19 to 24 months

Every child is different. These are things most children (at least 3 in 4) do by the end of this stage. If your child was born more than 3 weeks early, take the weeks they were born early off their age, and use that age here until their 2nd birthday.

Arabic examples show everyday spoken Arabic first, then standard Arabic. They're examples, not exact phrases your child must understand. Arabic varies from one dialect to another.

What to expect

Listening and understanding

Follows two-step directions, like "Get the spoon and put it on the table" or "جيب المعلقة وحطها على الطاولة / أحضِر الملعقة وضعها على الطاولة"
Points to things in a book when you ask, like "Where's the cat?" or "وين البسة؟ / أين القطة؟"
Points to at least two body parts when you ask

Talking

By 2 years, uses and understands at least 50 words across their languages. Some words may not sound clear yet, like "du" for shoe.
What counts as a word?
A spoken word counts when your child says it independently and meaningfully, even if they don't pronounce it clearly yet. For example, "ba" for ball can count if your child uses it to mean ball. Babbling without a clear meaning doesn't count. A word for the same thing in each language counts as two words, like "water" and "مَيّ". Counting words across your languages is a way of counting, not a pass/fail test. If a word count is flagged, it's an invitation to talk to someone, not a diagnosis.
Puts two or more words together, like "more water" or "go outside"
Uses words like "me", "mine" and "you"
Uses words to ask for help
Says whose something is, like "Daddy's sock"
Uses more gestures than waving and pointing, like blowing a kiss or nodding yes

Playing and connecting

Notices when someone is hurt or upset
Looks at your face to see how to react to something new
Plays with more than one toy at once, like putting toy food on a toy plate

Eating and drinking

Feeds themselves with fingers or a spoon
Drinks from a small cup, holding it with their hands, with little spilling
Chews on both sides of the mouth, and chews and swallows without food falling out

Food and drink at this age

This is general guidance, not a milestone to check. Foods that need a lot of chewing, like chicken, cut into small pieces by an adult, alongside breast milk, whole milk or water.

Arabic sounds you may hear

Many toddlers use ب د ي م ت و, the sounds in everyday words like بابا, ماما and تيتا. These words are only examples of the sounds: your child doesn't need to be saying them, or saying them clearly. Sounds like ر and ص ض ط ظ usually come much later, so don't expect them yet. The sound list comes from a small study of Jordanian toddlers aged 14 to 24 months. It shows sounds you might hear, not sounds every child should be able to say at this age.

The full list and the research

Used by most toddlers in the study (10 or more of 13): ب د ي م ت و
Used by some (5 to 9 of 13): ن ل ه ح ش ع
Used by a few (1 to 4 of 13): ك ف س ز خ ث
Not used by any toddler yet: غ ر ق ج ذ ص ض ط ظ
"Used" means said in at least three different words, not said correctly every time. These are sounds you may hear, not milestones to check.
Source: Amayreh and Dyson (2000), Table 2: 13 Jordanian children aged 14 to 24 months. ء is not included in this list.

Growing up with two languages

When you count your child's words, add up both languages. A word for the same thing in each language counts twice, like "water" and "مَيّ". Research with English-Spanish toddlers found that, counted this way, bilingual children's vocabularies grow much like those of children learning one language. Mixing languages in one sentence is a normal part of learning more than one language, and early word combinations can be in either language or both.

Get medical help straight away if, while eating or drinking, your child:

has difficulty breathing (for example grunting, or sucking in their tummy when they breathe); has lips, tongue or skin turning blue, grey or very pale; or is choking and their cough is silent or they can't breathe in properly. Call your local emergency number.

If your child is choking: follow the first-aid steps for children over 1 on the NHS choking first-aid page.

Talk to a professional if your child...

By 2 years, says fewer than about 50 words across their languages, or isn't putting two words together yet. Count the words your child says, not words they only understand. This is worth discussing with a professional, not a diagnosis
Isn't doing many of the things on this page by the end of this stage
Often coughs during or after eating or drinking
Arches their back or cries during most meals
Vomits often
Often loses a lot of food or drink from their mouth
Regularly takes longer than 30 minutes to finish a meal
Is having any trouble eating or drinking. You don't need to wait.

Worried about your child's hearing? Ask for a hearing test, even if your child responds to some sounds. You don't need to wait for other signs.

When to talk to someone

You don't need to wait until several things are missing. Talk to a professional if your child isn't doing many of the things on this page by the end of this stage, if you have any one specific worry (such as their hearing, losing skills they had, their communication or their feeding), or if you're simply worried. You know your child best.

Who to talk to

Your health visitor, GP, paediatrician or a speech and language therapist.

Ideas to try at home

Ideas to try at home: Try Something Today, under 3s

Where this information comes from

Research references

Pearson, Fernández and Oller (1993), Lexical Development in Bilingual Infants and Toddlers, Language Learning
Core et al. (2013), Total and Conceptual Vocabulary in Spanish–English Bilinguals From 22 to 30 Months, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
Amayreh and Dyson (2000), Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics