It is thought that by the age of 18 months a child can say about 50 words, but their understanding is likely to be four or even five times more.
Babbling begins at about the age of six months and continues developing until about 18 months, well after the child says their first words.
Babbles like 'mama' or 'dada' are, rather than baby's first words, in fact vocal signs that baby is ready to communicate meaning. Soon after, many babies utter their 'real' first words.
From about 12 months, parents notice that babies start to use rhythm and tone to suggest a question, a need or merely a greeting. From 16 months, vocabulary begins to develop more rapidly and toddlers soon reach their first 50 words. From 19 months there is often an explosion into speaking.
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