What counts as a 'word'?

[NickyKB]

HV is coming back in a month or so to review LO and I was just wondering what counts as a word? eg does 'uh-oh' count? when we're reading a book and I say 'roar' after 'lion' he makes a 'roar' sound back, is that a word???

I'm just starting trying to keep track of how many words he has but it's a lot harder that I thought to know!

Thank you

 

[Nat0619]

Stalking!!

We think we've heard quite a few different words at some point or another but they're really sporadic and some we've only heard once. She chatters constantly, is very vocal now, but it's in her own little language .

 

[sequeena]

Thomas says mum and uh oh - I definitely class uh oh as a word especially if they use it in context.

 

[tommyg]

Uh oh, is a word
Rrrrr is a sound but roar is a word.

 

[StranjeGirl]

I'm curious too. DD doesn't say any words yet(except her own version of "done"), but will do some animal sounds. I read that animal sounds count as words. Is this true?

 

[supertabby]

If it's the same consistent sound that you can understand the meaning of (even if nobody else can) and it's used in context, I'd call it a word personally.

 

[Tor]

Aw yay this means that my son has one word then! He says Uh-Oh in context multiple times a day, I never classed it as thought it was a sound not a word.

 

[Destiny08]

If it's the same consistent sound that you can understand the meaning of (even if nobody else can) and it's used in context, I'd call it a word personally.

this is the official definition at this point for example, "moo" counts as a word. they know they're telling you its a cow, you know they're telling you it's a cow and every time they see a cow, that's what they say.
or at least this is the definition according to my HV

 

[emma4g63]

Yea Uh oh def counts as a word and roar too as my little one does if she sees a pic of a dinosaur or lion she go roar!!! Or woof woof for dog it's there way of saying it for you

 

[Tor]

So would a snorting noise for peppa pig count? or would it have to be the words oink oink or something.

 

[AP]

So would a snorting noise for peppa pig count? or would it have to be the words oink oink or something.

I think it would have to be the word, but that is pre-language for sure

 

[lilly_bum]

Uh oh used in context is a word my lo will drop her bottle,then go uh oh

 

[liz1985]

I count anything they say in context even its not 100% pronounced correctly as a word. E.g my lo says thank-ee for thank you but he always says it that way and he always uses it in context. I dont think id count animal noises as a word more a sound e.g my lo says Ssssss for snake, which I dont think you can really class as a word but it is good language development.

 

[lozzy21]

Animal sounds count as a word, they still need to know what position to put their tongue in

 

[NickyKB]

Thank you everyone! Uh-oh added to list and I'll watch roar to see if he just does it to copy me when I make the noise at which point i think it doesn't count but if he says it looking at the lion then it's going down!

He makes a specific sound for thank you - sounds nothing like the word thank you but he does the same sing-song notes for the noise that we do when we say 'thank you' but i think it probably needs top be a bit closer to the actual word before I can count it...