How many words should my toddler say?
Word counts by age, what is typical, what is the minimum, and when to ask for help.
Short answer: the CDC's minimum is three or more words besides "mama" and "dada" by 18 months, two words together by 24 months, and about 50 words by 30 months. The typical child is well ahead of that: the median child says about 50 words somewhere between 16 and 20 months. Specialists suggest an evaluation if a child has fewer than 50 words, or no two-word phrases, by 24 months.
Words by age at a glance
The CDC lists what about three out of four children can do by each age, so its milestones are a minimum bar rather than an average. Research on tens of thousands of children shows what is more typical.
| Age | CDC milestone (most children) | What research shows is typical |
|---|---|---|
| 12 months | Calls a parent "mama", "dada" or another special name. Waves bye-bye. Understands "no". | A first word or two, plus lots of babbling and gestures. |
| 15 months | Tries one or two words besides mama or dada, like "ba" for ball. Points to ask for something. | A handful of words, growing slowly. |
| 18 months | Tries three or more words besides mama or dada. Follows one-step directions without gestures. | The median child reaches about 50 words somewhere between 16 and 20 months. |
| 24 months | Says at least two words together, like "more milk". | Two-year-olds average about 300 words, with a very wide normal range. |
| 30 months | Says about 50 words. Says two or more words together with an action word, like "doggie run". | Short sentences and a fast-growing vocabulary. |
Why the range is so wide
Vocabulary between ages one and two varies enormously. In the Wordbank data, the typical distance from the median is about as large as the median itself, so one healthy 18-month-old may say 10 words and another 100. That is why a single number is less useful than the overall picture: steady growth, understanding, and gestures.
What counts as a word
- A sound your child uses on purpose, for the same thing, more than once. "Ba" for ball counts.
- Words in any language. A child raised with two languages may have fewer words in each but a similar total.
- Signs, like the sign for "more", and animal sounds used to name an animal, like "moo" for cow.
Understanding matters as much as talking
At 18 months, how much a child understands, and how they use gestures such as pointing to show you something, tells you a lot about where their talking is heading. A child who understands well and points a lot is in a stronger position than the word count alone suggests.
When to ask for an evaluation
- Fewer than 50 words, or no two-word phrases, by 24 months.
- Missing the CDC milestones for your child's age.
- Few gestures, or understanding fewer words than other children the same age.
- Losing words or other skills at any age. Call your doctor right away.
- You are worried. Parental concern is itself one of the things specialists screen for.
In the US you can contact your state's Early Intervention program yourself, without a referral. The evaluation is free. Read more in our guide to signs of a late talker.
Try it tonight, free
Plant every word your child says in the word garden, see growth over time, and copy a summary for the doctor.
Open Talk Baby TalkSources
- CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics, Developmental Milestones (updated 2022)
- Frank, Braginsky, Yurovsky and Marchman, Variability and Consistency in Early Language Learning: The Wordbank Project, chapter on vocabulary size (Stanford)
- Capone Singleton, N. (2018). Late talkers: why the wait-and-see approach is outdated. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 65(1), 13 to 29.
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Speech and Language Development
This guide is general information for parents, not medical advice. If you are worried about your child's speech, talk to your pediatrician or contact your state's Early Intervention program for a free evaluation.