Speaking to babies in a sweet, affectionate tone does not delay their speech development; instead, it improves their structural perception. This communication method also strengthens the emotional bond between parent and child.
According to Oxu.Az, Karen Stoltznau, a senior linguist at the University of Colorado Boulder, told The Conversation that parents are sometimes advised to avoid diminutive and affectionate forms when talking to children, as simplified communication is thought to confuse or delay speech. However, in reality, this style of speech helps children better acquire language.
"For example, exaggerated sentences like 'Look at that cute dog!' do not confuse babies. On the contrary, they capture attention, help discover patterns in speech, and strengthen social bonds," the scientist explained.
Stoltznau also noted that parents actually use real words and grammatically correct sentences, but with high pitch, elongated vowels, and slow rhythm—a sort of "musical tone." This effectively draws the child's attention to the content and structure of language, making word boundaries clearer and helping recognize grammatical rules. Pronunciation errors and imperfections naturally disappear as children grow.
"In all cultures, adults instinctively speak 'baby talk' to infants. Even those who swear never to use affectionate tones often cannot resist when they see a baby. Researchers have found that babies pay more attention to this specific speech," the specialist clarified.
Interestingly, this communication style is not only pleasing to humans. Studies have shown that even cats respond more positively when spoken to in a sweet tone.
