As with other skills and milestones, the age at which kids learn language and start talking can vary. Many babies happily babble “mama” and “dada” well before their first birthday, and most toddlers can say about 20 words by the time they’re 18 months old. But what if a 2-year-old isn’t really talking yet or only puts two words together? This article explains what’s “normal” and what’s not in speech and language development and can help parents figure out if there’s cause for concern or if their child is right on schedule.