Why does my toddler repeat the last word of every sentence?

Repeating the last word of a sentence is usually normal in toddlers. It’s often immediate echolalia: your child is echoing a word as part of learning how language works.

Why it happens

• The last word is the easiest to remember and repeat.
• It gives them a little extra time to process what you said.
• It’s also speech practice and a way to join the conversation.

How to help

• Model and expand: if they say “dog,” you can say, “Yes, a big brown dog.”
• Use short, simple sentences.
• Offer choices: “Apple or banana?”

When to check in
Talk to a pediatrician or speech-language pathologist if it goes on past age 3, your child mostly only echoes, or you notice other concerns like limited eye contact, not responding to their name, or trouble with social interaction.