17 month old vocabulary

Terra - posted on 11/17/2009

I think the only thing we have proved here is that every child is different and there will always be those that defy the odds! My oldest daughter was very advanced and you would think that my youngest would have talked early too simply because of the exposure to my oldest. However, at 13 months she only really says "ba" which is bye bye and Kitty. She gets in moods where she will try to repeat anything you say, but nothing really seems to stick. Some days I worry that something is wrong, but I have to remember that she is unique and cannot be compared to ANY other kid!! You will be the first to know if something is wrong if you are really honest with yourself. I think we tend to doubt our instincts when it comes to our kids, I know I do, but I really believe that we know our children best. So, give it some time, and if you feel there is a real problem beyond the fact that he doesn't "fit" the "average child" timeline then talk to your doc. Otherwise, just the fact that you are asking this question on here shows that you are an attentive, caring parent and chances are everything will work out on his own time.

[deleted account]

My son is 19 months old. I have no clue how many words he can say that other people understand, but I think he has around 50 (?) that his sisters and I can understand. It seems like he is learning new words all the time. He's trying to catch up to his sisters. :)



Every kid is different. My best friend's son had NO words when he was 2 and my nephew was speaking in perfectly clear, complete sentences at the same age. There is a WIDE range of normal. :)

Jennifer - posted on 11/16/2009

with my son who had hearing problmes untill he got tubes put in at a year old, just started to say more words now and hes 26 months and hes got about 30 to 35 words and hes been in early head start since aug. but no one was every worried about it. he just started talking when he wanted to. he points to things he wants or goes and gets them. when he was 18 months old he prolly only said about 10 to 15 words as long as he is trying and understanding most of what you say i think thats what matters. i dont even think a three old words are very clear to most people but their own family. hope it helps.

Angela - posted on 11/15/2009

I just had this concern with my 18 month old daughter, I even had a speech therapist examine her because I thought maybe she should be saying more words and at elast more words that we could understand. But the theraptist said that she should be saying between 3 and 30 words.. at that time she was saying 7 words. mama, dada, dandan (sister) dog, kitty (more like ki-T), and GG, and move (moo). She said that as long as we're not speaking baby talk to her and we start to point out objects and say them by name, she'll catch on... latley she's been saying other words.. Bed (bread) Gin(again) Side(outside) by the time, she's turns 2 i'm pretty confident that she wil be on track. plus we also read to her everynight and i think that seems to help. Hope this helped you out.

Sylvia - posted on 11/14/2009

Wow! Sorry to read rude comments on your page geez! I think everyone should stop talking baby talk to them rather than being cute I think it confuses them. Speak clearly to them, don't rush it!! Good luck!

Evielongoria - posted on 06/14/2013

My 17 month who is breastfed sings daddy says Moma bubu fishie hi uh oh wait ,eyes can can show your where her eyes are her nose and her head.but even know she does all that her dad things she is behind. On speaking

Diana - posted on 11/19/2012

My daughter whom is almost 4 was speaking in sentences by 18 months and was able to communicate all her wants and needs. Her brother who is 17 months barely talks and all. He babbles and growls a lot but only says about 5 words clearly enough to understand. All children are different so I see no cause for concern.

Diana - posted on 11/19/2012

My daughter whom is almost 4 was speaking in sentences by 18 months and was able to communicate all her wants and needs. Her brother who is 17 months barely talks and all. He babbles and growls a lot but only says about 5 words clearly enough to understand. All children are different so I see no cause for concern.

Kristin - posted on 11/26/2009

While i was staying at home with my son for 4 months (from his first B-day to 16 months); i thought i was talking with him alot. we would read every night before bed; But when i went back to work and he went to the sitter; i realized what a difference being with other kids makes. In that one week he started talking soo much; and TRYING to talk soo much more.

Ebony - posted on 11/23/2009

YEAH!!!! Congradulations to The Little Dupree! My daughter and i will celebrate with a small piece of cake.

Ami - posted on 11/18/2009

Hey everyone! Guess what! Thanks to all of the information provided.... just since this conversation was started, we have managed to increase his vocabulary to 7 words used frequently!!!! YAY! Thank you EVERYONE for your support and guidance! I am so excited and proud for my baby man!

