Children typically start talking by saying their first recognizable words around 12 months of age, with a range generally between 10 and 14 months. Before actual words, babies begin by cooing and babbling—early vocal experimentation that lays the foundation for speech, often starting by 6 months and becoming more syllabic by 9 months. Between 12 and 18 months, toddlers rapidly increase their vocabulary, often reaching 10-20 words and beginning to combine two-word phrases by 18 months. Speech development includes early stages like cooing, babbling, gesture use (around 9-12 months), and word recognition before full talking begins. Each child progresses at their own pace, but these are typical milestones in early language acquisition.
