Meaning & use
infant directed speech
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Meaning
noununcountabletechnicalspecialist
The special way adults speak to babies, using higher pitch, slower tempo, and exaggerated intonation.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun: Infant-directed speech is common across cultures. Do not say 'an infant-directed speech' for this meaning.
Patterns
- use infant-directed speech
- infant-directed speech to a baby
- the features of infant-directed speech
When talking to her newborn, she naturally switched to infant-directed speech.
Studies show that infant-directed speech helps babies learn the sounds of their language.
The researcher recorded mothers using infant-directed speech with their six-month-olds.
Common combinations
- use infant-directed speech
- Parents all over the world use infant-directed speech when they talk to their babies.
- infant-directed speech to a baby
- She spoke in infant-directed speech to the baby in the stroller.
- features of infant-directed speech
- Higher pitch and slower tempo are typical features of infant-directed speech.
- infant-directed speech helps language learning
- Research suggests that infant-directed speech helps language learning in the first year.
Synonyms and how they differ
- baby talk
- The everyday term for the same idea; it can also mean the simplified words babies use, so it is less precise than 'infant-directed speech'.
- motherese
- An older technical term, now less common because it suggests only mothers do it; 'infant-directed speech' is more inclusive.
- child-directed speech
- Similar but can refer to speech to older children as well; 'infant-directed speech' is specifically for babies.
Opposites
Commonly confused: infant directed speech or child-directed speech?
infant directed speech vs child-directed speech
A broader term that includes speech to children of any age, while 'infant-directed speech' is usually limited to babies.
Practice
In linguistics, the high-pitched, slow, melodic way adults speak to babies is called ______.
Choose one answer.
The correct term is 'infant-directed speech'. The other options are not standard: 'speak' is a verb, 'infant-directing' is not the established term, and 'infants directed' has the wrong plural form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “infant directed speech”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.