At what age do children typically say their first words?

Children typically say their first words around the age of 12 months, which aligns with a critical period in language development. By this age, infants have generally been exposed to a variety of sounds and speech patterns, allowing them to begin mimicking and producing simple words. This milestone indicates the transition from babbling to more structured communication and typically includes words that represent important people or objects in the child's environment, such as "mama" or "dada."

This first use of words is important, as it signifies not only the development of verbal skills but also an emerging understanding of language as a means of expressing needs and communicating with caregivers. The ability to say these first words is often influenced by the amount of verbal interaction the child has had with adults and older children in their lives, as well as their unique individual developmental pace.