At what age should I worry if my child isn’t talking?

What the evidence says

There's no need to wait for a specific 'worry age' - Canadian guidance lists concrete checkpoints. Red flags include: no babbling by 9 months, no first words by 15 months, no consistent words by 18 months, and no word combinations (like 'more milk') by 24 months. If speech seems to stall or go backwards at any age, that's also worth flagging right away.

By 24 months, most children understand simple instructions and use at least 50 words, moving into two-word phrases. By 3 years, children typically combine words into short sentences and are largely understood by family, while strangers should be able to understand most of what they say by around 36 months. HealthLink BC notes that missing a milestone doesn't necessarily mean there's a real problem, but your child should still be evaluated by a health professional to check things like hearing, since hearing loss and other conditions can look like a simple speech delay.

Early assessment matters because early treatment (like speech therapy) tends to work best. The most useful step isn't waiting for a certain age - it's raising it with your doctor as soon as you're concerned. In Ontario and many provinces, you can also self-refer directly to a free Preschool Speech & Language Program without waiting for a doctor's referral.