Toddler Making Up Words - Jargon and Invented Language
The short answer
Toddler jargon - strings of sounds that have the rhythm and intonation of real speech but contain no recognizable words - is a normal stage of language development. It typically peaks between 12-18 months and gradually gives way to real words. Your toddler sounds like they are speaking a foreign language because they have learned the "music" of speech (rhythm, intonation, turn-taking) before mastering the actual words. Jargon mixed with real words is a positive sign. Jargon with no real words by 18 months warrants a speech evaluation.
This is one of the most common questions parents ask. Searching for answers means you care.
By Age
What to expect by age
6-12 months
Babbling evolves from simple syllable repetition (ba-ba-ba) to variegated babbling (ba-da-go) to early jargon. Your baby may "have conversations" with you using babble that has the rise and fall of real speech. They may even pause and wait for your response. This is not concerning - it is the foundation of language. Your baby is practicing the sounds, rhythm, and social rules of conversation. Respond to their babble as if it were real speech to encourage communication.
12-18 months
Peak jargon phase. Your toddler may produce long strings of jargon with a few real words mixed in. They use pointing and gestures alongside jargon to communicate. The combination of jargon + gestures + a few real words is very typical at this age. If your toddler has several clear words (even if most of their "speech" is jargon) and is communicating through gestures, eye contact, and pointing, language development is progressing normally. First words should be appearing and increasing.
18-24 months
Jargon should be decreasing as real words increase. By 18 months, your toddler should have at least 10-20 recognizable words, and by 24 months around 50+ words and beginning to combine two words. If your toddler at 18-24 months is still mostly jargoning with very few (under 10) real words, a speech-language evaluation is recommended. They may be a "late talker" who will catch up, or they may benefit from early speech therapy. Do not "wait and see" past 18 months if words are very limited.
2-3 years
By age 2, jargon should be mostly replaced by real words and short phrases. Strangers should understand about 50% of what your child says at age 2 and about 75% at age 3. Made-up words for specific things (like calling water "wa-wa" or a blanket "boppie") are normal and charming - these are not jargon but idiosyncratic words that show your child is trying to name things. If your child at 2-3 is still primarily using jargon with few real words, speech therapy is indicated.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- Your toddler mixes jargon with real words and the proportion of real words is increasing over time
- Your toddler uses jargon with clear communicative intent - pointing, gesturing, and making eye contact
- Your child has invented specific "words" for things (idiosyncratic words) alongside growing real vocabulary
- Jargon is decreasing month by month as real words take over
- Your toddler at 18 months has fewer than 10 real words despite lots of jargon
- Your toddler at 24 months is not combining any real words into two-word phrases
- Jargon is not decreasing - it remains the primary form of expression past 18 months
- Your child seems frustrated that you cannot understand them despite their jargon
- Your child over 2 has very few recognizable words and no word combinations
- Your child was using real words and has regressed to only jargon
- Your child over 18 months does not seem to understand what you say (receptive language is also delayed)
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
Toddler Not Talking at Age 2 - Nonverbal
A child with no words at age 2 should be evaluated by their pediatrician and referred for a hearing test and speech-language evaluation. While some late talkers do catch up on their own, a child with no words at 24 months needs assessment to determine the cause - which could range from a simple language delay to hearing loss, autism, or another developmental condition. Early intervention is remarkably effective, and the sooner it begins, the better the outcomes. You do not need a diagnosis to start receiving speech therapy services through Early Intervention.
Toddler Talking But Not Communicating - Scripting and Echolalia
Echolalia (repeating words or phrases heard from others, TV, or books) is a normal part of language development in toddlers. Most children go through a phase of immediate echolalia (repeating what you just said) around 18-24 months as they learn language patterns. Delayed echolalia (repeating phrases from TV or books later) is also common. Echolalia becomes a concern when it is the primary form of communication, when your child cannot generate their own novel phrases by age 3, or when the repeated phrases are not used meaningfully in context.
Baby Blowing Raspberries But Not Saying Words
Blowing raspberries is a positive developmental sign that typically appears around 4-6 months. It shows your baby is experimenting with oral motor control - learning to use their lips, tongue, and breath in coordinated ways. This is actually a precursor to speech. Babies often go through phases of intense raspberry-blowing because it is fun and feels interesting. If your baby is blowing raspberries, making eye contact, and engaged socially, their communication development is on track. Babbling with consonants (ba, da, ma) should begin emerging by 6-9 months.
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.