At approximately what age do most children produce their first recognizable words?

At approximately what age do most children produce their first recognizable words?

• A. Around 6-9 months
• B. Around 9-12 months
• C. Around 12-18 months, with considerable individual variation
• D. Around 24 months

Answer: (C)

The main idea is when expressive language typically starts to show up. After a period of babbling and growing understanding, children begin to produce their first recognizable words as they gain the motor control to form simple syllables and the intent to refer to people, objects, or actions. Most children do this around 12 to 18 months, though there can be a lot of individual variation. Some may say a word a bit earlier, around 9–12 months, but that’s less common, while others may not reach recognizable words until a bit after 18 months. By around 24 months, many children are starting to put words together and build a larger vocabulary. Recognizable words are those that resemble the adult word enough to be understood in context and used consistently for the intended referent.

The main idea is when expressive language typically starts to show up. After a period of babbling and growing understanding, children begin to produce their first recognizable words as they gain the motor control to form simple syllables and the intent to refer to people, objects, or actions. Most children do this around 12 to 18 months, though there can be a lot of individual variation. Some may say a word a bit earlier, around 9–12 months, but that’s less common, while others may not reach recognizable words until a bit after 18 months. By around 24 months, many children are starting to put words together and build a larger vocabulary. Recognizable words are those that resemble the adult word enough to be understood in context and used consistently for the intended referent.