How Many Words Should a 18 Month Old Say?

An 18-month-old’s vocabulary and ability to understand, comprehend and follow instructions can surprise parents. They’re no longer small infants but are moving on to becoming confident toddlers. Familiarise yourself with these important changes and find out how you can help your child’s vocabulary develop.

A look at your 18-month-old child can reveal numerous changes from when she was 6 months or even a year old. Soon, you’ll find yourself face-to-face with a curious toddler whose questions never end. But, before that happens, you need to try to understand her level of communication so you can help her develop it further.

Decoding a Toddler’s Vocabulary and Communication Skills

Things an 18 Months Old Can Do

At 18 months old, children reach a stage of rapid development, and their newfound skills and abilities are both fascinating and heartwarming for parents. This age marks a significant period of growth and exploration, during which toddlers begin to demonstrate a range of exciting capabilities.

1. She Can Utter a Few Words

So, how many words by 18 months? At this age, your child can speak about 20-200 words. While some like ‘mummy’ may be exclusive to you, she could show a tendency to use a word for a group of things. For instance, everybody except you will be ‘daddy’ or ‘papa’ for her. She may create her own word for a group of things and use it for another bunch of objects too. At 18 months, she will also be able to say a few pronouns like ‘mine’ or ‘his’, and may point out to an object and say ‘this’. She may also understand the concepts of ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘small’ and ‘big’. However, she may be selective in displaying these newly acquired abilities and will be most communicative with you and your husband.

2. She Can Recognise Words

There’s no strict number to how many words an 18-month-old should say. However, they can add 1-2 new words to their list every day. Their vocabulary may consist of as many as 200 words though they haven’t learnt to say them yet. When you say ‘sky’, ‘grass’, ‘car’, ‘juice’, ‘water’, ‘food’ etc., there’s a good chance you’ll get a response from your child.

3. She Can Comprehend Instructions and Questions

Your toddler may be able to recognise a large number of words at 18 months, but she’ll really understand those that are being used daily or frequently. At this stage, she can also understand instructions like ‘Get the ball from your room’, ‘Let us go to bed’ and ‘Do you want more?’ Asking her more questions and giving more instructions can help her develop her vocabulary and communication skills.

4. She Can Speak Short Sentences

Grammatical development also begins at this stage and while toddlers may not speak complete and complex sentences, you may hear disjointed sentences and phrases such as “Want play” for “I want to play”. Tonality will also vary and you’ll be able to understand when she asks for something or is simply trying to talk. Children of this age may also point at an object and say familiar words. At this time, you must help her build sentences so she can learn them better.

How Many Words Should an 18-Month Say?

By 18 months, a child typically begins to say around 15-50 words. However, there can be significant variation in language development, and some children may say more or fewer words at this age. It’s important to focus on the overall language development and communication skills of the child rather than fixating on a specific word count.

Ways to Encourage Your 18 Months to Talk

Encouraging language development in your 18-month-old is crucial for her overall communication skills. By providing a language-rich environment and engaging in activities that stimulate her speech, you can support your child’s language growth. Here are some ways to encourage your 18-month-old to talk:

• Talk to Her – Engage in regular conversations with your child, even if her responses are limited. Describe what you’re doing, ask simple questions, and provide ample opportunities for her to hear and participate in conversations.
• Read Aloud – Share books with colorful pictures and simple stories. Reading together not only enhances vocabulary but also fosters a love for books and storytelling.
• Sing Songs and Rhymes – Singing familiar songs and rhymes can help your child pick up new words and develop a sense of rhythm and melody. Encourage her to join in with simple actions.
• Expand Her Vocabulary – Introduce new words daily. Label objects, actions, and emotions in your child’s environment. For example, “This is a red ball” or “You look happy today.”
• Use Gestures – Combine words with gestures to help convey meaning. For instance, when you say “drink,” pretend to sip from a cup. This reinforces the word’s meaning.
• Play Together – Engage in pretend play with your child using dolls, action figures, or playsets. This can lead to imaginative storytelling and the use of new words.
• Limit Screen Time – Minimize screen time and prioritize face-to-face interactions. Real-life communication is more beneficial for language development.

