At 6 months of age, babies begin to learn how to make sounds with their mouths.  As they gain more control of their lips, tongue, and jaw, they will begin to make different sounds and they may even use those sounds to get your attention.  Here are some speech milestones for 6-month-old babies when it comes to making baby sounds.

A 6-month-old baby should be able to:

• Take turns making sounds with you (Source: CDC)
• Blow raspberry sounds – sticking tongue out and blow (Source: CDC)
• Make squealing noises (Source: CDC)
• Giggle and laugh (Source: ASHA)
• Coo and babble when playing alone or with an adult (Source: ASHA)
• Make vowel sounds (Source: Ertmer et. al. 2006)
• May be starting to combine consonants and vowels together to make nonsense syllables, like “ma” (Source: Ertmer et. al. 2006)

Need ideas to help a baby start making more sounds?  Check out our video on speech therapy for babies.

At 6 months old, babies are also beginning to interact with those around them.  They should be noticing who is around and should be seeking ways to communicate, though not with spoken words.  Check out this list of communication milestones for how babies should be communicating at 6 months of age.

A 6-month-old should be able to:

• Move their eyes in the direction of sounds (Source: ASHA)
• Respond to changes in your tone of voice (Source: ASHA)

Click Here for Resources on Helping a Child Respond to Voices

• Make sounds when they are happy or upset (Source: ASHA)
• Recognize familiar people (Source: CDC)
• Enjoy looking at self in a mirror (Source: CDC)
• Reach for something he/she wants (Source: CDC)
• Smile socially (in response to other people) (Source: Malik & Marwaha 2022)

Want to support a baby’s language development?  There is a lot you can do now to support speech/language development for babies.  These can be used in speech therapy, at home, or in a daycare/childcare setting.  Here are some ideas for boosting those language skills:

• Read to baby!  Reading to babies is one of the best things you can do to support language development in young children.  Don’t worry if the baby isn’t listening to every word.  Give babies sturdy books (like board books) to explore and read along as they play (even if it’s just a few words per page).  You can also read to them from chapter books or longer picture books while they play or fall asleep (just don’t let the baby hold that book if it’s going to get ripped).  This will expose them a ton of great words and language.
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• Use Sign Language: Now is a great time to start using sign language with a baby.  Using sign language, even if its just a few signs here or there, can help a baby learn to communicate with those around them once they are physically able.
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• Sign and Talk with Baby: Spending time face-to-face with a caregiver who is talking and signing is great for language development.  This creates bonds between the baby and her caregivers and helps her understand how sounds and words are formed.  Click here for more ideas for talking and signing with a baby.

Using sign language with babies can help boost language development, even if you only sign a few words.  Download our free sign language flashcards in our free materials library here.