Hearing and Speech Ages and Stages

As Your Baby Grows...

Birth to 3 Months

• Quiets to familiar voices or sounds

• Reachs to loud sounds, baby startles, blinks, stops sucking, cries or wakes up

• Makes soft sounds when awake, baby gurgles

3 to 6 Months

• Turns eyes or head toward sounds, voices, noise making toys, dog barking

• Starts to make speech like sounds, "ga," "ooh," "ba" and p,b, m sounds

• Reacts to a change in your tone of voice

6 to 9 Months

• Responds to own name and looks when called

• Understands simple words, "no," "bye-bye," "juice"

• Babbles, "da da da," ma ma ma,""ba ba ba"

9 to 12 Months

• Responds to both soft and loud sounds

• Repeats single words and imitates animal sounds

• Points to favorite toys or foods when asked

12 to 18 Months

• Uses 10 or more words

• Follows simple spoken directions, "get the ball"

• Points to people, body parts or toys when asked

• "Bounces" to music

18 to 24 Months

• Uses 20 or more words

• Combines 2 or more words, "more juice," "what's that?"

• Uses many different consonant sounds at beginning of words, b, g, m

• Listens to simple stories and songs

2 Years to 3 years

• Uses 2-3 words sentences

• At 2 years, people can understand what the child says some of the time (25%-50%)

• At 3 years, people can understand what the child says some of the time (50%-75%)

• Follow step-step instructions, "get the ball and put it on the table"

If you have any concerns about your baby's hearing, contact your baby's doctor or healthcare provider.

Hearing can be tested at any age.