baby talk
Cooing and babbling
Baby talk is the simplified speech adults use with infants and young children—higher pitch, exaggerated intonation, simple words, and repetition: Who's a good boy? Yes you are!
The style appears cross-culturally and may aid language acquisition.
Baby talk also describes childish speech patterns in adults, whether affectionate or annoying: I can't stand when couples use baby talk with each other.
Soft murmuring sounds
- gurglingBubbling liquid sound
- goo-gooInfantile vocalization reduplication
- ga-gaExcessively infatuated
- prattleTrivial, prolonged speech
gibberish · murmuring · chatter · nonsense · drivel · gabble · blabber · patter
Room for infants
- cradleRocking bed for infants
- diaperAbsorbent infant undergarment
- pacifierInfant sucking device
- teethingFirst molars emerging
toddler · newborn · naptime · playpen · highchair · onesie · booties · bib
Act of obtaining something
- imitationCopy of the original
- comprehensionMental understanding of meaning
- phonologyScience of language sounds
- first wordsInfant's earliest speech
vocabulary · milestones · cognition · language development · word learning · repetition · pointing · gesturing
Affectionate word or phrase
- fondnessWarm liking or affection
- tendernessGentle, caring quality
- cuddlingAffectionate close holding
- snuggleEmbrace cozily
adoration · sweetness · doting · pampering · warmth · gentle · loving · caress
Treating someone as inferior
- dumbing downMaking content less challenging
- oversimplificationStripping complexity unfairly
- infantilizingTreating as incapable
- belittlingExpressing contempt or dismissiveness
demeaning · condescending · dismissive · cutesy · saccharine · cloying
cooing
Soft murmuring sounds
prattle · gibberish · murmuring · chatter · nonsense · drivel · gabble · blabber · patter · mumble
nursery
Room for infants
teething · toddler · newborn · naptime · playpen · highchair · onesie · booties · bib · rattle
acquisition
Act of obtaining something
- imitationCopy of the original
- comprehensionMental understanding of meaning
- phonologyScience of language sounds
first words · vocabulary · milestones · cognition · language development · word learning · repetition · pointing · gesturing · naming
endearment
Affectionate word or phrase
- fondnessWarm liking or affection
- tendernessGentle, caring quality
- cuddlingAffectionate close holding
snuggle · adoration · sweetness · doting · pampering · warmth · gentle · loving · caress · soothing
patronizing
Treating someone as inferior
- dumbing downMaking content less challenging
- oversimplificationStripping complexity unfairly
- infantilizingTreating as incapable
belittling · demeaning · condescending · dismissive · cutesy · saccharine · cloying
- Diminutivesbunny, puppy, kitty, doggy, dolly
- Kids Saykids say, mispronunciations, first words
- kid quoteskidspeak
- language varietiesdialect, idiolect, sociolect, vernacular, accent
- speech stylesinformal speech, formal speech, colloquial, vernacular, plain speech
- baby humor
baby talkformal speech
Prepared public address
formal language · business English · legal language · official language · diplomatic language
talk, baby, babble, talks, talking, babies, talkative, babbling, babyish