What will be baby’s first words?

If around the age of 12 months your baby has already practiced making sounds by babbling, he has also learned to understand certain words such as “yes” or “no”, or “give” for example. He gradually begins to explore his environment more and more, so this is the age when you can tell him about his discoveries.

The classic “dad” or “mom”

In most cases, the words “dad” or “mom” are the first words that baby says to refer to you. However, he can also choose a word that he hears repeated often and that he associates with a positive emotion of love and attention. It can be the name of his pet, or “hug” or “kiss” for example.

At the start, he tends to pronounce the words that interest him: naming objects, people, or interacting with others. It will still take time to use more complex words that name actions, for example. The first 50 words are often learned slowly as the pace of learning accelerates thereafter.

How can I help him learn new words?

The main thing for a child is to hear as often as possible the words that are associated with an object or a person. Repetition remains the best way to encourage them to learn them by mimicry.

However, it is not necessary to force him to say one word more than another, it is up to him to choose what interests him most. Let yourself be guided by his gaze or the context: show him a flower, ask him if he wants milk, water …

Don’t worry if your child is a little late, the pace of learning is different from one child to another. If, however, after 16 months he still does not say anything, do not hesitate to consult your doctor or pediatrician to assess what is happening and detect a possible delay.

Some children have memorized words very well but just don’t want to say them. In this case it is better to encourage them to express themselves by avoiding expressing yourself for them.

Find out more: “My 100 first words”, by Emiri Hayash, Nathan editions.

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