Baby Not Babbling
The short answer
Babbling with consonant sounds like "ba," "da," and "ma" typically begins between 6 and 9 months and is an important building block for speech. Babies develop at different rates, but if your baby is not making any consonant sounds by 9 months, a hearing check is a good first step.
Parents everywhere have the same worry. You are doing the right thing by looking into it.
By Age
What to expect by age
0-3 months
At this age, babies communicate through crying, cooing, and making soft vowel-like sounds such as "oooh" and "ahhh." These early sounds are the foundation for later babbling. Responding to your baby's sounds with smiles and conversation encourages them to vocalise more.
3-6 months
Babies start experimenting with a wider range of sounds, including squeals, growls, and raspberry-blowing. Some babies begin early babbling with consonant-vowel combinations toward the end of this period, but many are still in the cooing and vocal play stage. Both are perfectly normal.
6-9 months
This is when canonical babbling, repeating consonant-vowel combinations like "bababa," "mamama," or "dadada," typically emerges. Your baby is practicing the mouth movements needed for speech. Not all babies babble at exactly 6 months, so don't worry if your baby is a bit later, especially if they are making lots of other sounds and engaging socially.
9-12 months
Babbling becomes more varied and speech-like, with different consonant sounds strung together ("ba-da-ga"). Babies start to use babbling with intention, as if having a conversation. If your baby is not producing any consonant sounds by 9-10 months, your doctor will likely recommend a hearing assessment as a first step.
12 months+
Most babies have a few recognisable words by 12-15 months, built on months of babbling practice. If your baby is still not babbling with consonant sounds by 12 months, a speech and language evaluation can help determine whether support would be beneficial.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- Your baby is under 6 months and making cooing sounds, squeals, or vowel sounds but not yet using consonants
- Your baby is 6-8 months and babbling is just beginning to emerge with occasional consonant sounds
- Your baby babbles more at some times than others, such as when relaxed at home versus in unfamiliar settings
- Your baby is very physically active and focused on motor milestones, and their babbling is developing a bit more slowly
- Your baby makes lots of sounds and engages socially, even if the consonant combinations are not yet frequent
- Your baby is 9 months or older and is not making any consonant sounds like "b," "d," "m," or "g"
- Your baby was babbling and has become noticeably quieter or stopped babbling
- Your baby does not seem to respond to your voice or turn toward sounds, which could suggest a hearing concern
- Your baby is over 12 months with no babbling and no emerging words
- Your baby had been babbling or using words and has suddenly stopped vocalising altogether
- Your baby does not react to loud sounds at any age, suggesting a possible hearing issue that needs prompt evaluation
Sources
Related Resources
Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, reach out to your pediatrician.
Worrying about your baby means you care. That is a good thing.
Related Speech Concerns
Accent vs Speech Disorder in Bilingual Toddlers
When toddlers grow up hearing more than one language, they naturally blend sounds, patterns, and accents from both languages. This is normal and healthy, not a speech disorder. A bilingual child may pronounce some sounds differently than monolingual peers because they are learning the sound systems of two languages simultaneously. True speech disorders affect both languages equally, while accent influence appears only in specific sounds borrowed from one language to another.
Ear Fluid Affecting Baby's Speech Development
Chronic or recurrent middle ear fluid (otitis media with effusion) can temporarily reduce hearing by 15 to 40 decibels, which is like hearing through water. During critical periods of language learning, this muffled hearing can impact speech and language development. If your baby has frequent ear infections or persistent fluid, discuss the potential speech impact with your pediatrician.
Will Ear Tubes Help My Child's Speech?
Ear tubes (tympanostomy tubes) can restore normal hearing by draining persistent fluid from the middle ear. Many children show speech and language improvement within weeks to months after tube placement, particularly if hearing loss from fluid was contributing to their speech delay. However, ear tubes alone may not resolve all speech delays, and some children benefit from speech therapy alongside tube placement.
Baby Failed Newborn Hearing Screen - What Now?
Failing a newborn hearing screen does not necessarily mean your baby has hearing loss. Many babies who fail the initial screen pass on follow-up testing. However, it is critical to complete follow-up testing by 3 months of age. If hearing loss is confirmed, early intervention by 6 months of age leads to significantly better language outcomes.
Baby Using Jargon but No Real Words
Jargon babbling, which sounds like your baby is having a conversation in a made-up language, typically appears between 10 and 14 months and is a positive sign that your baby is learning the rhythm and melody of speech. Real words usually emerge from jargon over the following months. If no real words appear by 16 to 18 months, a speech evaluation may be helpful.
My Baby Is Losing Words or Skills
If your child was consistently using words and has truly stopped, this is something to act on promptly. Regression - the genuine loss of skills a child previously had - is different from a normal plateau or a toddler being too busy to talk, and it always warrants a conversation with your pediatrician sooner rather than later.