How long before real words?

My two have been saying 'more' and 'cat' for ages, but it sounds more like 'mor' and 'ca'. Now they're just starting to try to repeat sounds, but never get the words right, so it's hard to tell if they're saying 'cup' or 'dog' when you hear 'cu' and 'do'... could be 'ca' and 'da' for all I know.

How long before they really start saying words?

 

Mine still don't say a lot of things correctly. For example, Elmo is "Emo" even though he was actually "Elmo" for awhile. A bus is a "b-bus." No idea on that one. "Don't" is "don." They are all understandable, but they just aren't pronounced correctly. I think for purposes of "words" you are supposed to count the incorrect pronunciations. I think I've read it's aroung age 3 before the average child speaks well enough to be understood by people other than primary caregivers?

My experience was that there was a point where language just exploded. We went from being a little concerned to sentences in what seemed like no time.

 

its all a guessing game to me! that's interesting to read that possibly they won't be clear until 3 yrs... 'cause I don't see it happening in the next few months before 2! ours newest word is "caka" or something that's actuall Cracker... they are totallly pointing at the Cheese Its box or the Animal cracker box.... I guess I better put the boxes away so they aren't as much of a temptation!

One thing that has helped me is that I've been teaching them signs too... and the combination of their attempt at the word and the sign lets me know what they are saying. Fish and Shoes both sound like "shhh" but the sign is different...

 

I agree, this was our experience as well. There are still some words they cannot say well. For example, my DS will say "book" as "booksh" and it took my DD a couple of months to evolve from "ukee" to calling her brother his name "Luke".

 

So, when the ped. asks you how many words do they know.. do you count the ones that only you understand? (Sorry for the :hijack: ) Evan can say: Grandma (sounds like momma), Moon (mmmm) and then various animal sounds (dog, cow (sounds like moon), horse). My twins were extremely behind in the speech. We sought help after their 2 year appt.

 

So far we only counted two words (I don't even count dada and mama because they say it for everything anyway), but really, it's all they said until a couple days ago. We're getting speech therapy but it's been very slow. They learned 'more' there but they use it for everything they want now, it's so annoying!

 

I think it will be a while. My pedi said to count sounds, but the kid cant walk around saying "brr brr" for tractor forever!!

My ds is in developmental therapy, because they said he's too young for speech therapy. They started out signing "more", which was a very broad word, because he did end up using it for anything he wanted. This last session, they moved onto "help", so that he can start differentiating when he needs help or actually wants more. He is catching on pretty quickly. I was a little reluctant, but I think the signing has really helped all of us. He was having a big issue with frustration due to not being able to communicate like dd.

 

They'll get there. You are getting them speech therapy, and it will come. Some of the most talkative kids I know were really late talkers.

 

Is that supposed to make me feel better?

 

That was the idea. Seriously, they'll be telling you to "Go 'way Mommy" before you are ready!

 

My BF's oldest son is proof of that. He did not start talking until after he turned 2 and once he did, he did not stop. He's 8 now and he will talk your ears off, I am not sure how he restrains himself at school!
Forgot to add: I went into my kids 18 month appointment with a list of words that they said pretty clearly & since yours are getting speech therapy, you are doing everything you can to help them talk, they will start doing so :hug: