What's normal
Though speech develops pretty much the same way for all children, the pace can vary considerably from child to child. As a rule of thumb, children should be able to say one word at about 1, two-word combinations at 18 months to 2 years, and three-word sentences before turning 3. When speech specialists evaluate delayed speech, they care as much about a child's understanding as they do about how much he speaks. For instance, although a typical 18-month-old can say 50 to 100 words, he can understand far more. Making gestures and following directions indicate that your child is understanding and communicating, and there's likely little reason to worry.