First words

• First words


  • Large proportion of child's first words refer to familiarity with people, objects and aspects of social interaction
• Rate of acquisition 


  • End of first year, child begins speech
  • 12 months > 50 words
  • 24 months > 200 words
  • 36 months > 2,000 words
  • 7 years > 4,000 words
• (1/2) Katherine Nelson > 1973


  Classified 4 categories for first words

  1. Naming
  2. Describing/modifying
  3. Action and events
  4. Personal/social
• (2/2) Katherine Nelson > 1973


  • 60% of findings recorded by transcript of child were nouns
  • Often use concrete/proper nouns
  • Verbs - 2nd largest
  • Child can link words to referent (object it describes) easily as they can usually see it
  • Modifiers 'more', 'my' 'hot'
  • Personal/social - 8% of sample
  • Social/interactionist nature of many of these words suggest interacting with others is vital to pragmatic development and early language development