Birth Order & Language Development: Do Younger Siblings Talk Later?

It’s super common for parents to wonder if their child is a late talker because they’re the youngest in the family. Parents often say things like, “They can’t get a word in at home,” or, “Her brother talks for her.” They’re also quick to blame themselves for giving their second, third, or fourth born child less attention than they did their first.

Have you been there?! Are you there right now? If you’re worried about how birth order is affecting language development for your younger child, we are here to put your mind at ease. Because being a younger sibling does not cause a speech delay!

Siblings & Language Development

We want to start by validating the fact that yes, younger siblings often do have different language experiences than first-born children do.

Siblings are some of the best interpreters of their sibling’s language. So it can sometimes be the case that there are TWO grown ups and TWO siblings that can understand the needs of the youngest child without them having to use words. That means that if they aren’t understood right away, they often don’t have as many opportunities to keep trying to communicate their wants/needs. Plus, life just moves at a faster pace with more little ones at home! So people just don’t have as much time to wait for the youngest to speak up. (We’ve totally been there as parents!)

This is all very typical and common, but what we really want you to know is that it’s also okay. You’re not doing anything wrong, and your youngest isn’t being slighted or negatively affected. As we’re about to explain in depth, being a younger sibling does NOT mean your child is destined for a language delay. Their language may develop differently than their older sibling’s language did, but different doesn’t mean worse—and it definitely doesn't mean that they will fall behind solely because they are the youngest.

Related: Do Boys Talk Later Than Girls?

Myth: Busted! Younger Siblings Don’t Talk Later.

Yep, you heard that right! The truth is that younger siblings don’t typically talk any later than first-born children. In fact, birth order has no measurable effect on language development at all.

That means that being a younger sibling does NOT put your child any more at risk for a speech delay. And, that being a first-born child does NOT mean they’ll end up with superior language skills than their younger siblings.

But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what the research says:

Birth Order & Language Development Differences

According to the article, ‘Do second and third-born children really talk late? The effect of birth order on language development’ published by The Hanen Centre, multiple researchers have investigated the link between birth order and language development and they found that “later-born children are not delayed in their language development and first-borns do not have better language skills than their siblings.”

They did, however, note a few “interesting differences” between sibling language development, which we’ve outlined below:

First-Born Children Often Hit Certain Milestones Earlier

First-born children tend to hit the 50-word milestones earlier, but younger siblings catch up fast! And, there are “no lasting differences in vocabulary” between siblings long-term.

Second-Born Children Have Some Skills That Advance Faster

Overall, language development is the same between first- and second-born siblings. However, second-born siblings are often more advanced in their ability to use pronouns!

This is likely because second-born children overhear conversations in the home where family members are modeling the use of pronouns! With first borns, everything is really child-directed, so they don’t hear as many pronouns.

Siblings Tend To Develop Language Skills Differently 

Older siblings are often more advanced in vocabulary and grammar, while younger siblings excel in conversational skills. Even though this is a difference, neither development pattern is better or worse. And, all the siblings studied ended up in the same place language-wise in the long run!

Compare Against Milestones (Not Siblings)

We know it’s so hard, but try your best to avoid the sibling comparison trap! Your home and, in some ways, your parenting will change and evolve as children are added to your family and that’s okay! It should.

Remember that every child develops at their own pace, and most developmental steps are achieved within an age range. So comparing between children—even your own children—is almost never going to be an accurate measure.

Instead, the best thing to do is look at what the milestones say. (‘Milestone’ meaning that 90% of children typically demonstrate this skill by a certain age.) If you’re not sure what milestones your child has met and which ones to watch for next, download our free milestones checklist! It’ll help you keep track.

We hope this post—and our milestones checklist—encourage you to keep looking at your child as an individual, and let you take away the pressure that can come from comparing their development to their siblings or peers.

Language development happens at a very rapid pace, and the skills build upon each other. That’s why it’s so important to help support your toddler with talking. This is why we created our TalkToddler course — so you can get the support and guidance to help your toddler talk & communicate more.