Twelve months

Children usually utter their first words between 10 and 15 months. Between 12 and 24 months, a toddler's speech and language foundation grows rapidly. During that time, 1 year olds learn that words have meaning. They point to things they want, and often use 1 or 2 syllable sounds, such as "baba" for "bottle."

Select the button below the image to find out more about speech at 12 months.
12 month old baby
  • use 1 or more words with meaning, often mama or dada
  • understand simple instructions, such as bye-bye or bed