12-Month Speech Milestones: Babbling, First Words and “Babbles With Expression”

What “babbles with expression” means

“Babbles with expression” is checklist shorthand for a very specific sound: a baby producing strings of syllables that rise and fall like real sentences, without any real words in them. The American Academy of Pediatrics lists it among the things most babies do by 1 year — “babble with intonation (voice rises and falls as if they are speaking in sentences)” — alongside taking turns “talking” with you: listening while you speak, then resuming babbling when you stop.⁹

How babbling turns into words

Toward the end of the first year the coos and screeches of earlier months give way to recognisable syllables such as “ba,” “da,” “ga” and “ma.” A baby may stumble on “mama” or “bye-bye” by accident — and when you react, discover it means something. Before long “mama” is used to summon you. That shift, from sound to sound-with-a-purpose, is the birth of a word.⁸

The reason old and new wording coexist is that the CDC rebuilt its checklists in 2022, placing each milestone at the age by which about 75% or more of children show it and describing the lists as conversation tools rather than screening or diagnostic instruments. The skills did not change; the phrasing and some ages did.³

What to expect at 12 months

The current CDC list for 1 year is short on the language side: plays games with you like pat-a-cake, waves “bye-bye,” calls a parent “mama” or “dada” or another special name, and understands “no” — pausing briefly or stopping when you say it.¹

Understanding: more than you think

Long before many words are spoken, a baby understands a great deal. Between 7 months and 1 year, NIDCD’s checklist expects a baby to turn and look toward sounds, listen when spoken to, understand words for common items such as “cup,” “shoe” or “juice,” respond to requests like “Come here,” babble to get and keep attention, imitate different speech sounds, and communicate with gestures such as waving or holding up their arms.^7,14

Gestures and pointing

Toward the end of the first year babies communicate what they want by pointing, crawling or gesturing toward it, and imitate the gestures adults make while talking. By 12 months most children can immediately look where a parent points, then look back and share the parent’s expression. Watching where you point — and pointing themselves — is one of the earliest social-communication skills paediatricians look for.^8,12

First words: one or two, and unclear

NIDCD lists “has one or two words (‘Hi,’ ‘dog,’ ‘Dada,’ or ‘Mama’) by first birthday,” and the AAP says most babies will say at least one word by 1 year — but also that children develop at different rates and that the milestones are guidelines. A baby with rich babbling, good understanding and lively gestures who has not produced a clear word yet is usually on a normal path.^7,9,10

Red flags at 12 months

Paediatricians look less at word counts and more at the building blocks. The American Academy of Pediatrics asks parents to tell the doctor if a baby does not return a happy smile, does not seem to notice when you are in the room, seems to hear other noises but not their name, acts as if in their own world, or stops talking or doing things they used to do.⁹

• No babbling, or babbling that has not become speech-like strings of syllables.
• Does not respond to their name most of the time, while reacting to other sounds.
• No gestures — no waving, no reaching up, no pointing.
• Does not look where you point.
• Loses any skill they once had.

Hearing belongs on this list. A baby who seems to hear a car horn but not their own name is showing a social sign rather than a hearing one, but any doubt about hearing is a reason to ask for a hearing check — the milestones for the first year lean heavily on listening.^9,14

What parents can do at 12 months

The CDC’s tips for 1-year-olds are the whole method: talk or sing about what you are doing; build on what your baby tries to say — “ta” becomes “Yes, a truck”; respond with words when your baby points; point at interesting things yourself; and keep screen time to video calls with loved ones, because babies learn by talking, playing and interacting with people.¹

1. 1Narrate routines: “I’m drying you with the big blue towel.” Keep language simple and specific.
2. 2Name things consistently — a cat today should not become a kitty tomorrow.
3. 3Read every day. Sturdy board books with simple, colourful pictures of things your baby recognises work best, and shared reading from infancy has lasting benefits.
4. 4Ask a question, then wait. Give your baby the space to answer with a sound.
5. 5Let them lead. If they say “gaagaa,” say it back — turn-taking is conversation practice.

None of this is speech-sound drilling, and it should not be. Most speech sounds are not expected for years yet; at 12 months the job is listening, gesturing, babbling and the first purposeful words.^8,13

When to act, and what happens next

Developmental screening — formal, research-based questionnaires — is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for all children at the 9-, 18- and 30-month well-child visits, so the 9-month visit has just passed and the 18-month visit is next. If you notice a missed milestone in between, you do not have to wait for the schedule: the CDC advises talking to the doctor whenever you have a concern.^6,5

Late language emergence is common, and some children catch up on their own, but ASHA notes there is no reliable way to predict which will. The AAP’s advice is to describe what you see, ask for a screening, and — if you or the doctor remain concerned — ask for a referral and contact your area’s early intervention programme, which in the United States can evaluate a child under three without a referral.^16,11,4

Check the milestones now

Our free milestone checker walks through the 12-month skills above and tells you which are met and which to raise with your doctor. It is a conversation-starter, not a test. The next page in this series covers 18 months — “several single words,” pointing to show, and following directions.^3,15

Frequently asked questions

References

16 sources from authoritative bodies. Last reviewed September 2026.

1. 1.CDCMilestones by 1 Year — Milestone guidance.
2. 2.CDCMilestones by 18 Months — Milestone guidance.
3. 3.CDCKey Points about CDC’s Developmental Milestone Checklists — Milestone explainer, 2022.
4. 4.CDCCDC’s Developmental Milestones (Learn the Signs. Act Early.) — Milestone guidance.
5. 5.CDCConcerned About Your Child’s Development? — Parent guidance.
6. 6.CDCDevelopmental Monitoring and Screening — Reference page.
7. 7.NIDCDSpeech and Language Developmental Milestones — Fact sheet.
8. 8.AAPLanguage Development: 8 to 12 Months — Parent guidance (HealthyChildren.org).
9. 9.AAPLanguage Delays in Toddlers: Information for Parents — Parent guidance (HealthyChildren.org).
10. 10.AAPMy baby is turning a year old. Should she be talking by now? — Ask the Pediatrician (HealthyChildren.org).
11. 11.AAPHow to Raise Concerns about a Child’s Speech and Language Development — Parent guidance (HealthyChildren.org).
12. 12.AAPEarly Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorders — Parent guidance (HealthyChildren.org).
13. 13.AAPBeyond Literacy: Shared Reading Starting at Birth Offers Lifelong Benefits — Parent guidance (HealthyChildren.org).
14. 14.ASHACommunication Milestones: Birth to 1 Year — Developmental milestones.
15. 15.ASHACommunication Milestones: 13 to 18 Months — Developmental milestones.
16. 16.ASHALate Language Emergence — Practice Portal page.