Do you class 'sound words' as words

[holidaysan]

I mean like Mmmm for nice food and Yayy for doing something clever. Would you class them as things your LO says?

 

[MrsEngland]

Ermm no not really, I wouldn't count animal noises as words either although obviously its a milestone for them to know which animal sound goes with which animal

 

[punk_pig]

I've been wondering this....my LO says weeeeeee when swinging her bears round or spinning something and although 'cat' was her first word she now just miows at cats or cat pictures instead . I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on her speech to see if HV needs to refer her but don't know what to count as a word?????

 

[holidaysan]

punk_pig, im the same lol. My LO will swing on the office chair and shout weeee. Might ask the HV. I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on his speech aswel but this week he's come out with so many things. Mostly its things like these sort of 'sound words'.

 

[LauraBee]

Not really... Like, I acknowledge them as "things she can do" but not "words she can say" if that makes any sense.

I do now count words that aren't pronounced exactly right as words though (I used to be really mean about it and insist that it didn't count) for example, she says "doggy" as "goggy" and other words that she is definitely using in context

 

[deafgal]

Not really. They need to know a duck is called a duck, not by the sounds they make. I would feel better knowing they have a better grasp of English Language if they know the difference and that sounds are just sounds. but it is nice to know they know how to imitate difference sounds

 

[holidaysan]

Not really. They need to know a duck is called a duck, not by the sounds they make. I would feel better knowing they have a better grasp of English Language if they know the difference and that sounds are just sounds. but it is nice to know they know how to imitate difference sounds

I dont mean the sounds as in animal sounds or sounds a car make.

 

[bump#1]

punk_pig, im the same lol. My LO will swing on the office chair and shout weeee. Might ask the HV. I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on his speech aswel but this week he's come out with so many things. Mostly its things like these sort of 'sound words'.

He's still so young, why have you got to watch out for his speech? Finn just chats jibberish and other than knowing his mama and dada he doesn't say anything else and we were told not to worry until at least 2yrs old.

 

[holidaysan]

punk_pig, im the same lol. My LO will swing on the office chair and shout weeee. Might ask the HV. I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on his speech aswel but this week he's come out with so many things. Mostly its things like these sort of 'sound words'.

He's still so young, why have you got to watch out for his speech? Finn just chats jibberish and other than knowing his mama and dada he doesn't say anything else and we were told not to worry until at least 2yrs old.

When i spoke to the GP she said that by his age 50% of children can say 3-5 words and 50% cant. She said he might just be in the 50% that can't but he does say a few things. just doesn't use the words all of the time. Ive been told a few different things. Its a problem when their 18 months and 2 years so not sure which one is right.

 

[moomoo]

Wow, yay, yumyum I'd count as words (as long as they are in context and not just in gibberish)

Our speech therapist says that anything that sounds like a word and is used in context is counted as a word ie baaaaa for ball or tatt for cat

 

[holidaysan]

Wow, yay, yumyum I'd count as words (as long as they are in context and not just in gibberish)

Our speech therapist says that anything that sounds like a word and is used in context is counted as a word ie baaaaa for ball or tatt for cat

Thats what i was talking about. He does use them in context and often aswel.

 

[moomoo]

Wow, yay, yumyum I'd count as words (as long as they are in context and not just in gibberish)

Our speech therapist says that anything that sounds like a word and is used in context is counted as a word ie baaaaa for ball or tatt for cat

Thats what i was talking about. He does use them in context and often aswel.

Yes they are defintely words then

 

[Lu28]

I'd personally say no, a word needs to be a word for me which is probably why I'd have said Aisling was talking later than her peers. Her grandparents jumped on every little sound that could possibly have been a word and would probably tell people she's an early talker It's all in the interpretation and honestly it doesn't matter at all what 50% your little one is in at the moment, they all catch up to each other sooner or later xx

 

[xemmax]

Wow, yay, yumyum I'd count as words (as long as they are in context and not just in gibberish)

Our speech therapist says that anything that sounds like a word and is used in context is counted as a word ie baaaaa for ball or tatt for cat

Thats what i was talking about. He does use them in context and often aswel.

Yes they are defintely words then

The above is right - any sound sequence used consistently for the same object or desire is classed as a word - when the sequence doesn't resemble a 'real' word it is called a proto word. I guess you could consider animal noises etc as words, but I agree with Lu28 - it's all about interpretation, either way it is still a good sign of their development!

 

[deafgal]

Not really. They need to know a duck is called a duck, not by the sounds they make. I would feel better knowing they have a better grasp of English Language if they know the difference and that sounds are just sounds. but it is nice to know they know how to imitate difference sounds

I dont mean the sounds as in animal sounds or sounds a car make.

i realize that. I don't think I explain myself well so I apologize. My point was that those sounds are just sounds that human make out of pleasure or emotions. and can be used anywhere and anytime. So I am not sure it count as words as far as language development.

 

[punk_pig]

Ive been told a few different things. Its a problem when their 18 months and 2 years so not sure which one is right.

I took LO to the HV at 18mnths (although I wasn't actually too worried just wanted to check) and she said that they like to see 10-20 words (used in context, not copying, doesn't have to be perfectly pronounced) by 18mnths, but they don't intervene till 2yrs. However she said to bring her back at 20mnths if there was no change (poss because referrals take a while) not to wait till 2yrs. At 14months no words is fine!

 

[holidaysan]

Thanks everyone. deafgal, no need to apologise . Will keep an eye on him anyway. He does have words, just most of them are more like sounds lol.

 

[XJessicaX]

I dont. My LO uses real words but she uses a lot of sounds like "wow!" "yay!" "eeee eeeee" (guinea pig noise) she also says "dog" but sometimes just barks or says "duck" but other times she just quacks and points lol!

 

[LauraBee]

i realize that. I don't think I explain myself well so I apologize. My point was that those sounds are just sounds that human make out of pleasure or emotions. and can be used anywhere and anytime. So I am not sure it count as words as far as language development.

See this is what I was thinking - earlier on, I said "hmm" and "umm" but they fell out of my mouth naturally, I wasn't using them as words iykwim. And that's why I wouldn't count them as words, just intentional noises (which I do acknowledge as "things she can do")

 

[Cattia]

George has about seven or eight words but most of them are very unclear, and he also has a word for dog that sounds NOTHING like dog, it's more like 'agooo' but he always uses it in relation to dogs only, so I know he means dog. I still count it as a word. If I only counted words that were clearly pronounced, he would have no words at all!