baby talk

American  

noun

1. the speech of children learning to talk, marked by syntactic differences from adult speech and by phonetic modifications like lisping, lalling, and the omission and substitution of sounds.

2. Also called parentese.  a style of speech used by adults in addressing children, pets, or sweethearts, and formed in imitation of the voice and pronunciation of children learning to talk: it is generally characterized in English by the addition of diminutive endings to words, the use of special words and pet names, and the systematic distortion of certain words, as dolly for doll, teensy-weensy for tiny, oo for you, and twain for train.

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baby talk British  

noun

1. the speech of very young children learning to talk

2. an adult's imitation of this

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Usage

Baby Talk is used as a label in this dictionary for well-known terms traditionally thought to exemplify the type of baby talk used by adults.

Etymology

Origin of baby talk

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Other parents said their children have been having potty accidents again, speaking in baby talk or gibberish, sleeping in their parents’ bed and throwing tantrums over small changes in routines.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2025

“Anybody who has bipolar disorder and is worried and thinking about having a baby, talk to someone with experience in perinatal mental health,” she said.

From Salon • Sep. 10, 2024

Why people, dolphins or other creatures use baby talk isn’t certain, but scientists believe it may help offspring learn to pronounce novel sounds.

From Washington Times • Jun. 26, 2023

Parents around the world coo at their babies in swooping, high-pitched tones called “motherese,” or baby talk.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 25, 2023

At times, they even took comfort in baby talk, where “Billy” became “Biwy.”

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield