Meaning & use
motherese
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountabletechnical
A way of speaking to babies and young children, using a higher voice, slower speech, and exaggerated intonation.
Grammar: Uncountable; used without 'a' or plural.
Patterns
- use motherese
- speak in motherese
- motherese features
Parents often use motherese when talking to their newborns.
In many cultures, motherese is characterized by a higher pitch and simplified words.
Linguists study motherese to understand how infants learn language.
Common combinations
- use motherese
- Mothers instinctively use motherese with their babies.
- speak in motherese
- She spoke in motherese to soothe the crying child.
- motherese features
- The study analyzed motherese features such as pitch and rhythm.
- child-directed speech
- Child-directed speech is a broader term that includes motherese.
Synonyms and how they differ
- child-directed speech
- A broader term that includes any speech addressed to children, not just by mothers.
- baby talk
- More informal and can also refer to the simplified words themselves, not just the speech style.
Word family
Commonly confused: motherese or baby talk?
motherese vs baby talk
Baby talk is everyday speech to babies, while motherese is the technical term for the specific speech style.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'motherese' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Motherese is an uncountable noun, so it cannot be used with 'a' or in the plural. It refers to a speech style, so it fits in the context of studying it, as in option 1. Option 0 is wrong because motherese is not used with teenagers, option 2 uses it as a countable noun, and option 3 uses a plural verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “motherese”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.