Praxis SLP Licensure Exam

At 15 months old, how many words is a typically developing toddler most likely to have in their expressive lexicon?

1. 100 words

2. 25 words

3. 10 words

4. 50 words

The correct answer is: 10 words

A typically developing toddler at 15 months is most likely to have around 10 words in their expressive lexicon. This developmental milestone aligns with research indicating that by this age, many children begin to use their first words, which often consist of simple nouns and familiar terms that represent their immediate environment and experiences. At 15 months, it's common for toddlers to begin developing their vocabulary, but their expressive language is still quite limited as they are just starting to transition from single words to simple two-word combinations. While some may use a few more than 10 words, reaching higher numbers such as 25 or 50 words is not typical at this age, as most children will only have begun to experiment with speaking and understanding language. Therefore, 10 words accurately reflects the general expectations for expressive language development in a child of this age.