What developmental milestone is reached at around 3 years old in terms of vocabulary?

At around 3 years old, children typically reach a significant developmental milestone in vocabulary. By this age, many children can use around 200 words, indicating a considerable expansion in their ability to express themselves verbally. This increase in vocabulary reflects their cognitive development and ability to understand and engage with the world around them. As children interact with their environment and caregivers, their language skills progress rapidly, allowing them to communicate more complex thoughts and ideas.

While younger children may say just a few words or know their own name, the ability to use approximately 200 words illustrates a more advanced stage in language acquisition. Additionally, the use of simple sentences also develops around this age, but it is the vocabulary size that serves as a primary indication of their linguistic growth by the age of 3.