Language development follows a predictable trajectory, though individual children vary by several months on specific milestones. This tracker covers both receptive language (understanding) and expressive language (production). Check off milestones as you observe them. If your child is consistently missing milestones by 3+ months across multiple areas, consider a speech-language evaluation.
Birth to 3 Months
| Age | Receptive (Understanding) | Expressive (Production) |
|---|
| 0-1 mo | Startles to loud sounds; calms to familiar voice | Cries to communicate needs (hunger, discomfort) |
| 1-2 mo | Recognizes parent's voice; turns toward sounds | Coos — vowel-like sounds ('oo', 'ah') |
| 2-3 mo | Responds to speech by looking at speaker's face | Social smiling; varied cooing with pitch changes |
3-6 Months
| Age | Receptive (Understanding) | Expressive (Production) |
|---|
| 3-4 mo | Responds to changes in tone of voice (happy vs. stern) | Laughs; vocal play with squeals and growls |
| 4-5 mo | Responds to own name; looks toward named family members | Babbling begins — consonant-vowel combos ('ba', 'ma', 'da') |
| 5-6 mo | Understands 'no' (stops briefly); notices music | Reduplicated babbling ('bababa', 'mamama') |
6-12 Months
| Age | Receptive (Understanding) | Expressive (Production) |
|---|
| 6-7 mo | Turns to look when you point at something | Variegated babbling ('bagida'); imitates speech sounds |
| 7-8 mo | Understands a few common words in context ('bottle', 'up') | Uses gestures with vocalizations (reaches + sounds) |
| 8-9 mo | Follows simple commands with gestures ('come here' + hand motion) | Uses specific babble patterns for specific things (jargon) |
| 9-10 mo | Recognizes names of common objects (looks at correct one when named) | Points to request; may say first word ('mama', 'dada' with meaning) |
| 10-12 mo | Understands ~50 words; follows 'give me the ___' | 1-3 real words; lots of jargon that sounds like sentences |
12-18 Months
| Age | Receptive (Understanding) | Expressive (Production) |
|---|
| 12-14 mo | Points to several body parts when named; follows 1-step directions without gestures | Uses 3-10 words; lots of pointing + single words |
| 14-16 mo | Understands simple questions ('Where's daddy?'); identifies familiar objects in pictures | Vocabulary grows to 10-25 words; uses words more than gestures |
| 16-18 mo | Follows 2-step related commands ('get your shoes and bring them here') | Vocabulary explosion begins: 25-50 words; may start combining 2 words |
18-24 Months
| Age | Receptive (Understanding) | Expressive (Production) |
|---|
| 18-20 mo | Points to pictures in a book when named; understands action words (eat, run, sleep) | 50-100 words; regular 2-word combinations ('more milk', 'daddy go') |
| 20-22 mo | Understands pronouns (me, you); follows unrelated 2-step commands | 100-200 words; telegraphic speech ('big doggy run') |
| 22-24 mo | Understands size concepts (big/little); understands 'in', 'on', 'under' | 200-300 words; 2-3 word sentences; asks 'what's that?' |
Ages 2-3
| Age | Receptive (Understanding) | Expressive (Production) |
|---|
| 24-30 mo | Understands action words in context; identifies objects by function ('what do you drink from?') | 300-500 words; 3-word sentences; uses 'I', 'me', 'you'; asks 'why?' |
| 30-36 mo | Understands basic time concepts (now, later, soon); follows 3-step commands | 500-1000 words; 3-4 word sentences; speech ~50-75% intelligible to strangers |
Ages 3-4
| Milestone | Expected |
|---|
| Vocabulary | 1,000-1,600 words |
| Sentence length | 4-5 words average |
| Speech intelligibility | 75-100% intelligible to strangers |
| Grammar | Uses plurals, past tense (-ed), possessives ('mommy's') |
| Questions | Asks and answers who, what, where questions |
| Narrative | Can retell a simple story with prompting |
| Concepts | Understands colors, shapes, counting to 5-10 |
| Conversation | Takes turns in conversation; stays on topic for 2-3 exchanges |
Ages 4-5
| Milestone | Expected |
|---|
| Vocabulary | 1,600-2,500 words; understands 10,000+ |
| Sentence length | 5-8 words; uses complex sentences ('because', 'so', 'if') |
| Speech intelligibility | 100% intelligible; may still struggle with r, l, s, th |
| Grammar | Most grammar rules mastered; occasional errors with irregular forms ('goed' for 'went') |
| Questions | Asks and answers how, when, why questions |
| Narrative | Tells a story with beginning, middle, end; recounts events in order |
| Concepts | Understands time (yesterday, tomorrow); knows letters and letter sounds |
| Social language | Adjusts speech for listener (talks differently to babies vs. adults) |
Important
These are TYPICAL milestones, not rigid deadlines. Bilingual children may hit some milestones slightly later in each individual language but should show normal total communication ability. If you have concerns about your child's language, seek an evaluation from a speech-language pathologist — early intervention is far more effective than waiting.
© 2026 Avaneuro · avaneuro.com · For educational purposes only. Not medical advice.
