You’re gearing up for your baby’s 2 year check-up! It’s pretty emotional thinking about how fast your little baby is growing up and you might be curious to know if your little one is on track. You also know their pediatrician is going to be asking questions about their speech development, and you’re probably doing some research ahead of time because no one likes the feeling of being put on the spot! 

If this sounds like you, know that you’re not alone! We polled over 2,000 parents of toddlers and more than 80% of parents said they were concerned about their child’s speech and language development.  

In this post I am going to teach you all about 23 month old milestones and answer the common question, “how many words should a 23 month old say?” By the end you’ll be feeling confident in knowing what to expect at 23 months and prepared for the big 2 year check-up. Plus, I’ll help you step by step if you decide that speech therapy might be the next step for your little one. 

Toddler Milestones - a word to the wise

It’s important to know that developmental expectations change month to month for toddlers! So you’ll want to think about what other kids your child’s same age in months are doing, rather than comparing them to other children their same age in years. Be sure to keep this in mind when your surfing the web 😊

At Toddler Talk, we have a 10 minute assessment you can take to see how your child’s development compares to other children their same age in months across all areas of communication. You’ll also get customized at home speech therapy activities to meet your child’s individual needs once you complete the assessment. You can get started here or keep reading to learn more about 23 month old speech and language development. 

23 Month Old Milestones

When it comes to your 23 month old’s speech and language development I will break down the milestones in 4 main areas of communication:

1. Language Expression - how many words they say and how effectively they express their needs

2. Language Comprehension - what they understand
3. Speech Sound Development - how easy it is to understand them
4. Pragmatic Language Skills - how easily they interact and play with others 

Language Expression: How many words should a 23 month old say 

23 month olds should say somewhere between 80 to 500 words. 

Now you’re probably thinking There’s a BIG difference between 80 words and 500 words! How can both 80 and 500 be “expected?” 

Babies and toddlers are learning to do everything! Every child has a set amount of developmental energy to spend, and different children spend that energy in different ways. While some children are climbing around the jungle gym by 2, other children are saying 500 words. Throughout toddlerhood children will grow and develop skills across all areas (motor skills & communication) and the range of what’s expected will narrow as children approach elementary school. 

By the time they turn 24 months old speech therapists will listen for them to say at least 100 words. 

Keep in mind, I always recommend parents seek support if they have concerns about their child’s speech and language development *even if your child is in the expected range* Your mom (or dad) instincts are usually on point 💡 

What to do if your 23 month old is not talking

If your 23 month old is not talking you’ll want to talk to their pediatrician about scheduling a speech and language evaluation. The good news is that you’ve likely already scheduled their 2 year check-up, which is a great time to discuss speech therapy with their doctor. 

Depending on the availability of your pediatrician you can also either schedule a sooner in person visit or communicate through messaging in your healthcare app to get the speech therapy process started.  

To read more about how to get started in toddler speech therapy - click here. If you live in the United States, there is also the option to schedule a speech and language evaluation through your state or county early intervention department which you can read about in the article. 

Language Comprehension: What do 23 month olds understand?

By 23 months old toddlers can understand well over 1000 words. However I know that’s not the most useful milestone because it’s virtually impossible to measure. 

Here are a few understanding milestones to look out for at 23 months that you will be able to track:

• Toddlers learn the meaning of new words easily. When you introduce them to a new vocabulary term (like “asparagus” or “squishy”) they show they understand the meaning of it after hearing the word a handful of times. 

• By 23 months old toddlers follow directions that have one step or two steps. For example, “Get your cup” and “Get your cup and bring it to me” respectively. Especially look for your little one to follow directions that you’ve practiced as part of your day to day activities. 

• Toddlers answer questions about what they want. Your 23 month old should be able to tell you “yes” or “no” when you ask about what they want or what they want to do most of the time; they may still say “no” when they mean “yes” sometimes. 

• Toddlers answer simple wh- questions at 23 months old, like “What’s that?” and “Who is this?” 

Speech Sound Development: Are 23 month olds easy to understand? 

As a general rule of thumb, you should be able to understand at least half of the things your 23 month old says. 

As your toddler talks more, they get more practice refining their speech sounds or pronunciation skills. Put simply, with practice toddlers become easier to understand. The process by which children’s pronunciation becomes clearer will continue until children are about 5 years old. 

So rest assured, at this stage in development (when toddlers are about 2 years old) it’s okay if some of the things your child says are hard to understand, in fact that’s what we would expect.

Suggested Read: To learn more about toddler pronunciation skills follow along in our special Summer Of Speech Series.

Pragmatic Language Skills: What pragmatic language skills should you look for at 23 months old?

Pragmatic language skills include your child’s play skills and the ease at which they interact with others. 

By 23 months old watch for your baby to be excited to play with others, to show off around familiar adults, and to begin imagining or pretending in play. 

Sharing is probably hard at this stage in development and that’s okay. It’s common for 23 month olds to insist their things are “Mine!” and protest, “No!” sometimes when you interject on what they are doing. 

By 23 month olds most toddlers are also interested in other children, even if they need help from adults to share toys and take turns. 

Here are some other common questions parents ask:

How old is 23 months?

23 months is almost 2 years old. When your baby is 23 months old they are 1 month away from turning 2 years old. 

What should a 23-month-old be saying?

Listen for a 23 month old to be saying at least 80 different words and to begin talking in short phrases or sentences with 2 or more words. 

How can I encourage my 23-month-old to talk?

You can encourage your 23-month-old to talk using some simple at home speech therapy strategies. Focused stimulation, or repeating the specific names of things at least 20 times during one activity, is a great way to get started because toddlers learn through repetition. The more times they hear a word, the more likely they are to learn it. 

You can find more speech therapy strategies for encouraging your 23 month old to talk here. 

Can a 23-month-old count to 10?

Counting to 10 is not a developmental milestone for 23 month olds. Some 23 month olds can count to 10 if their parents have practiced counting frequently at home; however, this is not a necessary or expected skill for their age. Counting to 10 is a more developmentally appropriate skill for 4-5 year olds. 

How many words should a 24 month old say?

By 24 months old speech therapists listen for toddlers to say at least 100 different words on their own.

Written By:

Stephanie Keffer, MS CCC-SLP

© 2020-2023. Stephanie Keffer, MS CCC-SLP. All Rights Reserved.

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