Michelle - posted on 11/15/2009

Quoting Nadine:

Okay Michelle, as I have explained to Ami this site is to get to know other moms in tthe same situation and to make friends, it is not to be used for cattiness. Each mother has her own opinion, if you believe what she says is wrong then don't take her advice or listen to her opinion. Are you a paediatrician or child psychologist? I originally though Ami was the one being bitchy, however it seems I was mistaken... Sorry Ami. However, at least Ami appologised for the nasty comments that she said. As a leader of this community I am not impressed by the behaviour displayed here. If I come across anymore uncalled for bitchiness I am going to close this conversation to any further posts as well as stop the person who is being nasty from postion any more comments.

i still dont see how anything i said was nasty...did i say my advice was the only thing she should follow? i gave her tons of info if she chooses to ignore it that is her right...

Katie - posted on 11/14/2009

Hi :) My son said "dada" when he was 10 months, and then he didn't say anything else til he was about a year and a half. He had his passy, and that delayed his speech a lot. Once the passy was gone, he started talking more and more. He is now 27 months and is saying a bunch of things. Get some flashcards! I got some "babys first words" and alphabet flashcards and by the second day he was picking up the words and trying to say them, and he really enjoys doing those. Every child develops differently, and I wouldn't pay any attention to the moms that are boasting about how smart their kids are! Good luck :)

Kia - posted on 11/14/2009

My son is 16 months old right now. He says about 25-30 words on his own, that he has visual connections with, like mama, daddy, poopoo, aydan (his brother), milk, juice, night-night, bye-bye, up, bottle, grandpa, grandma, duck, yellow, and quite a few more. He can also repeat almost any words we tell him, but he isnt able to connect them to something visually yet. Our other son is 3 1/2 and was even more chattery than that. He knew about 50+ or so words at 18 months.

Nadine - posted on 11/14/2009

Okay Michelle, as I have explained to Ami this site is to get to know other moms in tthe same situation and to make friends, it is not to be used for cattiness. Each mother has her own opinion, if you believe what she says is wrong then don't take her advice or listen to her opinion. Are you a paediatrician or child psychologist? I originally though Ami was the one being bitchy, however it seems I was mistaken... Sorry Ami. However, at least Ami appologised for the nasty comments that she said. As a leader of this community I am not impressed by the behaviour displayed here. If I come across anymore uncalled for bitchiness I am going to close this conversation to any further posts as well as stop the person who is being nasty from postion any more comments.

Clara - posted on 11/14/2009

hello, i have a 23month old and he started out saying "what is that" just as plain as day, now he blabs all day and i can't understand any of it. i guess he'll talk when he is ready. also, he doesn't go to daycare yet either. everyone tells me boy's r slow with talking.

Melissa - posted on 11/14/2009

Alot of boys are different, my son could only say about 7 words by time he was 17 months old.. It took awhile to get him to say them , but the more u try the more he will learn how to say them.. I have books with the words in them that heped him a little bit... Now he is 19 months old and he is almost talking in sentences, so it will come in time... The harder u push the less them are interested.. Good luck...

Sharolett - posted on 11/14/2009

I have two boys my first was a late talker he didnt say nothing really other than mama and dada and little words till he was 23 months. My youngest is 17 months and I have a in home child care all different ages and he talks alot. He has a very good vocabulary! I think its how different kids are. The enviroment they are in most kids talk earlier if they have siblings or are around older children.

Michelle - posted on 11/14/2009

Quoting Shannon:

Michell get over it just let Ami read through other responses you are not the ultimate mother authority! Why, because there isn't one each child is unique just as each mother has to be unique.

Ami the according to development testing that is available the grading scale for okay is 5-50 words. From personal experiences and some professional ones words count if others can comprehend what your child is meaning. Examples for you are juice comes out as uice so its missing the J or Book comes out as ook missing the B. This is normal according to doctors and early childhood development trainers, they do encourage you to work on the missing letters and over emphasize the missing letter to be sure your child hears it. Basically the are learning so they count as long as they are understood to a certain level by the vast majority.

Other things you want to be aware of in the upcoming months and that I hope you will find helpful are:
- Listen to your child's babbling its normal and if you listen closely you will find repeat babbling that is you child speaking their own language and the beginnings of sentence structure. Though we may not understand it they know exactly what they are saying and the babble is just a stepping stone.

