What counts as a word? How many words should my toddler say?

Hi, I’m Amanda, a licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist (Speech Therapist). I am passionate about empowering you with the tools to get your child talking. I love working with parents to take the guesswork out of getting your baby, toddler or preschooler talking.

One of the most common questions I get asked by parents is, “How many words is my child expected to say? ” It’s important to know what counts as a word. When children are learning to talk their words are not expected to sound exactly like the adult version.

What counts as a word?

1. Word Approximations- This is common in very young children. A word approximation is when a child says part of a word versus the entire word. For example, “ba” for ball.

2. Animal Sounds “oink”, “moo”, “woof”, “quack”, “meow” (These are easy for children to say and imitate. This is a great place to start if your child is not talking yet.)

3. Sound Effects: beep-beep , vroom (These are perfect sounds to make while playing with cars.)

4. Exclamatory Words: These words easy for children to imitate and are fun to say. Some examples include “wee”, “yay”, “ow”, “uh-oh”.

5. Sign Language

We count it as a word if your toddler uses the word CONSISTENTLY, INDEPENDENTLY and INTENTIONALLY to refer to someone or something. If your baby or toddler says the word once, it would NOT count as a word. It is important to keep these word types in mind when counting the number of words that your child has. You may find that your child says more words once you refer to this list of what counts.

If you found these tips useful be sure to download your FREE Speech Sound Development Guide with first words tips to learn what sounds to expect and how to encourage those first words!

Looking for more tips to help get your toddler talking. Check out my online course, Talking Tips Academy™ that is now available for preorder by clicking HERE.

Get your Child Talking During Meal Time

Hi, I’m Amanda, a licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist (Speech Therapist). I am passionate about empowering you with the tools to get your child talking. I love working with parents to take the guesswork out of getting your baby, toddler or preschooler talking.

Mealtime is a perfect opportunity to encourage speech and language development. You can encourage your child to use the word “more” during mealtime or snack time by following the tips below.

HOW TO GET YOUR CHILD TO SAY THE WORD “MORE”
When your child is eating give them only a few pieces of food at a time such as Cheerios, strawberries  or blueberries.
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 Then MODEL saying the word “MORE” by asking, “Do you want MORE Cheerios?”.
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1. Place an emphasis on the word “more” by stretching it out (MMMM-MORE).
2. Say the word “more” and use the sign for more at the same time. 3. Repeat this several times during snack/meal times.
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Your child can respond by:
-using sign language for more
-using an approximation of the word (MMMM) -using a combination of the above
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Once your child is saying “MORE”, you can work on using 2 word utterances such as: (geared for ages 18 months+)
-MORE APPLE
-MORE BANANA 
-MORE MILK

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Ask your child “Do you want MORE APPLES?”
Place an emphasis on both words by stretching out the first sound and using a slightly louder volume. (Do you want MMM-more MMM-milk?)
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CONSISTENCY, MODELING and REPETITION are key. 

Use the word “MORE” several times during meal and snack time.

Looking for more tips to help get your child talking. Checkout my online course, Talking Tips Academy that is now available for to preorder by clicking HERE.

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If you found these tips useful be sure to download your FREE Speech Sound Development Guide with first words tips to learn what sounds to expect and how to encourage more words!