My Child Isn’t Talking. Will They Start on Their Own? Will It All Come at Once?

Modern global research has established specific age-related milestones for speech development. For example, meaningful first words usually appear between 12 and 14 months, while two- to three-word phrases are expected between 24 and 30 months.

Every child develops at their own pace. However, a delay of more than six months from these milestones is a potential indicator of a speech or language delay or disorder, and it requires an evaluation by a Speech and Language Therapist.

📌 Indicative Age Milestones:

• 8 months: Begins babbling

• 12 months: Says one or two meaningful words

• 18 months: Uses at least 4–5 clear words

• 2 years: Has a vocabulary of over 50 words and combines them into short phrases

• 2.5 years: Uses 3–4 word phrases and knows their name

• 3 years: Speaks comfortably, forms 4-word sentences, uses verbs, and asks simple questions

• 4 years: Uses verbs correctly and answers “who,” “what,” and “how” questions

• 5 years: Speaks fluently with complex sentences and uses concepts like opposites

If your child shows a significant delay in speech development, it’s important not to rely solely on the belief that “they’ll suddenly speak one day.” Early intervention is key to supporting their communication success.

Maria Lazarou
Speech and Language Therapist (SLP, BSc, M.A.)
Head of the Multidisciplinary Team, Evlogon