At what age does the first word period commonly start?

The first word period is generally recognized to begin around 12 months of age. At this age, children typically start to produce their first recognizable words, which may be simple nouns like "mama" or "dada." This marks an important milestone in speech and language development, as it signifies the transition from prelinguistic communication—where children use gestures, sounds, and facial expressions—to more structured verbal communication.

During this stage, children may also show an increasing ability to understand language, which supports their ability to express themselves verbally. The emergence of first words is often accompanied by an increase in comprehension of common words and phrases, further enhancing their communicative skills.

Understanding that this milestone occurs around 12 months can help caregivers and educators support language development appropriately, recognizing the signs of readiness for verbal communication and encouraging it through interactive play and language-rich environments.