Which developmental stage includes simple one-word utterances to express various meanings?

The holophrastic stage is characterized by children's use of single words to convey a complete thought or meaning. During this stage, which typically occurs around the ages of 12 to 18 months, children often use one word to express a variety of contextual meanings. For instance, the word "milk" may not only indicate the desire for milk but could also mean "I want milk," "Here is milk," or "Please give me milk," depending on the situation in which it is used. This stage underscores the child's ability to use single utterances to effectively communicate a range of ideas, showcasing their emerging understanding of language and context.

In contrast, other developmental stages involve more complex language use. The pre-verbal stage refers to the time before children start to use recognizable words; the two-word stage follows the holophrastic stage and is marked by the use of two-word combinations to express more complex ideas, and the post-telegraphic stage involves using more complete sentences beyond the two-word combinations. Therefore, the holophrastic stage is distinct in its focus on one-word utterances that encapsulate broader meanings.