“Mama” or "Dada"? Which Will Your Toddler Say First and How You Can Help

As moms we pour our hearts and souls into nurturing our babies. We know them better than anyone and would do absolutely anything for them. So it can feel a little unfair when, after a year or more of this unconditional love, their first word ends up being…Dada.

I hear this story from so many moms that I work with as an early intervention speech therapist, and I experienced it first-hand with my own son! Of course, many babies do say “Mama” first — and it’s not a race anyway…right? 

Why does it seem like “Dada” is more likely to be a toddler’s first word? Some studies suggest “Dada” comes before “Mama” slightly more often, but the findings aren’t consistent and there’s no strong evidence to support a clear pattern. What the research does show is that both “Mama” and “Dada” are among most children’s earliest words — so even if “Mama” doesn’t come first, it’s likely not far behind! 

In this post, I’ll explore some of the factors that influence what your toddler’s first word will be (Mama, Dada, or otherwise). And if you’re eager to give “Mama” a head start, read on! I’ll share the three strategies I used to teach my son to say “Mama.”

The “Mama” vs “Dada” Debate 

Which is easier to say?

In order for your baby to say a word, they need to be able to make the sounds in that word. At around seven to nine months, most babies begin to babble — this is how they practice the mechanics of sound production, even though the sounds don’t have meaning yet. Both “d” and “m” are early-developing consonants, and it’s common to hear both of these sounds often in early babbling. Some people believe that “d” is easier to produce than “m”, but there’s actually no strong evidence showing that one of these sounds consistently develops before the other. 

So whether your baby will say “Mama” or “Dada” first is actually less about which sound is physically easier to produce and more about your baby’s individual sound preferences. Babies often show early preferences for certain sounds — for example, my son almost exclusively babbled using the “d” sound — and these preferences can influence which words come first. 

Research indicates that infants begin to notice and prefer words in their environment that contain the sounds they are already producing in their babbling. So if your baby loves to babble “dadada”...Dad might end up being the lucky winner in your house.

Which does your toddler hear more often?

The frequency with which children hear a certain word is another important factor in language learning. Research shows that the more often a child hears a word, the more likely they are to say it early on. In fact, word frequency in a child’s environment is one of the strongest predictors of when they’ll start using that word themselves. 

There is no research directly comparing how often babies hear “Mama” versus “Dada,” but one theory suggests that during child interactions, caregivers may refer to the other parent more often than they refer to themselves. So if mom is the primary caregiver, she might often say things like, “Let’s show Dada!” or “Dada’s home!” — which would increase the baby’s exposure to “Dada.” The same idea applies in reverse if dad is the one spending more time with the baby.

It’s also important to remember that babies begin to understand words well before they can say them — and they learn the meaning of words by hearing them consistently throughout daily routines. So before you expect your baby to start saying “Mama” or “Dada,” look for signs that they understand these words. For example, do they look for you when someone asks “Where’s Mama?” This is a great indication that they know/understand this word and may be ready to start using it on their own soon.

What does your toddler want to say?

A baby’s first words are often shaped not just by what they can say, but by what they’re motivated to say. In other words, babies tend to say the words that serve a purpose for them.

Each child’s temperament can play a role here. Some babies are more socially driven and naturally gravitate toward words like “Mama,” “Dada,” or “hi.” Others may be more object-focused or independent, and might be more interested in naming favorite toys like “ball” or “car.”

But temperament is only one part of the picture. As a speech therapist, I often remind parents that while we can’t change our child’s personality, we can shape their environment to support communication. That means creating situations where a word like “Mama” becomes meaningful and useful.

For example, if you’re always nearby and meeting your child’s needs quickly (which is a great thing!), your toddler might not have much reason to say “Mama.” In these cases, it can help to intentionally create small moments of need or anticipation — like pausing before picking them up and modeling “Mama” as a way for them to get your attention. This makes the word functional and gives your child a reason to try using it.

Three Tips to Help Teach “Mama”

While there are many factors contributing to what your toddler’s first word might be, that doesn’t mean you can’t give “Mama” a little boost. If you are anything like me and are eager to hear your baby say “Mama,” here are three research-backed strategies that I tried out with my own toddler. 

# 1 Take the sound out of context

Why it works:

Babies often imitate sound effects and playful vocalizations before they start using real words. You can use this to your advantage by helping your toddler practice the “m” sound in fun, pressure-free ways. Once they’re confident with making the “m” sound, they will be more likely to use it in meaningful words like “Mama.”

What to do:

• Play silly games and add sound effects*

  • Pretend to eat your baby’s feet while saying “amamamama!”

  • My son loved when I crawled around chasing after him, so I started adding the sound “mah-mah-mah” as I stomped across the room. Eventually, he started using that sound to get me to chase him! You can add this sound effect to any of your toddler’s favorite games — tickling, being tossed in the air, or bouncing on your lap.

• Use “mah mah” as a goat noise when singing songs and reading books about animals.

• Blow kisses to your baby’s stuffed animals with an exaggerated “mmmwah” sound.

Top Tip: Once you’ve modeled these sound effects a few times, pause and look expectantly to see if your toddler will imitate you!

# 2 Change your intonation

Why it works:

Research demonstrates that babies learn words more easily when those words are not only frequent, but also spoken with acoustic variety — meaning changes in pitch, tone, and rhythm. Repeating “Mama” in different ways makes the word more interesting and memorable for your toddler.

What to do:

• I used the book Where is Baby’s Mommy? and modeled a sing-song “MA-ma!” (high to low) before lifting each flap. 

• Another great book is Are You My Mother? When reading this, you can simplify the text

  and just say “Mama?” with a rising intonation like a question.

• Try the same ideas while playing peek-a-boo. While hiding, say “Mama?” and when you pop out, say it again in an excited voice.

Top Tip: After modeling a few times, pause before turning the page or before popping out to see if your toddler will fill in the “Mama!”

# 3 Reduce the pressure!

Why it works:

Real life example of a toddler who just wouldn't say "Mama!"

Children learn language best during low-pressure, natural interactions. As a speech therapist,

I always encourage parents to avoid directly telling their child to “say _____.” Young kids are

incredibly perceptive — they often don’t want to perform on demand, especially if they’re not developmentally ready. 

I was so eager to hear “Mama” that I fell into this trap of pointing to myself and asking, “Who’s that?” or “Can you say Mama?” But the more I pushed, the more my son shut down — he would even shake his head when I said it! But once I took my own advice and reduced the pressure, the sound started to come naturally until he was finally calling me “Mama”. It was totally worth the wait, even if “Dada” did come first.

What to do:

• Model “Mama” naturally throughout the day: “Give it to Mama,” “Mama’s turn,” “Mama loves you!”

• Avoid directly prompting your toddler to “Say Mama” or repeatedly asking “Who’s that?” in reference to yourself, especially if they seem reluctant to be put on the spot.

• Create natural, low-pressure opportunities for your toddler to use the word, like pausing before picking them up and modeling “Mama” as a way for them to get your attention.

Remember, your child’s first word is just one moment in a lifetime of communication. Keep it playful, be patient, and focus on connection. Although it’s hard to wait, I promise that “Mama” will come when they’re ready.

Want a quick, easy reference for these strategies? 👉 Download my free “Teach Mama” handout now

And I’d love to hear from you — leave a comment below if your toddler is starting to say “Mama” or if you’ve tried any of these tips!

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