First Words

The average speech pattern of your baby will follow the following trend.

Age	Speech Development
9 months	Your little one will be gargling her "ma-s" and "pa-s"
1 year	She might be able to blurt out a "mama" or "papa"
2 years	She will be able to speak three words at a time, and by three years, she will speak about 15-30 words clearly

According to Pune based paediatrician Dr. Jayant Deodhar, "The most common reason for a child for not speaking is that he might have a hearing problem."

Here are some ways you can find out if he can hear normally:

Look for reactions to different environmental sounds. For example, you can see whether the child responds to sounds in the environment, be it a ringin doorbell or your surround sound stereo.

Otherwise, you can try making different sounds to grab the attention of your little one and see if she reacts.

If she doesn't, immediately take her to a paediatrician who will make the necessary diagnosis.

Speech Problems

According to Dr. Deodhar, if your kid has problems saying different words or formulating sentences, it is quite normal.

In fact, it is quite common for your baby to stutter a little up to the age of three.

Usually, after three years, your little one will overcome her stuttering. However, if you find her stuttering on the first syllable of a word or if she grimaces while speaking a sentence, she might be having a speech disorder. Take her to a speech therapist who can evaluate whether she has a problem.