At what age do children typically say their first word?

Children typically say their first word around the age of 10 to 12 months. At this developmental stage, children start to exhibit a better understanding of their environment and begin to associate sounds with meanings. Around this time, they may say simple words such as "mama" or "dada," which are often used to refer to their parents or caregivers. This milestone is significant as it indicates emerging language skills and the ability to communicate specific ideas or needs.

The important factors contributing to this developmental milestone include auditory processing, vocal play, and social interaction, which are all critical as children engage with their caregivers. Prior to this, during the ages of 6 to 9 months, infants engage in babbling and other pre-linguistic sounds but have not yet connected these sounds to specific meanings or vocabulary.