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Quizzes > Health & Medicine

Quiz for 3 year olds: Is language development on track?

Quick toddler speech quiz. Instant results and simple next steps.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Ariana LevinUpdated Aug 24, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
paper art collage of alphabet blocks, speech bubbles and animal figures on teal background playful toddler language quiz

This quiz helps you see if your 3-year-old's language is on track, from vocabulary to simple sentences. Get quick pointers you can use during play. For more learning checks, try our developmental milestones quiz, explore the toddler speech quiz, or take a broader child development quiz.

Which word is a color?
Yellow
Run
Soft
Big
Colors are words that describe the hue of objects, and 'yellow' names one specific hue. 'Run', 'soft', and 'big' describe actions or qualities, not hues. Recognizing color words helps toddlers expand their vocabulary.
Which of these is an animal?
Dog
Car
Apple
Tree
An animal is a living creature that can move on its own, and 'dog' is an example of an animal. 'Car' is a vehicle, 'apple' is a fruit, and 'tree' is a plant. Learning to distinguish animals from other objects builds basic classification skills.
Which word names a shape?
Circle
Jump
Blue
Chair
'Circle' is a geometric shape defined by all points at the same distance from the center. 'Jump' is an action, 'blue' is a color, and 'chair' is an object. Recognizing shape names supports early math and vocabulary skills.
What sound does a cow make?
Moo
Baa
Quack
Neigh
Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate sounds, and 'moo' is the sound a cow makes. 'Baa' is a sheep’s sound, 'quack' is a duck’s, and 'neigh' is a horse’s. Learning animal sounds is a fun way to develop listening and speaking skills.
Which word rhymes with 'cat'?
Hat
Dog
Bus
Tree
Rhyming words share the same ending sound, and 'hat' and 'cat' both end with the '-at' sound. 'Dog', 'bus', and 'tree' have different ending sounds. Rhyming practice helps toddlers build phonological awareness.
_____ is playing with a ball.
He
Run
The
Quick
A pronoun replaces a noun, and 'He' correctly stands in for a boy mentioned earlier. 'Run', 'the', and 'quick' are not pronouns. Using pronouns helps toddlers make sentences shorter and clearer.
What is the plural form of 'car'?
Cars
Carz
Cares
Caries
To form a plural for most nouns, you add an 's', so 'car' becomes 'cars'. 'Carz', 'cares', and 'caries' are incorrect. Learning regular plural rules is key for early language development.
Which word is a verb (an action word)?
Jump
Happy
Blue
Kitten
A verb describes an action, and 'jump' is an action word. 'Happy' is an adjective, 'blue' is a color, and 'kitten' is a noun. Identifying verbs helps children construct sentences correctly.
Which puts these words in the correct order: 'eat I apple'?
I eat apple
Eat apple I
Apple I eat
I apple eat
English typically follows Subject–Verb–Object order, so 'I eat apple' is correct. The other orders do not follow standard English sentence structure. Teaching SVO helps toddlers form clear sentences.
Which pronoun refers to a girl?
She
He
It
They
The pronoun 'she' is used to refer to a female person or animal. 'He' refers to a male, 'it' to an object or animal of unknown gender, and 'they' to more than one. Learning pronouns helps toddlers talk about people clearly.
The cat is ____ the box.
in
at
on
with
The preposition 'in' indicates that the cat is inside the box. 'At' indicates a point, 'on' indicates surface contact, and 'with' indicates accompaniment. Understanding prepositions helps toddlers describe locations.
Which word is the opposite of 'big'?
Small
Slow
Tall
Light
Antonyms are words with opposite meanings, and 'small' is the opposite of 'big'. 'Slow' is the opposite of 'fast', 'tall' is not opposite to 'big', and 'light' contrasts with 'heavy'. Learning opposites expands vocabulary comprehension.
Identify the verb in the sentence: 'The dog chased the ball.'
chased
dog
ball
the
In this sentence, 'chased' describes the action performed by the dog, making it the verb. 'Dog' and 'ball' are nouns, and 'the' is an article. Identifying verbs helps toddlers understand sentence roles.
Which sentence is correctly formed?
Mom is cooking dinner.
Cooking dinner mom is.
Dinner mom cooking is.
Is mom cooking dinner.
A well-formed English sentence follows subject–verb–object order: 'Mom' (subject), 'is cooking' (verb), 'dinner' (object). The other options jumble this order. Practicing correct sentences supports language development.
What is the past tense of 'run'?
Ran
Runned
Running
Runs
'Run' is an irregular verb whose past tense form is 'ran'. 'Runned' is incorrect, 'running' is the present participle, and 'runs' is the third-person singular present form. Learning irregular verbs enriches verbal skills.
What is the plural form of 'mouse'?
Mice
Mouses
Mices
Mousees
'Mouse' is an irregular noun whose plural form is 'mice'. Regular plural rules (adding 's') do not apply here. Recognizing irregular plurals is an advanced language skill.
Which word shows possession in the sentence: 'The cat's toy is under the couch.'?
cat's
toy
under
couch
Possessive nouns show ownership and are formed by adding an apostrophe + s; 'cat's' indicates the toy belongs to the cat. 'Toy', 'under', and 'couch' do not show possession. Understanding possessives helps children express ownership.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand 2-3 Year Old Speech Milestones -

