Baby Speech Milestones: What to Expect at 7-8 Weeks

At 7-8 weeks old, your baby is beginning to develop foundational communication skills that will set the stage for future speech and language development. While their communication may seem limited to coos and cries, these early interactions are critical in building the neural pathways necessary for understanding and producing language. This guide will walk you through the typical speech and language milestones for infants, practical baby communication tips, and early language development activities to support their growth.

Understanding Early Communication

Infant speech development begins long before a child speaks their first word. Even in the first few weeks of life, babies are actively learning about communication through listening, observing, and responding to their environment. At 7-8 weeks, infants primarily communicate through crying, cooing, and eye contact, but their abilities are growing daily.

Speech and Language Milestones for 7-8 Week Old Infants

1. Increased Vocalization

At this age, babies start making more intentional sounds, including infant cooing (producing vowel-like sounds such as “oooh” and “ahhh”). These sounds are the building blocks for later baby speech milestones.

What to Expect:

• Babies may begin cooing in response to a familiar voice.
• Sounds become more varied and may include different pitches.
• Their vocalizations are often linked to their emotional state (e.g., cooing when content, fussing when uncomfortable).

How to Support:

• Talk to your baby throughout the day, describing what you’re doing (talking to your baby helps speech development).
• Respond to their coos by mimicking their sounds to encourage early conversational turn-taking.
• Use exaggerated facial expressions to help them associate sounds with emotions.

2. Improved Eye Contact and Social Interaction

Eye contact in newborns is a crucial component of early communication. Around 7-8 weeks, babies begin making more consistent eye contact and engaging in social interactions with caregivers.

What to Expect:

• Your baby may start holding your gaze for longer periods.
• They may begin to recognize and prefer familiar faces.
• They might start smiling in response to social interactions (often called a “social smile”).

How to Support:

• Hold your baby close while talking or singing to them to encourage infant eye contact development.
• Make expressive facial expressions to keep their attention and encourage bonding.
• Play simple games like peek-a-boo to support early communication skills.

3. Recognizing and Responding to Voices

At 7-8 weeks, babies are developing their ability to recognize voices and respond accordingly. They may quiet down when they hear a caregiver’s voice or turn their head toward the sound.

What to Expect:

• Your baby may turn their head toward your voice.
• They may stop crying or become calmer when spoken to.
• They start to prefer human voices over other sounds.

How to Support:

• Speak gently and soothingly to your baby when they are fussy.
• Sing lullabies and talk to them during everyday routines (baby talk benefits language development).
• Read simple books with rhythmic and repetitive language (reading to babies supports early literacy).

4. Crying as a Form of Communication

Crying remains a primary form of newborn communication at this stage. While it may feel overwhelming, each cry serves a different function, from signaling hunger to seeking comfort.

What to Expect:

• Different cries for hunger, discomfort, tiredness, or overstimulation.
• Some babies begin to have more predictable crying patterns.
• Crying may decrease slightly as babies develop other ways to communicate.

How to Support:

• Pay attention to patterns in your baby’s crying to understand their needs.
• Comfort them with soothing words, touch, and rocking (soothing techniques for fussy babies).
• Acknowledge their cries by responding consistently, building trust and communication.

5. Early Turn-Taking in Communication

Even though your baby cannot talk yet, they are beginning to learn the rhythm of conversation by practicing early turn-taking skills. When you speak to them, they may pause and then coo in response.

What to Expect:

• Babies may pause after hearing a caregiver’s voice, as if waiting for their turn to “talk.”
• They may make cooing sounds when spoken to.
• They start to associate communication with interaction.

How to Support:

• Pause after speaking to allow your baby to respond (baby-parent conversation tips).
• Maintain eye contact and encourage vocal play.
• Repeat their sounds back to them to reinforce newborn language development.

6. Sensitivity to Tone and Emotion in Speech

Infants at this stage are highly attuned to the tone and emotion in a caregiver’s voice. They can sense differences in pitch and react accordingly.

What to Expect:

• Babies may smile or coo when hearing a happy voice.
• They may cry or appear distressed when hearing an angry or sad tone.
• They begin associating voice tones with emotions.

How to Support:

• Use a warm and encouraging tone when speaking (how parent speech affects infant language development).
• Express emotions clearly through your voice and facial expressions.
• Comfort them with soft and calming speech when they are upset.

7. Early Interest in Music and Rhythmic Speech

Babies are naturally drawn to music and rhythmic speech patterns. Singing and nursery rhymes can be powerful tools in baby speech milestones.

What to Expect:

• Babies may become calmer when listening to music.
• They may show excitement through body movements when hearing familiar songs.
• They may prefer higher-pitched, sing-song speech (often called “parentese”).

How to Support:

• Sing simple songs and lullabies (best songs for baby language development).
• Use nursery rhymes with repetitive patterns.
• Gently sway or bounce to the rhythm while holding your baby.

Final Thoughts

Speech and language milestones in newborns start from birth, and by 7-8 weeks, babies are already building the skills they need for future communication. By engaging with your baby through talking, singing, and responding to their cues, you are laying the groundwork for strong language skills in the future.

By providing a language-rich environment and responding to your baby’s attempts at communication, you are setting them up for a lifetime of success in speech and language development.

Click HERE for more information about feeding milestones for 7-8 week old infants.