What “Counts” as a First Word?

💬 What “counts” as a first word? 

First words are a long-anticipated milestone!

Many parents ask, “what ‘counts’ as my baby’s first word?”. And it’s a great question, because it’s one of the key milestones for language development.

You may be surprised by what all “counts” as a first word. For a “word” to be considered a true word, your child should use it intentionally, consistently, and in the appropriate context. This shows that they are using the word purposefully to communicate with you, rather than saying it by chance. 

If your child doesn’t say their first words perfectly, that’s completely okay! Early words are often simplified, so approximations such as “ba” for bottle, “at” for “cat, and “ma” for mama would be considered meaningful words.

These all “count” as a word:
* Word substitutions (e.g., "num" for "food")
* Part of a word (e.g., “ee” for “eat”)
* Animal sounds (e.g., “moo”, “meow)
* Exclamatory words (e.g., “uh oh!”, “whoa”, “wee!”)
* Sign language (e.g., ‘more’ sign)
* Words in another language (e.g., "hi" and "hola" count as two words)