# baby talk

**Pronunciation:** /ˈbeɪbi tɔːk/ · BAY-bee TAWK

**Part of speech:** noun

## Meaning

Simplified, high-pitched, and repetitive speech patterns used by adults when addressing infants or young children to assist in language acquisition.

## Examples

- Research suggests that using baby talk helps infants distinguish between different speech sounds.
- She couldn't help but fall into baby talk whenever she played with her nephew.
- Some experts argue that parents should transition away from baby talk as the child begins to form full sentences.

## Synonyms

- parentese — The technical term used by linguists for this style of speech.
- motherese — An older, specific term for the way mothers talk to infants.
- cooing — Refers to the soft, murmuring sounds made by both babies and adults.
- gibberish — Sometimes used disparagingly to describe nonsensical or unclear speech.

Canonical URL: https://anaversity.com/dictionary/english/baby%20talk

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