Are they speaking or babbling?

The boys have started to murmur things. I understand what they are saying, but it's realy just the forst 2 letters of a word

"te" is teddy
"ba" is balloon
"ba" is bath
"oo" is shoes

Do you count these as first words? would you say they are talking? how much of a word or how recogniseable to others does it have to be, before you can say they are talking?

 

I don't know the answer, but wanted to tell you that my son did that at that age, and around 21 months those turned into more than just the first syllable. I don't think that it matters if he is really saying the whole thing as long as it is consistent and you know what he means. It will all come together, just part of the process.

 

When we went for the girls 15 month appt, the ped said if they say the same word/sound repeatedly for an object or person, that she considers it a word. Mine are almost 19 months and a lot of their words, although fairly easy to figure out are still the first part of the word. Mine say "shu" for shoes, "dnk yu" for thank you, etc. Other people may not always realize what their trying to say, but I do for the most part. Although they both say almost all of the individual words as the other, Madison says more phrases than Alina, so their progress is a little different. They still just babble a lot too.

 

I remember wondering exactly the same thing. They'd point and use part of a word but if it's consistent, then it's a word.

There are some very cute mis-pronunciations to come and it's absolutely hilarious hearing them string together their poorly annunciated words into some foreign-sounding language that I struggle to understand.

 

It sounds like your little ones are speaking! Our pedi said that as long as they use it repeatedly for that object, and I know what they are trying to say, then it counts!

Which is a really good thing, since I literally have to interpret EVERYTHING my kids say. Hannah has her beginning sounds all messed up; her articulation is atrocious. Then Ben takes whatever the middle consonant sound is and adds it to the front (Hannah is Nannah; apple is papple; binky is kinky). At least he has a code that can be cracked!

 

So glad you posted this, b/c I've been wondering the same thing. Our boys are REALLY NOT communicating much. We're sooo anxious to have them talking that I wonder how much of it I am manufacturing :blush: versus what they are really saying.

Nick started signing last week...so that was exciting. Joe isn't doing any signs and is notably further behind Nick with words. I know it'll happen when it happens, but I'm not being very patient. We have lots of mimicing first syllables when we say, 'can you say...', but they have very little spontaneous language (no, mama, dada, signing more).

 

I'm no expert, but I think that's talking. My DD does that too. "Wa-wa" is water, "Ba" is ball, "Ma" is milk....the only thing she says clearly is "Mama" and "Papa." But I think she's talking.


thea

 

I just asked my PT guy that TODAY when he was here seeing dd. HE said, yes, it is considered a word as long as they use the same sound for the same word consistently.

My 2 are late talkers and if he is right, they have many more words that I thought.

 

my only advice is to keep repeating the correct pronunciation. in other words, "oo" for shoe is cute and you understand it. others will also understand it in context. However, if you don't correct them (by repeating the correct pronunciation), then in another 6 months they will have to correct themselves and unlearn it. We're going thru this for "What's that" they have been saying "Aa-sat?" I never really corrected the question, because I understood what they were saying. Now they speak clearly in so many other areas, that this question ought to be something they pronounce correctly. Does this make sense?

 

I am an SLP and yes, as many others have said, you should consider those productions are true words as long as they're consistent. It is normal in speech development to simplify words. Jack says only "ba" just for about every b word imaginable! Once they learn more vowels, it's amazing to see how that changes! They're doing great!