Parentese is the slower, higher-pitched, sing-song way adults naturally speak to babies, using real words and correct grammar. It is different from baby talk, which uses made-up words, and research shows it helps babies engage and learn language.
Key takeaways
- Parentese uses real words with exaggerated tone and stretched vowels.
- A University of Washington study found that coaching parents to use more parentese led to more baby babbling and larger vocabularies.
- It works best as part of back-and-forth conversation.
What you can do
- Talk to your baby face to face with a warm, lively tone.
- Stretch vowels: "Look at the biiig dog!"
- Pause to let your baby respond.
