What counts as words?

In the early stages of speech development, cooing, laughing, babbling, and baby jargon are all considered speech milestones. Although these may not be recognized as words, they are essential precursors to speaking and count as a form of communication. Once speech improves to the point that words are being attempted, be mindful of the fact that words will not be perfect and that if your child uses “baba” for bottle, that is still meaningful communication.