Average Vocabulary of an 18-Month-Old Baby

Typically, toddlers at 18 months of age possess a vocabulary of anywhere between 20 to 200 words. These developmental milestones are influenced by individual preferences, interests, genetic factors, and the environmental stimuli to which each child is exposed. For instance, one toddler may excel in motor skills, while another’s focus might be on communication skills, and yet another may exhibit a penchant for artistic abilities.

Common Words Your 18 Months Old Should Know

As your child reaches the age of 18 months, she is expected to have a growing vocabulary and begin expressing herself through words. While language development varies from child to child, an 18-month-old’s vocabulary list should include these common words. These words provide a foundation for effective communication and understanding.

• Mama
• Dada
• Bye-bye
• Hi/Hello
• No
• Yes
• More
• Please
• Thank you
• Milk

FAQs

1. Should Your 18-Month-Old Baby Be Talking in Sentences?

No, it’s not expected for an 18-month-old to talk in full sentences. At this age, children typically have a vocabulary of around 50 words and may combine two or three words to form simple phrases, but full sentences are not common. Language development varies, so focus on their progress and encourage communication.

2. What If Your Child Is Not Talking by Eighteen Months of Age?

If your child is not talking by 18 months, it’s a good idea to consult with a pediatrician or a speech therapist. While some variation in language development is normal, a lack of speech or severe delay may warrant professional evaluation to rule out any underlying issues.

3. Is It Normal for an 18-month-old to Babble?

Yes, it’s completely normal for an 18-month-old to babble. Babbling is an important part of language development and can be a precursor to words and phrases. It’s a sign that your child is exploring sounds and building the foundation for speech.

As your toddler goes through this interesting stage, she could develop quicker or slower than her peers. Unless she displays noticeable signs of developmental delay, don’t be alarmed. Even if your 18-month-old is only doing two out of the four points mentioned above, you shouldn’t worry. Continue to guide her and she’ll soon learn the rest.

References/Resources:

1. Moyle. J, Stokes. S, Klee. T; Early language delay and specific language impairment; National Library of Medicine; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23362035/

2. Late Language Emergence; American Speech Language Hearing Association; https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/late-language-emergence/

3. Hammer. C, Morgan. P, Farkas. G, Hillemeier. M, et al.; Late Talkers: A Population-Based Study of Risk Factors and School Readiness Consequences (Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research); National Library of Medicine; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5962923/; March 2017

4. Feldman. H; How young children learn language and speech: Implications of theory and evidence for clinical pediatric practice (Pediatrics In Review); National Library of Medicine; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7236655/; August 2019

5. Hosani. S, Darwish. E, Ayanikalath. S, AlMazroei. R, et al.; Screen time and speech and language delay in children aged 12–48 months in UAE: a case-control study (Middle East Current Psychiatry); Springer Open; https://mecp.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43045-023-00318-0; June 2023

6. Hustad. K, Allison. K, McFadd. E, Riehle. K; Speech and Language Development in 2-Year-Old Children with Cerebral Palsy (Developmental Neurorehabilitation); National Library of Medicine; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3732544/; April 2013

7. Shivakumar. P, Narayanan. S; End-to-end neural systems for automatic children speech recognition: An empirical study (Computer Speech & Language); Science Direct; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0885230821000905; March 2022

8. Gilbert. J; Structure and Process in Speech Perception; Springer Link; https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-81000-8_19

Also Read:

Mouthing Objects in an 18 Months Old
18 Months Old Baby Growth and Development
Improving Stacking Skills in an 18 Months Old
When Your 18 Months Old Asserts Independence

Our Editorial Policy

Parenting is a huge responsibility, for you as a caregiver, but also for us as a parenting content platform. We understand that and take our responsibility of creating credible content seriously. FirstCry Parenting articles are written and published only after extensive research using factually sound references to deliver quality content that is accurate, validated by experts, and completely reliable. To understand how we go about creating content that is credible, read our editorial policy here.