When do words typically begin to develop in children?

Words typically begin to develop in children around 12 months of age, which aligns with the correct answer. This milestone is part of the broader language development that occurs during the first few years of life.

At around 12 months, many children start to say their first recognizable words, such as "mama" or "dada," often in reference to familiar people or objects in their environment. This stage marks the transition from pre-linguistic communication, which involves gestures and babbling, to more purposeful verbal communication. Children at this age also show an increased ability to understand words and simple commands, further indicating their growing language skills.

Understanding this timeline of language development helps caregivers and educators support and encourage effective communication strategies in children. Recognizing that 6 months and 9 months typically involve pre-verbal stages, such as cooing and babbling, clarifies why the correct answer highlights the 12-month milestone as an important point for observable speech development. Similarly, while some children may begin to produce more complex language around 15 months, the first words generally emerge around the 12-month mark.