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If you have ever been around an infant, you have probably heard them babble. As much as babbling is endearing, it is a fascinating linguistic phenomenon, rich in speech and physical development. There are several stages of babbling that an infant goes through as they work to develop their vocal tract and prepare for the articulation of words. There are 5 Stages of babbling, spanning from birth to 1 year, that lead to an infant’s first words!
Infant sound productions begin as soon as birth. During the first stage of vocal production, infants aged 0-4 weeks begin to make reflexive and vegetative vocalizations. Often involuntary, these sounds include crying and fussing. Caregivers use these cues to interpret and respond to the infant, laying the groundwork for early communication. This stage also supports the development of the brainstem and marks the very beginnings of human communication.
As infants grow, they begin to coo and laugh during social interactions. This stage typically emerges between 6 and 16 weeks of age and plays a crucial role in developing early communication skills. It also helps strengthen the oral muscles needed for future speech production. Additionally, cooing and laughter are linked to changes in the limbic system, supporting social and emotional development that forms the foundation for later language learning.
During the third stage of vocal production, called vocal play, infants aged 16 to 30 weeks begin to produce a wider range of vowel sounds and some consonant sounds. Babies in this stage start marginal babbling, creating drawn-out, simple consonant-vowel combinations such as “baaaa” or “gooo.” This stage helps infants refine their motor skills and practice controlling their mouth movements and breath.
After mastering these simple combinations, infants enter the reduplicated/canonical babbling stage, typically between 36 and 48 weeks. In this stage, they produce repeated strings of consonant-vowel sequences, such as “bababa” or “dadada.” Through this process, infants experiment with rhythm, mimic the patterns of speech, and begin exploring distinctions between different sounds.
The final babbling stage, occurring around 48 to 52 weeks, is called non-reduplicated, or variegated, babbling. At this stage, infants produce more complex combinations of vowels and consonants, creating longer and more varied syllables. Examples include “guba,” “ma-ba-dee,” or “bab-da.” These productions are less repetitive and demonstrate greater vocal flexibility and control, showing that the infant is nearing the emergence of their first true words.
By the end of the babbling stages, most English-learning infants have mastered about 90 percent of the consonant sounds used in their language. Babbling provides infants with a crucial foundation for speech, supporting the physical development of the vocal tract, facial muscles, brain, and nervous system, as well as key communicative and social skills. After progressing through all five stages of babbling, an infant’s first word is just around the corner!
Sadie Gray
November 2025
Linguistics Students at the University of Alberta
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