I remember the exact moment my son said his first real word. He was 11 months old, standing in the kitchen, pointing at the dog with absolute conviction and saying DAH in a way that was clearly not a coincidence. I called my husband in from the other room. We both stared at the baby. He said DAH again. We may have cried a little. First words are one of those milestone moments that genuinely feel magical. Most babies say their first recognisable word somewhere between 10 and 14 months, though the normal range extends from 9 to 18 months. What counts as a first word: a consistent sound used to mean the same thing across different situations. Mama, dada, and baba often appear first. But so do more unexpected words depending on what is in their world: dog, no, ball, more, bye. Your baby is also doing significant language work before any words appear. Babbling from around 4 to 6 months. Intentional sounds to get attention. Pointing to share interest. These are all communication milestones. Before first words come, watch for: your baby babbling with varied consonant sounds, responding to their name consistently, looking where you point, pointing at things they want, understanding simple phrases like where is the dog or time for bath. All of these are signs that language is developing well even before a clear word appears. Boys do on average produce first words slightly later than girls. Bilingual babies may say their first word slightly later but have equivalent language skills across both languages combined. Talk to your health visitor or pediatrician if your baby has no words and is also not pointing or using other intentional communication by 12 to 15 months.