When do children usually say their first word?
Beginning at around 12 months, if you listen carefully to your toddler's babbling, you'll likely hear your child's first actual spoken words.

What are the most common first words?
Not surprisingly, the most typical first words are "mama" and "dada," followed by words that your toddler hears repeatedly day after day, such as "hi," bye-bye," and "no."

Does my toddler understand what I'm saying to her?
Your young toddler understands many more words than you think.

Between 13 and 20 months, your toddler's brain develops in a way that allows it to process speech more quickly. This makes your child better able to understand what you are saying.

Watch for motions, such as picking up or pointing at an object that you name, that indicate that your toddler knows what you are talking about.

My 15-month-old hasn't said her first word yet. Should I be concerned?
Not necessarily-some young toddlers are the silent type. Some toddlers say no words at all before age 18 months. This does not mean there's a problem, or that they don't understand what you are saying. Some children may not be "talkers" early on. And boys tend to develop language more slowly than girls.

My 18-month-old just started talking. Is this normal?
"Normal" language development varies. Some children may say more words sooner, some may say fewer words later. What's most significant is that you notice an increase each month in the number of words your toddler says. If you're worried, talk to your health care professional.

Now that she's talking, how quickly will my daughter learn new words?
Her vocabulary will expand fast. By about 18-20 months, toddlers can say anywhere from 20 to 50 words.

By her second birthday, she'll probably be using 2- to 4-word sentences.

Why do toddlers start talking a lot more just before their second birthday?
Some time after about 18 months, you may notice that your toddler-who knew maybe 50 words-is all of a sudden using new words every day.

Researchers have noticed that this development occurs at about the same time that important changes happen in an important language center of the brain known as Wernicke's area. They speculate that an increase in the number of synapses-connections between brain cells-in Wernicke's area help greatly with the understanding of word meaning.