Your 11-Month-Old: Pointing, First Words, and Trying to Walk
By the Growbaby team · Published Aug 4, 2026
Written against AAP, CDC and WHO guidance. How we write these guides
At a glance
- Pointing is a milestone worth noticing: it means sharing attention, not just wanting.
- First recognisable words often appear, and often are not mama or dada.
- Stacking one object on another takes real planning.
- Standing and stepping without support get attempted, and often fail, which is normal.
- The range for walking is wide: anywhere from about 9 to 18 months.
Pointing deserves more credit than it gets. When your baby points at something and then looks at you to check you saw it, they are doing something no other animal does casually: sharing attention about a third thing. It is the foundation the rest of language is laid on.
Walking may or may not arrive this month. The normal range is wide enough that a baby who walks at nine months and one who walks at seventeen are both unremarkable.
What is new this month
Pointing deserves more credit than it usually gets. When your baby points at something and then checks your face to see whether you looked, they are sharing attention about a third thing, which is the foundation the rest of language is laid on.
First words often arrive this month and often are not the ones anyone is waiting for. Stacking belongs to the same growing deliberateness: putting one object on another needs a plan held in mind while the hands carry it out.
Week by week, in the app
One thing to notice and one thing to try, for every week of the first three years. Here is what this month covers. The app works out which week your child is in from their birth date and brings each one to you on the day.
- Week 44Your baby is Giving Vocal Responses
- Week 45Your baby is Stacking Objects
- Week 46Your baby is Pointing
- Week 47Your baby is Saying First Words
- Week 48Your baby is Making Walking Attempts
Read next
- When Do Babies Start Crawling?Most babies start moving across the floor somewhere between 6 and 10 months.
- When Can Babies Start Solid Foods?The AAP recommends only breast milk for approximately 6 months, then foods alongside continued breastfeeding.
- When Do Babies Sit Up?Sitting is two separate skills on the CDC's list, three months apart.
This week, for your baby
Growbaby works out which week your baby is in from their birth date and brings that week's activity to you on the day, so you are not looking up where you are. Plus adaptive soothing for the nights and Growy for the questions in between.
Frequently asked questions
Often around this age, and often it is not mama or dada. A first word is any sound used consistently to mean the same thing, which is a lower bar and a more useful one than a word that sounds correct.
Because it is the difference between wanting and sharing. Pointing to ask for something comes first; pointing to show you something means your child wants you to look at what they are looking at, which is where conversation starts.
Anywhere from about nine to eighteen months, and the middle of that range is not a target. Standing and stepping without support get attempted and often fail for weeks first, which is the practice rather than a problem.
This guide is for general informational purposes only. Growbaby is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Every baby develops at their own pace; for any question or concern about your baby's health or development, always consult your pediatrician or another qualified healthcare provider.