How toddlers come to say their first words

What will your baby’s first word be? Well, if it’s not ‘Mama’ and it’s not ‘Dada’, don’t be upset! Some words are easier than others! It’s not an exact science, but most babies say their first words at around a year old. They’re usually words for things they see a lot, hear a lot and like! So ‘teddy’, ‘blanket’ and maybe, just maybe… ‘mama’! But whatever they say, they probably won’t say it properly straight away.

Making the right shape with your mouth to say a word is actually very complicated for baby, using muscles they won’t have used yet. But, as they grow, and hear more words, they’ll start to sound better and better. To help them learn, just talk to them about whatever they’re looking at or showing an interest in!

Scientists have shown that toddlers learn words for objects best when they can hold them in their hands and have them close and centre in their vision. They also found from analysing brain responses, that hearing the same word repeated four times helped baby retain the word the next day. Try taking your toddler to new places, where they’ll hear words they wouldn’t hear at home. And even if they don’t say words right, just respond to what they say and say the right word back to them. It really is that simple!