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We expect a fourteen-month-old baby to say at least three or four words with understanding. These are usually simple words. Some babies go further and say two words together, such as “mother, come” or “father, come”; others may not have begun speaking at all. These are normal variations determined by family characteristics.
It is very important for surrounding adults to speak directly to the baby. In a busy setting where people talk to the baby often, especially if peers are present, speech may be more advanced; the baby may put more words together to form sentences. Speech may be less advanced in a fourteen-month-old who stays at home alone and spends much of the day without people talking to them much.
One important sign of intelligence at this stage is that the baby watches adults closely and tries to imitate everything they do. This also creates risks. For example, an adult taking medicine in front of a child sets an example; the baby may remember it and try to take medicine at the first opportunity. We should therefore avoid doing things in front of children that we do not want them to do.
