Toddler speech delay: speech milestones by age and how to get help in Singapore

Most children say their first word by 15 months, KKH's speech therapists say, and they strongly recommend a check if your toddler has no first words by 18 months. If you think you're seeing a toddler speech delay, you don't need to wait. Start with your polyclinic, GP or paediatrician, who can refer you to KKH or NUH for a full assessment, which can include a hearing test. At home, the biggest help is lots of short, face-to-face talk about whatever your child is doing.

How to help your toddler talk and get a check, step by step

1. Talk in short phrases, face to face. KKH's speech therapists say toddlers find it hard to pick one word out of a long paragraph, so get down to your child's level and name what they're looking at.
2. Talk about things as they happen: the diaper change, the lift ride down to the void deck, the queue at the hawker centre.
3. Offer a choice, then wait. Ask "orange or banana?" and give your child time to answer with a word, a sound or a point.
4. Hand over what your child reaches for while you say its name. KKH suggests waiting a little longer each time, so your child tries asking with a word.
5. Add a word to theirs. If your child says "ball", you say "throw ball"; if they say a word wrong, say it back the right way without asking for a repeat.
6. Sing action rhymes and share picture books every day, as KKH suggests. Our guide to getting your child to love reading has ideas.
7. Keep screens off before 18 months, background TV included; MOH's 2025 guidance on HealthHub allows video calls. From 18 months to 6 years, keep screens under 1 hour a day outside school.
8. Fill in the developmental questionnaire in your child's health booklet before each polyclinic visit, as NUP's polyclinics ask, and tell the nurse what worries you.
9. Book a polyclinic, GP or paediatrician visit if your toddler has no first words by 18 months or shows a sign from the list below. If your child doesn't seem to hear you, HealthHub says to have their hearing screened as soon as possible.
10. Ask for a referral. KKH's speech therapy service sees children through a doctor's referral, and your doctor can also refer you to KKH's Department of Child Development or NUH's Child Development Unit.

Toddler speech milestones from 12 months to 4 years

Milestones are ranges, so treat the middle column, from HealthHub, KKH and the CDC, as a guide. The right column is the red-flag list from NUH's Child Development Unit, which says to speak to your child's doctor straight away if you notice any of them.

For the first year, see baby milestones month by month. For walking and play, see our toddler milestones guide, and for toys that suit each stage, toys for speech development. You can log what you see in the baby milestone tracker.

Late talker or speech delay?

"Late talker" is the everyday name for a toddler whose words come late. KKH's speech therapists group late talkers under language delay, with signs like few 3- to 4-word phrases and trouble stringing words together. Only a speech therapist can tell you which fits your child.

ASHA, the US speech and hearing association, says some signs tip the odds. A child who understands well, and who uses lots of gestures like pointing, waving and lifting their arms to be picked up, is more likely to catch up. A child who isn't adding new words regularly may need extra support. ASHA also says you don't have to wait and see before asking a speech therapist.

Speech is how clearly the sounds come out. Language is understanding words and putting them together. KKH's speech therapists work on both, and on stuttering. KKH says errors on "s", "l" and "r" are still expected at 3, but errors on "m", "k", "t", "f" or "b" at 3 are a reason to see a speech therapist.

Two languages at home

Plenty of Singapore toddlers hear English at preschool, a mother tongue from one parent, a dialect from grandparents and another language from a helper. ASHA says using more than one language doesn't confuse children or cause speech or language delays. If a child does have a communication problem, ASHA says it shows up in every language they use, so get slow talking checked rather than blaming the second language.

ASHA says mixing two languages is an expected part of learning both, and a first word counts whichever language it's in, so count every language when you tally words for the doctor. KKH's speech therapist notes that children learning one language are expected to have over 200 words at 24 months, and that the same data for bilingual Singapore children has yet to be established.

Speak to your child in the language you're most comfortable using, as ASHA recommends, and see our guide to raising a bilingual child for more.