- Don't let other children or their parents discourage you every child hits the milestones differently early development does not make a child a genius, sometimes its the quiet ones that are the smartest.

- If you are wanting to expand your sons vocab work on single or two word descriptions around the house and don't give in to point and grunting or they will continue to point and grunt words don't have to be perfect but at least give encouragement for them to begin using words correctly.

- You will start to hear others talk about potty training until the vocab is up don't try. This will save you much frustration and putting it off a couple of months is ok especially with boys. :) Potty training needs 2 way communication.

I hope this helps you and hold on you are in for the ride of your life! Be a loving, caring, and interactive parent that is all it takes for your child to develop properly.

so i shouldnt correct completly untrue info and just let her go with untruths posted? i didnt' say i was the ultimate parent or anything else that stupid... she asked about vocab i gave her info and suggestions..of cours each kid is unique but since at almsot 18 months her child is only correctly saying two words *since she says he says sock incorrectly* that IS a concern that should be looked at at this point when it's easier to give the child the help he may or may not need.she can be a loving caring interactive parent but that doesn't mean her child is going to grow up normal... kids have issues *and i'm not saying hers does or doesn't* but she should be concerned at this point.

Shannon - posted on 11/14/2009

Michell get over it just let Ami read through other responses you are not the ultimate mother authority! Why, because there isn't one each child is unique just as each mother has to be unique.

Ami the according to development testing that is available the grading scale for okay is 5-50 words. From personal experiences and some professional ones words count if others can comprehend what your child is meaning. Examples for you are juice comes out as uice so its missing the J or Book comes out as ook missing the B. This is normal according to doctors and early childhood development trainers, they do encourage you to work on the missing letters and over emphasize the missing letter to be sure your child hears it. Basically the are learning so they count as long as they are understood to a certain level by the vast majority.

Other things you want to be aware of in the upcoming months and that I hope you will find helpful are:
- Listen to your child's babbling its normal and if you listen closely you will find repeat babbling that is you child speaking their own language and the beginnings of sentence structure. Though we may not understand it they know exactly what they are saying and the babble is just a stepping stone.

- Don't let other children or their parents discourage you every child hits the milestones differently early development does not make a child a genius, sometimes its the quiet ones that are the smartest.

- If you are wanting to expand your sons vocab work on single or two word descriptions around the house and don't give in to point and grunting or they will continue to point and grunt words don't have to be perfect but at least give encouragement for them to begin using words correctly.

- You will start to hear others talk about potty training until the vocab is up don't try. This will save you much frustration and putting it off a couple of months is ok especially with boys. :) Potty training needs 2 way communication.

I hope this helps you and hold on you are in for the ride of your life! Be a loving, caring, and interactive parent that is all it takes for your child to develop properly.

Michelle - posted on 11/14/2009

Quoting Shelly:

I think a lot of how early or well a child speaks has to do with older brothers and sisters. If a child has older brothers and sisters they have more people talking to them and they learn words at a faster rate ( possibly, all kids are different) My daughter is almost 17 months and says heaps of words. I have never thought to count them as she says so many but talks very well. She has learnt a lot earlier than the older 2 did at her age and i think it has to do with more stimulation by having siblings. I may be wrong but thought id throw it in to give people something to think about.

I've found it helpful with my 2 to talk to to them like adults NO BABY TALK.. even before they are able to talk we have conversations . i talk to them non stop so they start picking up words ... i'll say something to them pause where they would talk so they know HOW to hold a conversation then talk to them more... the grocery store is a great place to teach the words colors fruits veggies etc

Ami - posted on 11/13/2009

Thx all for your answers! U were all very helpful. I apologize I I offended anyone. I will just ignore all other nasty comments and rude people as Nasine suggested! Hope to talk again soon! U are wonderful

Shelly - posted on 11/13/2009

I think a lot of how early or well a child speaks has to do with older brothers and sisters. If a child has older brothers and sisters they have more people talking to them and they learn words at a faster rate ( possibly, all kids are different) My daughter is almost 17 months and says heaps of words. I have never thought to count them as she says so many but talks very well. She has learnt a lot earlier than the older 2 did at her age and i think it has to do with more stimulation by having siblings. I may be wrong but thought id throw it in to give people something to think about.

