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Speech-Language Milestones

Each child is unique and may reach speech and language milestones earlier or later than others. If your child does not meet many of the milestones listed below for their age, a Med Center Health speech-language pathologist can help.

By 12 months
  • Recognizes own name
  • Turns and looks in the direction of sounds/Listens when spoken to
  • Communicates using gestures (points, waves, and shows or gives objects)
  • Imitates and initiates gestures for engaging in social interactions and playing games like blowing kisses or playing peek-a-boo
  • Understands simple questions (Where is your tummy?”)
  • Understands simple instructions and responds to requests (“Can I have your cup?”, “Look at Mommy.”)
  • Says 2-3 familiar words besides mama and dada (Ex: “Hi”, “dog”, “bye”)
  • Imitates familiar words or sounds
  • Recognizes words as symbols for objects (car-points to garage, cat-meows, juice, etc)
  • Babbles to get and keep attention
By age 2
  • Understands no
  • Uses 10-20 different words consistently (including names)
  • Combines two words such as “daddy bye-bye” “go outside”
  • Waves good-bye and plays pat-a-cake
  • Makes the “sounds” of familiar animals
  • Gives a toy when asked
  • Uses words such as “more” to make wants known or ask for help
  • Points to common body parts (toes, eyes, nose, etc) when asked
  • Follows simple commands “roll the ball” and understands simple questions “where’s your shoe”
  • Points to pictures when named in books
  • Uses some one- or two-word questions (“where kitty” or “go bye-bye”)
  • Brings objects from another room when asked
  • Follows two-step directions like “get the spoon and put it on the table”
  • Uses words like “me, mine, and you”
  • Uses possessives like “daddy’s sock”
By age 3
  • Has a word for almost everything
  • Uses –ing verbs like “eating” or “running”
  • Uses –ed to the end of words to talk about past actions like “looked” or “played”
  • Asks “why” and “how”
  • Speech is becoming clearer but may not be understandable to unfamiliar listeners or people who do not know your child
  • Can answer increasingly complex questions like “Which one can you wear?”
  • Uses 2- to 3-word phrases to talk and ask for things
  • Uses p, b, m, h, w, and n correctly in words
  • Names objects to ask for them or direct attention to them
  • Can identify all body parts
  • Carries on “conversation” with self, toys
  • Asks, “What’s that?”, “where’s my..?”
  • Uses 2-word negative phrases such as “no want”
  • Forms some plurals by adding ‘s’: “books”
  • Has a 450 word vocabulary (understands and/or uses 450 words correctly)
  • Gives first name, holds up fingers to tell age
  • Combines nouns and verbs “mommy go”
  • Understands simple time concepts: “last night” “tomorrow”
  • Refers to self as “me” rather than by name
  • Tries to get adult attention: “watch me”
  • May say “no” when means “yes”
  • Talks to other children as well as adults
  • Solves problems by talking instead of hitting or crying
  • Answers “where” questions
  • Names common pictures and things
By age 4
  • Can tell a story
  • Answers simple “Who?” “What?” “Where?” and “Why?” questions
  • Understands and uses location words like “inside” “on” and “under”
  • Uses words like “a” or “the when talking like “a book” or “the dog”
  • Pretends to write or spell and can write some letters
  • Correctly produces sounds g, k, f, y, d, m, b, and p in words and uses –ing (“running”) and –ed (“walked”) words
  • Uses smooth speech (nearly no stuttering)
  • Talks about activities at daycare, preschool, or friends’ homes
  • Speaks without having to repeat syllables or words
  • Uses sentences 4-5 words in length
  • Understands “yesterday” “summer” “lunchtime” “tonight” “little” or “big”
  • Begins to obey requests like “put the block under the chair”
  • Knows his or her last name, name of street where they live, and several nursery rhymes
  • Other people can understand most of what your child says
By age 5
  • Uses full sentences that are mostly grammatically correct
  • Uses past tense correctly
  • Uses at least one irregular plural form correctly like “feet” or “men”
  • Understand and uses location words like “behind” “beside” and “between”
  • Uses more words for times like “yesterday and tomorrow” correctly
  • Follows simple directions and rules to play a game
  • Locates the front of a book and its title
  • Can write their own name
  • Speech is understandable by familiar and unfamiliar listeners in conversation
  • Has a vocabulary of nearly 1,500 words
  • Points to colors red, blue, yellow, and green
  • Identifies triangles, circles, squares
  • Understands “in the morning” “next” and “noon”
  • Can speak of imaginary conditions such as “I hope”
  • Asks many questions including “who?” and “why”
  • Pays attention to a short story and answers questions about it
  • Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school
  • Uses sentences that give many details
  • Tells stories that stay on topic
  • Communicates easily with other children and adults
  • Says most sounds correctly except for a few (l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, and th are later-developing sounds)
  • Uses rhyming words
  • Names some letters and numbers
By age 6
  • Uses sentence length of 5-6 words
  • Uses adult grammar
  • Has a vocabulary of 2,000 words
  • Uses all sounds correctly except for ch, sh, th, s, z, j, and v. Should be using ‘r’ sound correctly by age 6.
  • Defines objects by their use (eat with a fork) and can tell what objects are made of
  • Knows spatial relations like “on top” “behind” “far” and “near”
  • Knows address
  • Identifies a penny, nickel, and dime
  • Knows common opposites like “big/little”
  • Understands “same” and “different”
  • Asks questions for information
  • Distinguishes left and right hand
  • Uses all types of sentences, for example “let’s go to the store after we eat”