Language Milestones for Toddlers 1-2 Years: First Words, Gestures & Development in 2025

Before toddlers begin speaking, they typically demonstrate understanding through gestures and sounds. Most children start uttering their first words around their first birthday.

Language milestones mark significant stages in your child’s ability to understand and express language. These include both receptive skills (listening and comprehension) and expressive skills (speaking). Your toddler not only learns to produce words but also to comprehend what is said.

Typically, children say their first word between 10 and 14 months.

By 12 months, toddlers often say one to three simple words like "mama," "dada," or names of familiar people, pets, or toys. If your child isn’t speaking yet, don’t worry as long as they make sounds, try to communicate, and understand you. They should respond to their name, use gestures, and recognize simple commands like "no." Peek-a-boo and similar games are usually favorites.

While hearing your toddler’s first word is thrilling, the language development journey between 1 and 2 years is full of fun and discovery. Playing word games and reading aloud from six months onward greatly supports language growth. As your child’s vocabulary expands, communication becomes easier and more enjoyable.

Key Language Milestones to Watch For

• First Words: Most toddlers speak their first word between 10 and 14 months, soon followed by more words.
• Gestures: Gestures accompany early words to express meaning, but words gradually become more dominant.
• Body Parts: By 15 months, toddlers can point to body parts when named.
• Naming Objects: Between 12 and 18 months, toddlers start naming familiar objects.
• Listening Skills: They enjoy songs, rhymes, and being read to, and begin naming items in books.
• Vocabulary Growth: By 18 months, most toddlers have at least 10 words, with rapid growth often occurring after 50 words.
• Self-Identification: By 24 months, toddlers refer to themselves by name.
• Following Directions: Simple commands are understood by 12-15 months, with more complex instructions by age two.
• Two-Word Phrases: Around 24 months, toddlers combine two words to form simple sentences like "mama car?"

Remember, children develop language skills at their own pace.

Early consonant sounds like d, n, and t develop first, followed by g, k, and ng. Toddlers may mix sounds or omit syllables as they practice.

When to Seek Advice

• Concern if your child does not understand simple words like "no," "bye-bye," or "bottle" by 15 months.
• By 15-16 months, toddlers should use single words; by 18 months, a vocabulary of at least 10 words is expected.
• Following simple directions like "come here" should be possible by 21 months.
• Excessive babbling without real words at two years may warrant evaluation.
• Pointing to body parts and using two-word phrases should be evident by age two.

Regular pediatric visits will monitor your child’s language and overall development. Discuss any concerns openly with your healthcare provider.

Every child’s language journey is unique, but steady progress in understanding and speaking is a positive sign. Engaging your toddler through talking, reading, and playing will nurture their communication skills.

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