Echo - posted on 11/13/2009

I said one word until I was over two and it wasn't even a word! MO that was it. mom,more,no and so on.I turned out just fine! I was always in the top of my class and I rarely stop talking now. I now have two children of my own and neither of them were early talkers. Don't worry my daughter says about 5 words and about 5 sounds (animal noises,doorbell) and I know she's smart as a whip. I constantly talk to my children in the grocery store, as we play in whatever we are doing. I rarely get a response but always get eye contact. Please don't think that there is a direct connection between you communicating to your child and her speech development. Talking to your child helps you build a better bond and makes you more involved in what they are doing but not all kids are going to start speaking because you talked to them. they need to do it in their own time not ours, when they feel confident enough they'll start speaking. oh! my daughter is also 17 months old.

Ebony - posted on 11/13/2009

hi ami, i saw that you said your son is going to be ur first and last and i think im in the same boat as you... what have you done thus far to get the most out of him? my daughter is 15 months old.

aside from that as far as speach goes flash cards are great it helped my daughter with her vocabulary a lot. she went from hardly saying anything to a whole scentence. u will see when you show him things in your everday life that were on flash cards, they seem to understand things a little better. i hope this was helpful. Stories are great too and before you turn the page take your sons finger and point to objects on it and tell him what it is, the next time you take out the book, he will point himself. my daughter hates me reading to her so now i let her open the book, turn the pages and point to pictures and i tell her what everything is. now she comes to me with books. good luck with your son... and dont worry, i was the same ith my daughter walking and now she runs away from me.

Rachel - posted on 11/13/2009

He is probably saying alot more words than you think, they just don't make perfect sense to you yet. If you keep talking to him in a normal voice, he'll start spewing a million words a minute before you blink. If you articulate your words, he'll learn from you. My twins are almost 19 months old, and my daughter repeats almost anything, but my son only says about 15 choice words. If I have learned anything from my babies, it is that everyone has their own special way of doing things. You'll wake up one day hearing "mommy I love you" and all of your worries will fade away. Just enjoy every minute of it.

Megan - posted on 11/13/2009

My son barley was using words at 17 months, but now at 27 months uses almost complete sentences. Like others have said they are all different. What I have noticed helps is a lot of interaction from older kids and adults talking to them like big kids, not babies. I also encourged him to "use your words," and help him sounds them out. Everyday it seems he is using another word or two. Lots of books and convos!! Hope it helps!

Lexann - posted on 11/13/2009

I have two boys. My first born didn't say ANY words at 27 months (not even "mama"). I was worried, and my pediatrician had him enrolled for speech therapy. They tested his hearing & learning capacity, blah, blah blah... By 3 years, he was right on track for speech. I don't really think the speech therapy did anything. My second started saying his first words at about 18 months, and by 2 he was (and is) a jabber jaw. My point is, that kids are different. They walk at different ages, they teethe at different ages, and they will talk at different ages. Just be sure to talk to and with your baby a lot and he'll start talking when he's ready. As a new and first time Mom, you never know what to expect, or what is "normal". "Is he talking enough? Am I feeding him the right balance of foods? He's not too agressive is he? Is he getting enough sleep? What about hearing?...etc, etc, etc..." You'll drive yourself crazy with worrying about the unknown. Just enjoy him, and try not to worry. Whether he's saying 5 words or 50 words, he's right on track.

Alexis - posted on 11/13/2009

My daughter is about 17 months right now and she says about 10 words. maybe more maybe less. She is my second child and what ALL of you need to keep in mind is that every child is different. The normal ranges are very big. What one child may be advanced in they may take longer learning a different task than the other children. Lets not make anyone feel bad about their children but feel blessed we were all able to have our children. I'm sure every single child on here is completely normal and will go on to talk our ears off and drive us crazy in the next 15-20 years. Like some others have said. We are all proud of our children and for good reason. They are wonderful. Ami- I think your child sounds perfectly normal. Give him a year and he probably will be talking your ear off. Saying sock and pointing to his foot means he is learning at a normal rate and I wouldn't worry one bit. Reading to your child every night is a great way to encourage vocabulary! I did it with my son who is now 5 and I do it with my 1 year old daughter now. Keep up the good work moms!

