Which term describes the stage when a child uses a single word to express a complete thought?

• A. Telegraphic speech
• B. Receptive speech
• C. Holophrastic speech
• D. Semantic speech

Answer: (C)

Holophrastic speech describes a stage in toddler language where a single word conveys a whole thought or sentence. Around 12 to 18 months, a child might say something like “Milk” to mean “I want milk” or “All done” to mean “I’m finished.” The word stands for a complete message because the child hasn’t yet learned to form full sentences, so context and tone carry the meaning.

This differs from telegraphic speech, which uses a few words together to express a message, like “want cookie” or “mommy go.” Receptive speech is about understanding language, not producing it, and semantic speech isn’t a standard term for this stage. Holophrastic speech is the best fit for describing this single-word conveying-a-thought pattern.