Words that also “count” for these metrics include word approximations, sound effects, animal sounds, signs, and fun words! ... Fun words, or exclamatory words, are simple words that are easier for children to imitate, such as “wee”, “yay”, “uh oh”, “whoa”.

What counts as saying a word?

We count it as a word if your toddler uses the word CONSISTENTLY, INDEPENDENTLY and INTENTIONALLY to refer to someone or something. If your baby or toddler says the word once, it would NOT count as a word. It is important to keep these word types in mind when counting the number of words that your child has.

What counts as a word at 18 months?

18 month olds should use least 20 words, including different types of words, such as nouns (“baby”, “cookie”), verbs (“eat”, “go”), prepositions (“up”, “down”), adjectives (“hot”, “sleepy”), and social words (“hi”, “bye”).