Michelle - posted on 11/13/2009

Quoting Jennifer:

By 18 months my son could say dada, dog, and bye-bye. Once he turned 2 he could say about 5 words (he added sock and mama to his vocab) and I was worried that he should know more, but the pediatrician said he was fine. The average child can say between 5 and 20 words by age 2. Boys generally develop their language skills more slowly than girls. Keep talking to him and reading to him every day. He'll pick it up. By the time my son was 2 1/2 he was saying new words every day and repeating a lot of what he heard. He amazed me how quickly he learned new words and of course, that put all my worries to rest.

just wanted to point out for any one reasons this 'average' at 2 is NOT 20 words it's 50

New this month: Asking questions

Your 2-year-old has probably blossomed into a little conversationalist. She's likely asking questions in an attempt to keep a conversation going and loves to answer simple questions as well. Her sense of herself as an individual is growing, and she'll relish any opportunity to tell you what she likes and doesn't like. She may be adding one or more words to her vocabulary every day. A typical 2-year-old has a vocabulary of about 50 words, although some have many more. Your child can probably name dozens of things she sees regularly, including items around the house (bed, door, chair), animals, (dog, cat, bird, fish), and familiar people. She may be able to ask for specific kinds of food and drink, such as apple juice, cracker, banana, and so on. Noting the absence of things is common at this age, such as "all gone milk." She also understands the concept of "more" and may be able to ask for "more cookie."

Nadine - posted on 11/13/2009

Ami, I understand that you might interpret some things that moms say as being boastful or mean but then please ignore what they say and DO NOT respond by being mean. This site is to chat to other moms in similar circumstances, and yes it is also to be boastful about our little ones. It is normal to be proud of our babies and it is normal to want to share that with others.
This site is not to be used to be bitchy or for fighting.

Chrystal - posted on 11/12/2009

im newer to the mom thing but, my 15mo old says...dog,duck,dad,mom,na-na,ball,dora,boots,map, up,down, all done, cup, ba ba, yum yum, book and can show yes or no with shaking head. She understands other object too but cant say them like if i ask where her stroller is or horse she ride. Hope this helped

Lacey - posted on 11/12/2009

my son just turned 20 months..and i was worried he was having trouble with his speech so his pediatrician referred us to this intervention place. he can say about 6 words. anyway, we went to that appointment today and the lady told me hes supposed to have a vocabulary of 50 words!! im like what! that seems like a lot..so she suggested speech therapy.

Michelle - posted on 11/12/2009

AMI if you want to harsh and send me mean emails you best pick another person

By Ami Dupree

Why not take this one into consideration???? HMMMM? I was requesting responses from parents that understand that situation. Meaning that you have no comprehension of the average speech if you child has advanced speech. It he/she does, that is wonderful, very awesome and congrats on that. But that is not helpful to what i was asking. Do yo get it? B/c you seem like you are having trouble. In the meantime, stop being childish and comment on everything. You are making it an unpleasant experience. GO STALK SOMEONE ELSE. thanks =)



no one was being mean to you and i sure as heck am not stalking you ... you are the one that said i shouldnt give you info since my child doesn't have the same issue so go check your attitude with someone that gives a flip and i gave you valid info do with it what you please feel free to ignore it but grow up for your childs sake

Laura - posted on 11/12/2009

my 20 month old girl expressive language is 1) mama, 2)hi, 3)bi, 4) up consistenly. She has about 5 other words sometimes. Her understanding though is over 80 words in two languages (she points correctly) I don't know if this is ok, but I have had her doctor, a nuerologist, and intervention rule out abnormalities. Good luck

Michelle - posted on 11/12/2009

Quoting Ami:

Ok, if your children have advanced speech, why did you even bother to respond? To show off. Its Common Sense to ask my pediatrician if I feel a concern, obviously not. I wanted an opinion from a mother, not a doctor, or I would have asked a doctor. I mean really. He's NOT a year and a half, he just turned 17 months on the 9th, so that doesn't even apply. Try to be helpful, not boastful.

usually the info you can fine about speech at this age is done by 3 months ... so therefore not by 17 months but by 18 months... good lord

Shannon - posted on 11/12/2009

I also have a 17 month old and like you I wonder about his vocabulary. Sometimes he is very clear in saying ma or dada but mostly his speech is still mumbled. For me I just keep talking to him in big talk and not so much baby talk. I can see he understands more than he can speak which comforts my fear of his limited vocabulary. My son tends to be an observer, could this be the case with your son? Good luck either way!

