6 Key Signs Your Baby Is Ready to Start Talking

It is natural for a mother to eagerly wait to hear her baby’s first sounds, meaning the child will soon start speaking like adults. She feels very happy even to hear the so-called “babbling” — the early melodic, random sounds the baby makes, especially when happy and comfortable.

Because of this, it’s also normal for a mother to worry if her child delays speaking compared to other children of the same age, and she begins looking for reasons and applying tips to help her child start talking.

Signs That Your Child Is Ready to Speak

There are certain conditions that, if met, indicate your child is preparing to talk and is unlikely to face speech delay problems that many children face. Dr. Laila Masoud, a speech therapy specialist, told nadormagazine about six important signs that show your child is ready to talk, including early eye contact, responding to their name, imitating movements, and more:

1. Early Eye Contact Shows Readiness to Talk
   Early eye contact between mother and baby is one of the first signs of a healthy brain, meaning the brain functions are good. Eye contact is important not just for the baby’s emotional well-being but also to improve sensory coordination and help the baby build an early vocabulary.

2. Responding to Their Name Means They’re Ready to Talk
   Try calling your baby’s name each month. If your baby quickly turns toward whoever calls their name (mom, dad, or someone else), it’s a strong sign they’re ready to learn to speak. This also shows good sensory coordination and intelligence. By six months, most babies recognize their names and imitate others.

3. Sharing Attention Between You and a Toy Means Readiness
   When you place a toy near your baby, notice if they look back and forth between you and the toy. A healthy baby who is ready to develop cognitively will share attention like this and respond to your gestures, like when you point to the toy.

4. Imitating Movements and Gestures Means They’re Getting Ready to Speak
   Your baby will likely start talking soon and not have speech issues if they imitate movements and gestures, such as waving goodbye or shaking their head. This usually happens after they develop good hand control, like holding a bottle. You may also notice them making sounds and producing saliva, which shows development of speech-related muscles.

5. Imitating Sounds Shows Readiness to Talk
   Watch your baby; if they imitate sounds they hear, such as making kissing noises when you kiss them, it shows they have no problems producing sounds.

6. Understanding Speech and Commands Means They’re Ready
   Talk to your baby constantly from birth and watch how they respond to simple commands like opening their mouth to eat or stopping a behavior like pulling a sibling’s hair. Responding shows coordination between hearing, vision, and reaction—important for readiness to talk.

Signs That May Indicate Future Speech Problems

• If your child has hearing problems, especially inherited ones affecting hearing, expect speech delays.

• Neglecting reading to your child early can cause delays since reading stimulates the hearing system and speech-brain connection, even if the child doesn’t yet speak.

• Families speaking multiple languages at home may affect the child’s readiness to talk, e.g., a mother speaking English and father speaking Arabic.

• Early signs of autism, hyperactivity, or attention disorders often link to speech delays due to concentration issues.

• Children with central nervous system problems like cerebral palsy, oxygen deprivation during birth, or fluid buildup around the brain often face speech delays.

• Children exposed too early or too much to phones, tablets, or TV, or left for long periods in walkers watching screens, tend to have delayed speech compared to those with limited exposure.