    Learn the key language development markers for toddlers aged two to three so you can recognize if your child is meeting expected communication benchmarks.

  2. Assess Toddler Vocabulary Growth -

    Use our toddler vocabulary test items to measure how many words your child knows and identify areas where their word bank can expand.

  3. Evaluate Preschool Sentence Formation Skills -

    Analyze simple sentence tasks from the preschool language quiz to determine how well your child combines words into meaningful phrases.

  4. Identify Pronoun Usage Proficiency -

    Recognize whether your toddler correctly uses pronouns like "I," "you," and "they" to express ideas about themselves and others.

  5. Interpret Quiz for 3 Year Olds Results -

    Understand your child's performance on the quiz for 3 year olds to pinpoint strengths and areas needing extra support.

  6. Plan Targeted Toddler Language Assessment Strategies -

    Use insights from the toddler language assessment to choose activities and resources that foster your child's next communication milestones.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Expressive Vocabulary Milestones -

    By age 3 most toddlers produce 200 - 1,000 words in their expressive vocabulary (ASHA). Boost your toddler vocabulary test with a simple "Label, Echo, Expand" game: you label an object, your child echoes, then you expand with a related word (e.g., "Doggy" → "Doggy, puppy"). Daily storytime and picture cards from university research kits help cement new words.

  2. Sentence Formation Skills -

    At this stage, children start combining three- to four-word sentences, a key 2-3 year old speech milestone (CDC). Practice using the "Add-on" trick: child says "I want ball," then you add "pink ball," so they hear richer syntax models. Role-play everyday routines like "I wash hands" to encourage consistent sentence practice.

  3. Pronoun and Grammar Usage -

    Research from Stanford Children's Health shows that most 3-year-olds correctly use "I," "you," "me," and "my." Try the "Stick-It" pronoun sticker game: place a pronoun sticker on yourself or your child to prompt correct usage ("This is my cup," "Give it to me"). Use this activity as a preschool language quiz or quiz for 3 year olds to make practice playful.

  4. Comprehension and Following Directions -

    Toddlers at 3 should follow two-step instructions like "Get your shoes and put them by the door" (NIH). Strengthen comprehension by using visual prompts: hold up a shoe, point to the door, and ask them to match actions to words. Turn it into a preschool language quiz for 3 year olds by timing responses and offering praise for swift, accurate execution.

  5. Phonological Awareness Basics -

    Early phonological skills such as rhyming, syllable clapping, and sound matching are key to later reading success (University of Michigan). Use a "Rhyme Time" song routine - pair words like "cat" and "hat" to spotlight rhyme patterns and boost auditory discrimination. Add these into your toddler language assessment to track progress and make learning fun.

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