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Home › Articles › Milestones › Baby's First Words

Baby's First Words

Encourage Your Child to Talk

By Sue Pormeba

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When Susan Fox of Fredericktown, Ohio, would talk to her infant son, she would take his hand and hold it to her cheek as she said a word. Then she would put his hand on his cheek. This, she believes, helped him learn to speak.

For new parents, few milestones are as anticipated as Baby's first word. We rejoice hearing the first "mama" or "dada," even if the word doesn't actually refer to Mom or Dad. "Dada usually comes first as part of babbling," says Dr. Gordon Davis, a pediatrician at Centennial Pediatrics in Franklin, Tenn. "It is non-specific."

When to Expect Those First Words
Baby's first words usually come between 8 and 9 months of age, but the time frame can vary widely. One baby's first word may come at 5 months, while a sibling's first word might not be spoken until after her first birthday.

Once he says "mama" or "dada," the average baby will slowly but steadily build up a small vocabulary of words he hears frequently. Commonly, those words include "hi" and "bye-bye," but they can also include a variation of a sibling's or pet's name or a favorite toy. By 18 months, the child should be able to say between five and 20 words.

Dr. Davis advises avoiding baby talk. Your baby will be repeating the words you are speaking, he says. You want your child to be using correct words from the beginning.

Communication Is Listening
Not only do you want to use proper language when talking with your baby, but you also want to listen to what she has to "say" in return.

Adults dislike dead air and feel that there must always be conversation, says Janet Doman, co-author of How Smart Is Your Baby? Develop and Nurture Your Newborn's Full Potential

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