Two Word Utterances


From the age of about 18 months to two years children usually develop beyond the single-word utterance. This is the stage where children may begin to use multiple words at a time and create simple two-word phrases. At this point children are usually, although subconsciously, using one of two systems for putting words together.

The first is a system based on a semantic structure. The actual definitions of words are considered when placing the items side by side, such as in a noun + noun, or a noun + verb construction. Each word is used for its particular, independent meaning.

The second is a system based on a relational structure. In order to interpret this kind of construction, we must recognize that word position is of great importance. One word's meaning may be modified by the other, and also may be modified in a different way depending on which comes first in the construction of the phrase.

Children will also initially use what is called a proto-language, which can be understood as a one-to-one mapping of words and their meanings. As additional words become part of their vocabulary, children begin to categorize words by their similarities in meaning. They then develop a type of relational mapping which is based on their newly developed understanding of that interchangeability (Atkinson, 152).

At this point children may still be choosing to use certain words improperly as the means to an end. They might replace words and ideas that are readily understood by more developed speakers by instead using familiar cognates that have proven successful in achieving a particular desired state.

Children will often make a jump from two-word utterances to constructions with multiple sounds and more complex words. At this point, certain other grammatical and rhetorical structures influence the way children speak and change the ways in which we understand each utterance. It is an exciting time for the young speaker as they begin to communicate with others in a world that will continue to be filtered through the associations between our language and our understanding.