Pronoun Acquisition

Acquisition of Pronouns

Children learn pronouns gradually, and there isn’t a strict order that all kids follow. However, most experts agree that their is a rough order to learning pronouns. The earlieset pronouns children say are "I" and "it", followed by "you." By around 3 years old, most children use basic pronouns correctly, and by 5 years old, they usually understand possessive pronouns like "mine" and "yours." Here’s a general guide to when children might start using different pronouns:

12 – 26 months:

• I, & it

27 – 30 months:

• my, me, mine, & you

31 – 34 months:

• your, she, he, yours, & we

35 – 40 months:

• they, us, hers, his, them, & her

41 – 46 months:

• its, our, him, myself, yourself, ours, their, & theirs

47+ months:

• herself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, & themselves

Every child develops at their own pace, so these ages are just estimates. Keep modeling pronouns in everyday conversations to help your child learn.

Please note the above information is general in nature and is not intended as professional medical advice. Please seek an appointment with a registered speech-language pathologist if you are at all worried about your child's development.

References

• Owens, R. E. (2012). Language development : an introduction (8th ed.). Pearson.

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