Two-word phrases
Most children start putting two words together, like "more milk", somewhere between about 16 months and 2½ years, often around 19 to 21 months. Children learning many different languages start at similar ages.
How sure are we?
Very sure. Large studies in many countries and languages agree, though all of them relied on what parents reported. How we know this
What it’s a sign of
Your child has started joining words to say more than one word can on its own, like "more milk".
The CDC lists saying at least two words together at 24 months, later than the ages above, because it uses the age by which about 3 in 4 children do it, rounded up to the next check-up. In the United States, parents reported half of children combining words by 19 months. In a study in Argentina, India, South Africa and Turkey, half did by about 21 months, a little earlier in India and a little later in Argentina. Across 12 languages, half of children were combining words somewhere between 17 and 22 months in all but one; in a smaller group learning Saudi Arabic, it was later, at about 29 months.
We can't say how early the earliest children start: the word lists that ask about combining words begin at 16 months, and about 3 in 10 children already do it then. All the studies relied on what parents reported.
A main source for the ages
Share of children combining words, by age, in 12 languages: our count from Wordbank v3.4
MyHappyBub (analysis of Wordbank open data) · 2026
- Children
- About 89,000 parents' answers (about 36,000 in American English)
- Where
- Families speaking 12 languages, including English, Norwegian, Danish, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese
- Ages
- 16 to 36 months
- How
- Our own count from parents' answers on the word lists in the open Wordbank collection
- What it found
- In American English, half of children were combining words by 19 months, 3 in 4 by 22, and nearly all (95 in 100) by 30. In 11 other languages, half were combining words somewhere between 17 and 22 months.
- Limits
- Based on parents' reports. Each month is a different group of children. The toddler word lists start at 16 months, when about 3 in 10 children are already combining words.
A main source for the ages
Similarities and differences in child development from birth to age 3 years by sex and across four countries: a cross-sectional, observational study
Ilgi Ozturk Ertem, Vibha Krishnamurthy, Mphelekedzeni C. Mulaudzi, Yanina Sguassero, Hakan Balta, Ozlem Gulumser · 2018 · Lancet Global Health
- Children
- About 4,900 healthy children
- Where
- Argentina, India, South Africa and Turkey
- Ages
- Birth to 3½ years
- How
- Trained staff asked parents open questions about what their child could do, at health clinics
- What it found
- Found the age by which half of children reached more than 100 milestones. Most came at similar ages in all four countries, and for boys and girls. For example, half of children waved bye-bye by about 11 months and said a first word by about 9 months.
- Limits
- Only four countries and no rural areas, children from city clinics, and only healthy children (about half of those who came were left out for health reasons). It gives the age for half of children, not the full spread.
A main source for the ages
Evidence-Informed Milestones for Developmental Surveillance Tools
Jennifer M. Zubler, Lisa D. Wiggins, Michelle M. Macias, Toni M. Whitaker, Judith S. Shaw, Jane K. Squires, Julie A. Pajek, Rebecca B. Wolf, Karnesha S. Slaughter, Amber S. Broughton, Krysta L. Gerndt, Bethany J. Mlodoch, Paul H. Lipkin · 2022 · Pediatrics
- Children
- A review of 34 studies and common checklists, not one group of children
- Where
- Studies from many countries (14 of the 24 with age data were from countries where English isn't the main language)
- Ages
- 2 months to 5 years
- How
- Experts reviewed studies and checklists, then placed each milestone at the check-up age by which about 3 in 4 children do it
- What it found
- Places calling a parent "mama" or "dada" at 12 months, and saying 1 or 2 other words at 15 months. These are ages by which about 3 in 4 children have started, rounded up to a check-up age.
- Limits
- Experts' judgement set the ages, and some milestones rest on opinion rather than measured ages. The lists haven't been tested to see whether they help.
If you’re worried about your child, talk to your child and family health nurse or GP.
Last checked 2 November 2026