Children develop communication skills gradually, and there is a wide range of typical development. This guide gives parents a quick way to see common speech, language, and communication milestones by age from birth through 6 years.

The age ranges below are a guide, not a diagnostic checklist. Children may reach individual milestones somewhat earlier or later. If your child is missing several skills for their age, is not making progress, or has lost skills they previously used, consider discussing your concerns with a speech-language pathologist.

Age Understanding Talking & communication Speech & interaction
Birth–12 months Responds to sounds and familiar voices; begins understanding familiar words and routines. Cooing, babbling, back-and-forth sound play, gestures, pointing, waving, and early word-like sounds. Uses increasingly varied sounds and communicates through eye gaze, gestures, facial expression, and vocalizations.
13–18 months Follows simple directions and looks for familiar objects when asked where they are. Uses gestures plus words or word-like productions to request, comment, and get attention. Uses speech-like intonation and a growing variety of consonants and syllables.
19–24 months Understands many everyday words and can follow simple one- and two-step directions. Vocabulary grows quickly; begins combining two or more words and using words for requests, comments, and help. Speech may still be unclear, but familiar listeners usually understand more as vocabulary grows.
2–3 years Answers simple questions, follows directions, and understands more descriptive and action words. Uses frequent word combinations, asks questions, says their name, and begins using plurals and verb endings. Speech becomes clearer, though unfamiliar listeners may still miss some words.
3–4 years Understands location words, comparisons, and increasingly complex directions and questions. Tells simple stories, uses longer sentences, and talks about experiences, books, and pretend play. Most speech is understandable by age 4, although later-developing sounds may still be imperfect.
4–5 years Understands time and location concepts and follows rules and directions during games and routines. Uses longer, more grammatical sentences and tells organized stories with characters, settings, and connected ideas. Produces most consonants correctly and is understandable in conversation.
5–6 years Understands stories, classroom language, conversations, and multi-step directions. Retells events and stories, answers a wide range of questions, stays on topic, and uses increasingly complete grammar. Speech should be clear to most listeners; early literacy skills such as rhyming, sound awareness, and letter knowledge continue to grow.

Birth to 12 months: communication starts before words

During the first year, communication develops through listening, social interaction, gestures, and sound play. Babies begin by reacting to sounds and voices, then move toward cooing, babbling, back-and-forth vocal play, pointing, showing objects, and other intentional gestures.

By the end of the first year, many babies are using long strings of babble, communicating intentionally with gestures, and beginning to connect familiar words with people, objects, and routines. See ASHA's communication milestones for birth to 1 year.

Related: When Should My Toddler Start Talking? and Babies Communicate in These 5 Ways.

13 to 18 months: gestures, directions, and early words

At this stage, toddlers are increasingly able to follow familiar directions, respond to simple questions, point to request or comment, and use a combination of gestures, vocalizations, and early words. They may also identify familiar people, objects, and body parts.

See ASHA's 13- to 18-month communication milestones.

19 to 24 months: vocabulary grows quickly

During the second half of the second year, many toddlers show a noticeable jump in vocabulary and understanding. They begin combining words, following more complex directions, and using language for more purposes—not only requesting, but also commenting, protesting, asking for help, and sharing attention.

ASHA notes that children in this age range typically understand and use many everyday words and begin putting two or more words together. See ASHA's 19- to 24-month communication milestones.

Related: Two-Year-Old Speech Milestones and Is Your 2-Year-Old Not Talking but Babbling?.

2 to 3 years: sentences, questions, and clearer speech

Between 2 and 3 years, children usually begin using word combinations frequently and expanding sentence length. Grammar starts to develop, including plurals and verb endings. Children increasingly ask and answer questions, talk about what they are doing, and use language to get another person's attention.

Speech is also becoming clearer, although unfamiliar listeners may still have difficulty understanding some words. ASHA lists early-developing consonants such as p, b, m, h, w, d, and n among the sounds commonly produced correctly during this age range. See ASHA's communication milestones for ages 2 to 3.

Related: 7 Ideas to Help a Child With Speech Delay and How Does Speech Therapy for Toddlers Work?.

3 to 4 years: storytelling and conversation expand

Children between 3 and 4 typically use increasingly complex language. They can compare things, use location words, talk about books or videos, and tell simple stories. Their speech becomes easier to understand, while some later-developing sounds may still be inaccurate.

By around age 4, ASHA describes most of a child's speech as understandable, while sounds such as l, r, sh, ch, s, v, z, and th may still be developing. See ASHA's communication milestones for ages 3 to 4.

Related: 3-Year-Old Speech and Language Milestones.

4 to 5 years: more complex language and clearer speech

During the preschool years, children generally use longer and more grammatical sentences, understand a wider range of concepts, and tell more organized stories. They begin using language for increasingly sophisticated social and learning tasks.

ASHA also includes early literacy skills in this age range, such as recognizing letters, noticing rhymes, and understanding how books and print work. Speech should be understandable in conversation, with most consonants produced correctly. See ASHA's communication milestones for ages 4 to 5.

5 to 6 years: communication supports school learning

By kindergarten and the beginning of elementary school, communication skills are increasingly connected to classroom learning. Children are expected to understand stories and conversations, follow directions, retell events, ask and answer questions, maintain conversations, and speak clearly enough for most people to understand them.

Phonological awareness and early literacy also become increasingly important. Children begin identifying rhymes and sounds in words, recognizing letters, and connecting spoken language with print. See ASHA's guides for kindergarten communication development and first-grade communication development.

When should I consider a speech-language evaluation?

One missed milestone by itself does not necessarily mean that a child has a speech or language disorder. It is more useful to look at the child's overall pattern of development.

Consider seeking an evaluation if your child:

An evaluation can look at receptive language, expressive language, speech sounds, intelligibility, social communication, play, and other areas to determine whether support would be helpful.

Related resources

This information is educational and does not replace an individualized evaluation by a qualified professional.