A first words list by age.

The first ten words, in three languages

When researchers asked more than 900 parents in the United States, Hong Kong and Beijing which words their babies said first, the lists showed similar patterns. The ten most common first words in English were Daddy, Mommy, BaaBaa, Bye, Hi, UhOh, Grr, Bottle, YumYum and Dog; the Cantonese and Mandarin lists were dominated by similar categories — people, animals and their sounds, greetings, food.¹ Nouns for things a child can point at and social words for the people around them often come early across languages; verbs and adjectives tend to come later.

How vocabulary grows, by age

Research inventories and Wordbank describe vocabulary in groups of children; their percentiles are not a diagnosis or an all-clear for an individual child.^{2, 3} The CDC milestones below help families monitor development. If a milestone is missed or you have another concern, ask your child’s doctor about screening.^{4, 7}

12 months

Early words may include a name or greeting. Understanding and speaking are different skills, and both matter.² CDC checkpoint: waves bye-bye, calls a parent mama/dada or a similar name, understands “no”.⁴

18 months

Vocabulary varies, and a word count alone cannot tell you whether support is needed.^{2, 3} CDC checkpoint: tries to say three or more words besides mama and dada; follows one-step directions without a gesture.⁴ More on the 18-month number.

24 months

Words can join into combinations such as “more milk”, “daddy go”, or “no bath”. CDC checkpoint: says at least two words together; points to things in a book when asked.⁴ Fewer than 50 spoken words or no combinations is worth discussing with a professional. An often-used research criterion combines both; it is not a home diagnosis or a reason to wait. See when to ask about late talking.⁸

30 months

CDC checkpoint: says about 50 words; says two or more words with one action word (“doggie run”); names things in a book; says words like I, me, we.⁴ This later checklist item is not a reason to postpone an earlier concern.⁷

3 years

CDC checkpoint: talks with you in a back-and-forth of at least two exchanges; asks who, what, where, why; says first name when asked; speaks well enough that strangers understand most of it.⁴

A practical list for each stage

Our word library has three browsing stages, with 25 free words in each. They are ways to find cards, not developmental standards or tests. These are the kinds of words in each, with the free ones you can print or hear in eight languages.

First Words, 0–24 months

People and routines first — mama, dada, baby, hug; the foods of the highchair — milk, water, apple, banana; the animals a child sees or hears — dog, cat, duck, bird; the body — hand, nose, eyes; the objects of the day — ball, shoe, book, cup. Choose words for things your child notices during the day.

Growing Words, 2–3 years

Places and things beyond the kitchen — park, castle, rainbow, penguin, fire truck; the first actions as words — jump, run, wash hands, brush teeth; the people outside the house — friend, teacher, doctor; colors and first feelings — red, happy, sad. You can model combinations such as big dog, red ball, jump high.

Word Builder, 3–5 years

Words that reward a question — volcano, astronaut, scientist, peacock, flashlight; the feelings that have names now — proud, brave, shy; and the social verbs — share, apologize, celebrate. At this age the picture is a prompt for a conversation, not a label; the card is where the talking starts.

What the list is for

Not for testing. Following a child’s attention and sharing varied, back-and-forth talk are supported by language research.^{5, 6} That does not establish a particular card routine as effective. So pick five or six words from the stage your child is in, put them where they happen, and say them there for a week. Then pick five more. The list on the fridge is not for the child. It is a reminder for you.