Ami - posted on 11/12/2009

Quoting Sabrina:

a great way to get your child talking is just to have conversations with him in the car, shoping and well everywhere. my son is now 2 1/2 and has the vocab of a 5 year old i started talking to him saying look at that big tree and he would reply (at 18 mo.) big tree then every time he say a tree he would say a big tree just continue to try to encourage new worda and he should be talking like a pro in no time. Ps. i am a first time mom it just depends on how much your child is developed and how much you comunicate he will develope on his own time

Thanks Sabrina, that was very helpful. That's awesome that you built that vocabulary like that. Thanks for the encouragement. It's very appreciated. I'm a first and last time mom so I'm trying to get the most out of this. =)

Ami - posted on 11/12/2009

Quoting Sabrina:

a great way to get your child talking is just to have conversations with him in the car, shoping and well everywhere. my son is now 2 1/2 and has the vocab of a 5 year old i started talking to him saying look at that big tree and he would reply (at 18 mo.) big tree then every time he say a tree he would say a big tree just continue to try to encourage new worda and he should be talking like a pro in no time. Ps. i am a first time mom it just depends on how much your child is developed and how much you comunicate he will develope on his own time

Thanks Sabrina, that was very helpful. That's awesome that you built that vocabulary like that. Thanks for the encouragement. It's very appreciated. I'm a first and last time mom so I'm trying to get the most out of this. =)

Michelle - posted on 11/12/2009

I just had my son in for his 18 month check-up. The pediatrician said that at this age anywhere from 5-50 words is normal. My son doesn't talk a lot yet either, but the pediatrician said that he is most concerned with them understanding what you are saying to them. I can ask my son anything and he will respond yes or no by shaking his head. Give him time and he will talking so much that you wished he would be quiet!!

Teresa - posted on 11/12/2009

I was actually concerned for my daughter. She started to say a bunch of words and point to a body part and stopped. I too asked the ped and she said no she is fine, she is more than fine. She told me that some children say more words or point to more body parts. But by school age think 1st grade, that it all evens out. Try to read to your little guy, and constantly talk with him. Not at him, show him- "look mommy is doing dishes. This is a DISH, we put our food on a DISH." stuff like that. My friend who also had a toddler a littler younger than O, says and does tons of stuff. She gave me her flashcards and some dvds. But right now O is more concerned with whipping the cards around. Good luck, oh and I know its hard believe me. But try not to compare other children to your guy. He probably could do stuff other "more advanced" children can not.

Michelle - posted on 11/12/2009

Quoting Sabrina:

a great way to get your child talking is just to have conversations with him in the car, shoping and well everywhere. my son is now 2 1/2 and has the vocab of a 5 year old i started talking to him saying look at that big tree and he would reply (at 18 mo.) big tree then every time he say a tree he would say a big tree just continue to try to encourage new worda and he should be talking like a pro in no time. Ps. i am a first time mom it just depends on how much your child is developed and how much you comunicate he will develope on his own time

watch out she's probably going to fuss at you because your child is advanced and you dared to mention it to compare

Michelle - posted on 11/12/2009

Quoting Ami:

Yea that part was good, but the top half wasnt

good god i was b eing helpful and not b oasting if you are feeling bad about your child dont take that out on me

Melanie - posted on 11/12/2009

I have a 2 year old boy and i also was alittle worried about him not talking much he only said a few words then once he turned 2 he just started talking a lot more and everyday he comes out with a new word. so i would not be to concerned for now he will pick it up when he is ready and you wont be able to shut him up lol.

Monica - posted on 11/12/2009

My 21mo old son says about 10-20 diffrent words. The thing is that when he gets one word down he stops saying the other words for a while and then i hear them again later. As long as they are babbling and adding words that is pretty normal.

[deleted account]

My son was saying less than 10 words by 22/23 months and most of them were cut off...ex. mommy was ma, daddy was da, etc. I was informed that there was free help through the county where I live so I reached out and made an appointment to have him evaluated. It was a two part evaluation - speech and psychological (to test for Autism, slow, etc.) He came back as having the speech of a 15 month old at 23 months and was accepted for speech therapy two times per week for 45 min each. He is 27 months and has almost doubled his words not to mention his words are complete and more accurate. Mommy is mommy :) Everything is "mine" and so on. I can only say to trust your gut. My son's pediatrician told me "boys are slower than girls" when I asked and my gut told me to look into it further. See if there are any early intervention programs through your state/county/city and have your child tested. Every child is different and should not be judged because he's a boy or she's a girl. Good luck!

