Leanne Sherred, M.S., CCC-SLP
Talk to your pediatrician or a speech therapist if your child has no words at 15 months, fewer than 20 words at 18 months, is not putting two words together by 24 months, or often isn’t understood by familiar listeners at age 3. These are four clear signs to act on, although there are other signs to look for that we cover in this article. Losing words or skills at any age is another red flag to tell your doctor about.
Key takeaways
Call your pediatrician if your 15-month-old has no true words, your 18-month-old has fewer than 20 words, or your 2-year-old isn't putting two words into short phrases.
By age 3, people who know your child well should understand about 75% of what they say. By age 4, strangers should understand at least half of what your child says. If your child doesn’t meet these milestones, that’s another sign to schedule a speech evaluation.
About 10% to 20% of 2-year-olds are late talkers. Most catch up by kindergarten. But early speech therapy helps them make progress faster, and it also helps prevent other issues, like frustration, pulling away from friends, or trouble learning to read.
The biggest red flag at any age is if your child loses words or skills they once had. Call your pediatrician right away.
You don't need a referral to get a speech evaluation. You can contact a licensed speech-language pathologist directly.
Could your child have a speech delay?
Take our screenerWhat age is considered speech delayed?
A speech delay is when a child does not meet the typical milestones for speech and language development at their age. Speech delays can happen for a number of reasons, including a lack of verbal stimulation at home, hearing loss, or a developmental disorder.
A child can be considered speech delayed at any age if they are not meeting the typical developmental milestones for their age. For example, babies can begin showing the signs of a speech delay as early as 6 months old. At this age, infants typically babble and combine vowels and consonants, like “ga-ga-ga.” If a baby isn’t making these types of noises, it can point to a speech delay.
For toddlers, you may be able to identify the signs of “late talking” around 15 months. If your 1-year-old hasn't said their first words by then, they could be considered speech delayed.
The expert guide to speech delays in toddlers and children. Learn the signs and causes of a speech delay and how you can help your child at home.
If you think your child might have a speech delay, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has outlined some common developmental milestones to keep in mind:
Infant speech milestones include cooing, crying, and responding to sounds. By 3 months, you may hear some simple sounds like "goo" and "ah."
By 6 months, babies usually begin to babble longer strings of consonant-vowel combinations, such as "ba-ba-ba" or "da-da-da.”
From 12-24 months, children usually begin to say “no” and start building their vocabulary. They tend to use several words regularly, like saying "milk" if they're thirsty. They keep gaining new words every few weeks.
Around 2 years old, children can start combining words to form simple two-word phrases. They might also begin to use pronouns (such as me, my, and mine).
By age 3, a toddler's vocabulary typically expands to 300 to 500 words. They can form short sentences of 3 to 4 words.
By age 4, children are usually able to carry on basic conversations with both their family and unfamiliar individuals. They can also use more complex sentences.
Another part of speech development to look at is how easily your child's speech is understood by others. Experts state that 50% of a child’s speech should be understood by age 2, 75% by age 3, and 90% by age 4. This applies to familiar listeners—people like family members who hear a child’s speech every day. But what about unfamiliar listeners, who don’t often interact with your child?
Ideally, we want anyone to understand at least 50% of what a child says by the time they’re 4 years old.
By age 5, we’d look for them to be 75% understood.
By age 7, they should be 90% understood by anyone they speak to.
If a child's speech is hard to understand for their age, this is a sign that they may need help with their speech sounds.
Does your child have a speech delay? Or are they just a "late talker"? Here are the 5 top signs of speech delay to look for.
When to worry at 12 months
By 12 months, many children say at least one true word—usually "mama," "dada," or the name of a favorite object. They also use gestures like pointing, waving, and showing you things. Call your pediatrician or a speech therapist if your 12-month-old doesn’t use gestures or babble with consonants, like “ba-ba-ba.” If your child doesn’t turn toward familiar voices, that may point to a hearing problem.
When to worry at 15 months
By 15 months, children typically have at least 3 true words and are gaining new words every few weeks. They’re also using gestures like pointing to communicate. Worry if your 15-month-old has no true words, doesn't copy sounds or actions, doesn't point to things they want, or has stopped saying words they used to say. Loss of words is the top red flag at any age.
When to worry at 18 months
By 18 months, some children can say 20 words or even more. They should be able to point to or name familiar things like body parts or pictures in a book. If your child only has a few words, it may be time to schedule a speech evaluation. The milestone at 2 years old is 50 words, and we want to see steady gains over time. Other causes for concern: your 18-month-old isn’t copying new words or following simple one-step directions (“give me the ball”), or uses only grunts and gestures instead of trying to talk.
When to worry at 24 months (2 years)
By 24 months, children typically use at least 50 words. They put two words into short phrases like "more milk" or "Mommy up." Take action if your 2-year-old has fewer than 50 words, isn't combining words into phrases, can't follow simple two-step directions, or is very hard for family to understand.
When to worry at 3 years
By age 3, most children use 3- to 4-word sentences, have 300 to 500 words, and are understood by family members at least 75% of the time. Worry if your 3-year-old uses mostly single words or short 2-word phrases, is hard for familiar listeners to understand, doesn't ask simple questions, or seems to leave out common sounds and word endings.
When to worry at 4 years
By age 4, most children speak in full sentences, tell short stories, and are understood by strangers at least half of the time. Contact a speech therapist if your 4-year-old is hard for teachers or new adults to understand; has a hard time with common sounds like /k/, /g/, /f/, or /s/; can't tell a simple story; or can't follow two- or three-step directions.
When to worry at 5 years
By age 5, children typically speak in full sentences and tell stories with a beginning, middle, and end. Their speech is understood by strangers most of the time. Schedule an evaluation if your 5-year-old is hard to understand, mixes up basic grammar ("me go store"), can't answer simple "why" questions, or struggles to have a back-and-forth talk with other kids.
