Which language milestone is typical for a 3-year-old?

• A. Speaks in single words.
• B. Speaks in multiword sentences, uses pronouns, asks questions, follows simple directions, has understandable speech to family.
• C. Cannot be understood by family.
• D. Writes simple sentences.

Answer: (B)

Around three years old, language becomes more complex as children expand from single words to multiword phrases. They typically speak in longer sentences, often three to four words or more, and begin using pronouns like I, you, and me. They also start asking questions to learn about their world and can follow simple directions, which demonstrates growing receptive language and listening skills. By this age, speech is generally understandable to family and close caregivers, even if a stranger might still have some trouble understanding.

This set of milestones fits a typical three-year-old because it reflects both expressive and receptive language growth and practical communication skills seen in preschoolers. In contrast, speaking only in single words is more characteristic of younger toddlers; being unintelligible to family suggests a delay, and writing simple sentences is not expected until later preschool or early school years.