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The first-words chart worth printing.

How many words toddlers actually say from 12 to 36 months, what counts as a word, and the three numbers that mean "call your pediatrician." One page for the fridge, one page for the first ten words.

  • Research figures from the CDC, ASHA and the Wordbank project, cited
  • The three floor numbers that actually matter, in one box
  • A fill-in tracker for your baby's first ten words, in any language

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Download the chart (PDF)
Preview of the printable Saylings first-words chart: word counts by age from 12 to 36 months

Two pages, US Letter, prints beautifully in color or black and white.

Where the numbers come from

Every figure on the chart is sourced: the CDC's 2022 milestone checklists (built on the 75th percentile, which is why their numbers look "late"), the MacArthur-Bates CDI norming studies, the Wordbank project's cross-language data, and the classic late-talker criterion. The full story behind the numbers is in our guide, How many words should a toddler say?

And if your child hears more than one language: count every word in every language, and add them up. The chart explains why. More in raising a bilingual baby.