Concerned about your child's speech?
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Find a speech therapistRed flags for speech delay by age
Below are the red flags that speech therapists watch for at each age. If your child shows one or more of these, book an evaluation. Even a single red flag is enough reason to call.
6-12 months
No babbling with consonants ("ba-ba," "ma-ma") by 9 months
Doesn't respond to their name by 9-12 months
Doesn't wave, point, or reach by 12 months
Doesn't turn toward sounds or voices
12-24 months
No true words by 15 months
Fewer than 20 words by 18 months
Doesn't copy sounds or actions
Not putting two words together by 24 months
Understands very little of what's said to them
2-3 years
Fewer than 50 words at age 2, or fewer than 200 words at age 3
No two-word phrases at 24 months, or no 3-word phrases at 36 months
Familiar listeners often don’t understand them at age 3
Doesn't ask simple questions ("What's that?," "Where Mama?")
Often gets very upset when trying to communicate
3-5 years
Speech is hard to understand by strangers at age 4
Can't follow two- or three-step directions
Still struggles making common sounds (/k/, /g/, /f/, /s/, /l/) past age 4
Stutters or repeats sounds or words for more than 6 months
Can't tell a simple story or answer "why" questions
Any age
Loss of words or skills your child once had
No response to loud sounds or their name (could point to hearing loss)
A parent or teacher has a "gut feeling" that something isn't right
When should you worry if your child isn’t talking?
You should be concerned—and book a speech evaluation—if your child isn't responding to sounds by 9 months, hasn't said their first true word by 15 months, has fewer than 20 words by 18 months, or isn't putting two words together by 24 months. At older ages, worry if speech is hard for strangers to understand, or if your child loses words they used to say.
Victoria Zilbergleyt, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech therapist at Expressable. As she explains, "A speech delay doesn’t always mean a long-term issue, but waiting to see if your child 'catches up' can lead to missed opportunities for support. Early speech therapy can help build strong communication skills before challenges become more impactful. It ensures the child is set up for success in the next stages of development."
Studies show that the earlier a child starts speech therapy, the better the outcomes. So if you’re worried that your child isn’t talking, it’s always a good idea to seek support sooner rather than later. You know your child best.
Should I get a speech evaluation for my child?
So what's the first step if you’re worried that your child isn’t talking? A speech evaluation is a great place to start. A licensed speech therapist can assess your child’s language development and create a treatment plan for helping them reach their full potential. An evaluation is also a good idea if you’ve noticed any other red flags, such as difficulty understanding instructions or trouble pronouncing words correctly.
The truth is, while some kids do catch up on their own, others need support—and we won’t know which category your child falls into until we take action.
It can be tempting to think, "We'll just wait and see." This is one of the most common reasons we hear from families who don't move forward with therapy. As Carly Adam, M.S., CCC-SLP, TSSLD, explains, "I often hear parents say, ‘But my child will just catch up!’ or ‘Let’s just wait and see what happens.’ The truth is, while some kids do catch up on their own, others need support—and we won’t know which category your child falls into until we take action. It’s always better to check and intervene early rather than wait and see.”
Marina McKeown, M. Ed., CCC-SLP, agrees. She says, "We can’t get back time! So if we can be proactive in assessing our children for speech-language concerns, that means we can begin to support a need should it arise, before waiting for that delay to become more and more significant with time passing."
For a deeper look at speech delay in toddlers—what it is, what causes it, and how it's treated—see our guide on speech delay in 2- to 3-year-olds.
Learn when speech therapy is needed for a speech delay and what to expect in your child’s speech delay treatment.
How to find a speech therapist
It's never too soon—or too late—to get your child the support and resources they need to become a confident communicator.
If you’re ready to find a qualified speech therapist for your child, Expressable can help. We'll match you with one of our licensed speech therapists based on your needs, location, and availability (including evenings and weekends). Get started here!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Here are four clear signs to act on: no response to sounds by 9 months, no true words by 15 months, fewer than 20 words at 18 months, and no two-word combinations by 24 months. Any one of these is enough reason to book a speech evaluation. At older ages, watch for speech that strangers can't understand, or any loss of words or skills your child once had. Trust your gut—you don't need a referral to be evaluated, and early speech therapy leads to better outcomes.
Some common red flags include the following: By 9 months: no babbling with consonants. By 12 months: no gestures like pointing or waving, and no response to their name. By 15 months: no true words and no copying of sounds. By 18 months: fewer than 20 words and can't follow simple directions. By 24 months: fewer than 50 words and no two-word phrases. By age 3: doesn’t ask simple questions (like “Where is it?” or “What’s that?”). By age 4: strangers understand less than half of what they say. At any age: a loss of words or skills your child once had.
No. Many late talkers catch up by kindergarten, but there's no clear way to tell early on which children will catch up on their own and which will need speech therapy. The earlier speech therapy starts, the better the outcomes. If your child has no words at 15 months, fewer than 20 words at 18 months, or no two-word phrases at 24 months, don't wait. Schedule a speech evaluation.
How Expressable Can Help
Concerned your child isn't reaching age-expected milestones? Looking for communication support from a professional? Expressable is a national online speech and occupational therapy practice serving children and adults. We treat all major areas of communication, feeding, and developmental skills, offer flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and accept most major health insurance plans. We’re proud to have earned more than 4,500 5-star reviews from our clients (4.83/5 average).
Our therapy model is centered on parent and caregiver involvement. Research proves that empowering caregivers to participate in their loved one’s therapy leads to better outcomes. That’s why we combine live, 1-on-1 speech and occupational therapy with personalized education and home practice activities for faster progress.
