At what age is a child expected to speak in short sentences?

By the age of 2 years, children typically begin to speak in short sentences. At this developmental stage, they often combine two to three words to express simple ideas or requests, such as "want cookie" or "go outside." This fall in line with the expected language milestones, where a child's vocabulary rapidly expands, typically reaching around 200 words by 2 years of age. Speaking in short sentences marks a significant step in language development, indicating that the child is starting to understand and use grammatical structures, which further supports effective communication.

Before this age, children may use single words or simple phrases, such as by 12 months, they may say one or two words, and by 18 months, they might begin to combine words, but it is not as advanced or structured as short sentences. The development of short sentences is an important indicator of cognitive and social skills, as it allows them to convey more complex ideas and interact more meaningfully with others.