How Many Words Should My Child Have? 

As your child's language skills continue to develop, you may begin to wonder how many words  they should have at each stage. This is likely the most common question that Paediatric Speech  and Language Therapists are asked. But first, we need to know what counts as a word. Here  are some things to consider: 

What Counts as a Word? 

• Word Approximations: These are attempts at words that sound different from the actual  word but are often still recognisable to the listener. For example, your child may say  "buh" instead of "bus" or "ha" for "hat." These approximations are common and  expected in young children. 

• Symbolic Sounds: In addition to word approximations, sounds like "baa," "moo!,"  "beep!," and "vroom!" all count as words! They are easy to imitate and fun for children  to make, so they often appear before words like "sheep," "cow," and "car." 

• Exclamatory Words: These are words like "oops!," "yay!," "uh oh," and "weee!". They  are considered "people sounds" and are often modelled in a playful way, making  children more likely to imitate them. 

• Sign Language and Pictures: If your child is signing "more" or "all done," or using  pictures to request "juice" or "snack," these all count toward their total word count! In  fact, sign language and picture-based communication systems can be extremely  beneficial for children who may have difficulty with spoken language. 

Remember.. 

If a word is being used consistently and intentionally to refer to something or someone, it counts as a word! Now that you know what counts as a word, listen closely for them throughout your child's day. While it's important to create a language-rich environment by talking with your little one, it's equally important to pause and listen. You might be surprised at how many words  your child has, and how they use them in different contexts!