Speech Delay in My Child
The short answer
Speech delay means a child is developing speech and language skills in the expected order but at a slower pace than typical. It's one of the most common developmental concerns - affecting about 10-15% of toddlers - and early intervention through speech therapy is remarkably effective, with many children catching up fully by school age.
By Age
What to expect by age
During the first year, pre-speech milestones matter most: cooing by 2-3 months, babbling with consonants by 6-9 months, and responding to their name. Babies who are quiet but socially engaged - smiling, making eye contact, and responding to voices - are usually developing normally. A very quiet baby who also doesn't engage socially may benefit from early evaluation.
By 12 months, most babies have at least one word and understand simple phrases. By 18 months, the expectation is about 5-20 words. If your child has no words by 18 months but is pointing, gesturing, and understanding language, they may be a "late talker" - a category with generally excellent outcomes, especially with support.
This is when many speech delays become apparent. The CDC recommends evaluation if a child has fewer than 50 words by 24 months or isn't combining words. Importantly, hearing should always be tested as a first step - undiagnosed hearing loss is a common and very treatable cause of speech delay.
By age 2, children typically use 2-word phrases, and by age 3, they're speaking in short sentences that strangers can understand about 75% of the time. If your child is significantly behind these benchmarks, speech-language therapy can help. Research consistently shows that earlier intervention leads to better outcomes.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- Your child is meeting pre-speech milestones (babbling, gesturing, pointing) even though words are slow to arrive.
- Your child understands far more than they can say - they follow directions, identify objects, and respond to questions with actions even if not with words.
- There's a family history of late talking with eventual catch-up, and your child is otherwise developing typically.
- Your child is in a bilingual or multilingual environment - these children may have fewer words in each individual language but a combined vocabulary that's on track.
- Your child is adding new words steadily, even if the total count is below average.
- No words by 18 months, even if your child is communicating with gestures.
- Fewer than 50 words by 24 months, or no two-word combinations.
- Your child's speech progress seems to have stalled - no new words for several weeks.
- Strangers can't understand any of your 2-year-old's speech.
- Your child has lost words or language skills they previously had - regression is always a reason for prompt evaluation.
- Your child has no words AND limited comprehension, no gestures, no pointing, and limited social engagement - this pattern warrants comprehensive evaluation.
- You suspect your child may not be hearing well - they don't startle at loud sounds, don't turn toward voices, or need the TV unusually loud.
Sources
Related Resources
Related Speech Concerns
My Baby Is Losing Words or Skills
If your child was consistently using words and has truly stopped, this is something to act on promptly. Regression - the genuine loss of skills a child previously had - is different from a normal plateau or a toddler being too busy to talk, and it always warrants a conversation with your pediatrician sooner rather than later.
Baby Not Babbling
Babbling with consonant sounds like "ba," "da," and "ma" typically begins between 6 and 9 months and is an important building block for speech. Babies develop at different rates, but if your baby is not making any consonant sounds by 9 months, a hearing check is a good first step.
Baby Not Laughing at Peek-a-Boo
Most babies start showing delight during peek-a-boo between 6 and 9 months, when they develop "object permanence" - the understanding that things still exist when hidden. If your baby isn't laughing at peek-a-boo yet, consider their age and overall social engagement. Some babies prefer other games, and some show enjoyment through smiles or excited movements rather than laughter. What matters most is whether your baby is socially engaged with you overall.
Baby Not Making Vowel Sounds
Most babies begin making vowel sounds - those lovely "oooh," "aaah," and "eee" sounds - around 2 to 3 months of age. This early cooing is one of the first steps in language development. Some babies are naturally quieter than others, but if your baby isn't making any vowel sounds by 4 months, it's worth checking in with your pediatrician to make sure hearing and development are on track.
Baby Not Responding to Own Name Consistently
Most babies start recognizing and responding to their own name between 5 and 7 months, though consistent response may take until 9 months. It's common for babies to sometimes ignore their name when they're focused on something interesting - this is normal. However, if your baby rarely or never turns when you say their name by 9 months, it's worth discussing with your pediatrician to check hearing and development.
Baby Not Turning to Sounds
Babies typically begin turning toward sounds around 4 to 6 months of age. If your baby isn't consistently looking toward voices or noises by 6 months, it's worth having their hearing checked. In many cases, something as simple as fluid in the ears can temporarily affect hearing, and early identification leads to the best outcomes.