Screens and hearing

MOH's 2025 guidance, set out on HealthHub, is no screens under 18 months except video calls, and no TV on in the background. From 18 months to 6 years, it's less than 1 hour a day outside school, and none at meals or in the hour before bed. HealthHub says background TV takes time away from the talk and play children learn language from. Our guide to managing screen time has ways to keep to the limits.

Ask about hearing whenever talking seems slow. HealthHub says newborns are screened in hospital, but it lists recurrent ear infections among the causes of hearing loss, and says hearing loss that isn't picked up early can cause speech and language delays. ASHA suggests a hearing test if you find yourself repeating things a lot or raising your voice. At KKH's Department of Child Development, the first visit can include a hearing test.

From worry to speech therapist: getting a check in Singapore

Start at a polyclinic, your GP or your child's paediatrician. HealthHub, in an article written with NUH's Child Development Unit, says any of them can do a developmental assessment. NUP says polyclinic visits at set ages include development checks and hearing and vision tests. Our guide to child health screening has the schedule. Worried between visits? Book one for the worry itself.

Before you go, write down the words your child says in each language, what they understand, and your questions. HealthHub also suggests talking to grandparents, your helper and preschool teachers, so the doctor hears how your child talks in different settings.

If the doctor shares your concern, HealthHub says a child not yet in primary school may be referred to NUH's Child Development Unit, KKH's Department of Child Development, or a private paediatrician or psychologist. KKH's speech therapy works by referral too. Your doctor decides if it suits your child and refers you to a KKH doctor. Then an assessment is booked.

At the first session, KKH's therapist goes through your child's history, then checks how they understand and use language. Sessions usually run 30 to 60 minutes. The therapist may plan a home programme with you, and KKH also runs regular parent training on building talk into daily routines.

NUH's Child Development Unit assesses and treats children from birth to 7 years old, at clinics in Jurong West and Choa Chu Kang. KKH refers children who need longer-term help to community services; our guide to early support for special needs children covers the options.

When to see a doctor

See your polyclinic doctor, GP or paediatrician soon if your child:

• Loses words or other skills they used to have, at any age (NUH Child Development Unit)
• Has no single words by 18 months (KKH's speech therapists; NUH)
• Doesn't point to show what they need by 12 months (NUH)
• Doesn't respond to their name, or doesn't look at you while they're talking (KKH's speech therapists)
• Doesn't seem to hear you or follow simple instructions (HealthHub)
• Isn't using 2-word phrases by 2 years (NUH)
• Is hard for familiar carers to understand by 2.5 years (NUH)
• Isn't using 3-word sentences by 3 years, or has errors on m, k, t, f or b sounds at 3 (NUH; KKH)
• Has stuttered for more than 6 months (KKH)
• Makes little or no eye contact, at any age (NUH)

Some of these, like eye contact and responding to a name, are also on our list of early signs of autism. Only a doctor or specialist team can say what's behind them.

Slow talking on its own isn't an emergency, and KKH says non-emergencies are best seen by your family doctor or polyclinic. Go to KKH or NUH Children's Emergency, or call 995, only for emergencies KKH lists, such as a head injury, drowsiness or confusion.

Frequently asked questions

What are the toddler speech milestones in Singapore?

HealthHub says an 18-month-old should use 10 words with meaning and start joining 2 words. NUH's Child Development Unit flags no 2-word phrases by 2, speech familiar carers can't understand by 2.5, and no 3-word sentences by 3.

Where can I get help for toddler speech delay in Singapore?

Start with a polyclinic, GP or paediatrician, who can assess your child and refer you on. KKH's speech therapy needs a doctor's referral. Children not yet in primary school can also go to KKH's Department of Child Development or NUH's Child Development Unit.

Does speaking two languages at home cause speech delay?

No. ASHA says learning more than one language doesn't confuse children or cause speech or language delays, and a real communication problem shows up in all of a child's languages. Count words in every language your child uses.

Should I wait and see if my toddler is a late talker?

You don't have to. KKH's speech therapists strongly recommend a check if there are no first words by 18 months, and ASHA says you can see a speech therapist without waiting. A check is how you find out.