to understand language structure and how combining words creates meaning.

Encouraging this behaviour

There are lots of fun ways to encourage your baby to say their first words and word combinations.

Talk to them often. Regularly speaking to your child is perhaps the best way to support their language development. Explain what is happening in their environment and describe everyday objects.
Answer your baby: Try never to ignore your baby’s sounds. Look at them and encourage them to keep attempting to speak. Echo words back to them and expand on their word choices with simple euphemisms.
Read to your baby: Reading is a gift to your child at any age, and this begins with supporting their speech development. Choose picture books with simple words to help them connect meanings and expand their vocabulary.
Have a sing-song. Your baby loves the sound of your voice, so try singing to support their language development. Choose simple lyrics that are repeated often and encourage your baby to join in.
Fun with words: Playtime should involve lots of talking, including naming objects and describing favourite toys and games. This will help your baby learn new words and practice language in a fun way. Parents might try using lots of prepositions and verbs that babies can connect to newly acquired nouns.

What roles do first words and word combinations play in speech development?

From Unii’s Baby Speech Journey, we share tips on encouraging first words.