Phrase guide

baby talk

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The form of speech used by adults in talking to very young children.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • Meronym: babble word

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: babyese, caregiver register, child-directed speech, hypocorism, motherese, parentese

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The prelanguage, and subsequent developing language, used by small children, incorporating crying, cooing, and babbling in sequence before the acquisition of adult language capabilities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • Meronyms: babble word, goo goo ga ga

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the developing speech of a young child

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: babytalk

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: non-standard speech

4

noun

Meaning 4

an adult's imitation of the speech of a young child

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: babytalk, motherese

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: non-standard speech

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Basque: haur hizkera — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Chinese Mandarin: 兒語 /儿语 (éryǔ) — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Chinese Mandarin: 娃娃腔 (wáwaqiāng) — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Danish: babysnak — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Dutch: babytaal — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Finnish: vauvakieli — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • French: langage enfantin — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • French: mamanais — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • German: Ammensprache — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • German: Babysprache — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Hungarian: gyermeknyelv — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Icelandic: barnamál — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Icelandic: barnahjal — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Icelandic: gælumál — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Japanese: 幼児語 (yōjigo) — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Korean: 유아어 (yua'eo) — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Polish: mowa matczyna — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Spanish: maternés — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Spanish: lenguaje infantil — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Ukrainian: сюсю́кання (sjusjúkannja) — form of speech used when talking to babies
  • Bulgarian: ле́пет (lépet) — prelanguage used by small children
  • Chinese Mandarin: 牙牙學語 /牙牙学语 (yáyáxuéyǔ) — prelanguage used by small children
  • Dutch: babytaal — prelanguage used by small children
  • Finnish: vauvan viestintä — prelanguage used by small children
  • Polish: gaworzenie — prelanguage used by small children