Jaime - posted on 11/11/2009

My son is about 19 months, and I have to say the he has picked up quite a few words in the last month and a half. He was saying a few words, but it seems would forget them, and then say others, and not say them ones that i thought he knew. I would say your son is right on track. Help him practice his words by talking to him ALOT, and i saw a mom said read him books, and ask him questions. Also if I know he is interested in something, and think that my son might want to say it, I will make that the word of the day, and we will "talk" about that one word all day. At the end of the day he is at least trying to say it. But mostly I think that I repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat... you get the point. Have fun! Most children know more words than they actually say. One day he will say a ton of words and you will be caught by surprise!
Good Luck! Oh also, you can get him screened at the center for child development. It is free and a good reference- that way you can get a professional opinion if you think you want one!

Sabrina - posted on 11/11/2009

a great way to get your child talking is just to have conversations with him in the car, shoping and well everywhere. my son is now 2 1/2 and has the vocab of a 5 year old i started talking to him saying look at that big tree and he would reply (at 18 mo.) big tree then every time he say a tree he would say a big tree just continue to try to encourage new worda and he should be talking like a pro in no time. Ps. i am a first time mom it just depends on how much your child is developed and how much you comunicate he will develope on his own time

Isabelle - posted on 11/11/2009

Ami,

On average a child over the age of one should be able to say at least ten words. If your looking to increase your childs vocabulary try "your baby can read" I bought it for my son and he has learned a lot words that he didn't know before. The website is www.yourbabycanread.com it comes in two different packages so just pick the one that you think would benefit your son the most and run with it. You could also get him more picture books or when you take him out point out things to him and ask him what they are and if he doesn't know then tell him. At least the car rides will be fun and adventours for him...

Brittany - posted on 11/11/2009

it will come in time. i wouldnt be concerned yet. actually i would just enjoy it. lol. my son is 19 months and i cant get him to stop talking! lol

Erin - posted on 11/11/2009

they should have at least an 8 word vocab. at this age and know at least 2 body parts..i know this cause i just took my son for his check-up 2 days ago..lol...and he is 17 months..lucky for me my son is very advanced acording to the dr..he acully has a 23 word vocab. wich i thought was normal but she said the average is 8 words at this age..how many words is he acually saying???

Ami - posted on 11/11/2009

Sweet, thank you! That is EXACTLY what I was looking for.

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By 18 months my son could say dada, dog, and bye-bye. Once he turned 2 he could say about 5 words (he added sock and mama to his vocab) and I was worried that he should know more, but the pediatrician said he was fine. The average child can say between 5 and 20 words by age 2. Boys generally develop their language skills more slowly than girls. Keep talking to him and reading to him every day. He'll pick it up. By the time my son was 2 1/2 he was saying new words every day and repeating a lot of what he heard. He amazed me how quickly he learned new words and of course, that put all my worries to rest.

Ami - posted on 11/11/2009

Yea that part was good, but the top half wasnt

Krista - posted on 11/11/2009

Quoting Ami:

Ok, if your children have advanced speech, why did you even bother to respond? To show off. Its Common Sense to ask my pediatrician if I feel a concern, obviously not. I wanted an opinion from a mother, not a doctor, or I would have asked a doctor. I mean really. He's NOT a year and a half, he just turned 17 months on the 9th, so that doesn't even apply. Try to be helpful, not boastful.

I really don't think she was boasting, but rather offering a basis of comparison?  And she was helpful.  She posted a TON of information about what your child should be saying at that age.

That being said, all children are different.  At 17 months, my son was still not talking.  He's now 26 months and talks in leaps and bounds.  He confuses some letter sounds, but what he means to say is evident to everyone.  Just keep in mind that his vocabulary (your child's) is based on the number of words that EVERYONE understands, not just you.  As a parent, it's easy for us to understand our child, but if perfect strangers can't understand that he's saying "sock" then he really isn't saying it yet.