Communication
Takes turns making sounds
Typical Timing & Development Window
Starts
20
wk avg
Median
28
wk
Std dev
±3
wk
Flag
32
wk
Visual Timeline & Milestone Benchmarks
Typical range (68% of babies)
Earliest typical start
Median milestone age
Pediatrician check-in flag
What these numbers mean
Starts
~wk 20
The average age babies first begin showing early signs of this skill. Before this, it's simply too early — there's nothing to worry about.
Median
wk 28
The midpoint age: half of babies have reached this milestone by here, half a little later. It's a typical target, not a deadline.
Std dev
±3 wk
How spread out the timing is. About two-thirds of babies achieve it within one standard deviation of the median (the shaded band, wk 25–31). Wide bands mean a normal range of variation.
Flag
wk 32
A gentle check-in point. If your baby hasn't shown this by around here, it can be worth mentioning to your pediatrician — most often it's still perfectly fine, just later.
About this milestone
The infant and caregiver engage in vocal turn-taking, an early conversational skill.
What to try & how to support
- 1. Use pauses and give the infant time to respond after you speak.
What to avoid & gentle reminders
- 1. Avoid rapid back-and-forth without pausing for the infant's response.