What is a vocabulary milestone for a 3-year-old child?

For a 3-year-old child, a vocabulary milestone is typically around 200 words. By this age, children are expected to have a vocabulary that allows them to form simple sentences and express their needs and ideas. They should be able to combine words to make short phrases and can usually follow simple instructions.

The option speaking to thousands of words is not accurate for this age group. While children's vocabularies continue to grow rapidly during the preschool years, reaching a vocabulary of thousands of words generally occurs much later, as they approach school age and are increasingly exposed to language through education and interaction with peers and adults. Hence, understanding that 200 words is the appropriate milestone helps in assessing developmental progress for three-year-olds effectively.