Kaplan Pediatrics Practice Test

Typically, children start to say recognizable words like "mama" and "dada" around 10 months of age. At this stage, they are often developing their language skills and beginning to mimic sounds they hear from their caregivers. This milestone marks an important part of their verbal development, as they are not only babbling but also starting to associate sounds with the important figures in their lives.

While some children may say these words as early as 8 months, which can be considered precocious, the expectation is that most will achieve this by around 10 months. By 12 months, children usually have a more extensive vocabulary and can say a few more words, making 10 months the most typical age for saying these particular terms. Therefore, this age aligns with established developmental milestones in pediatric guidelines.