Protowords: What they are and how they facilitate language development

Did your baby go through a phase where they used vocalizations like 'duh-duh', 'baba' and 'pipi' to refer to everything? This typically happens between 10 and 12+ months of age and this process marks the transition from the babbling stage to the formation of true words that more closely resemble adult forms. Babies are using what we call protowords and are demonstrating their understanding that language can convey meaning.

Protowords are strings of sounds that are used to refer to objects or people in the child's environment and they tend to sound very word-like. They are usually made up of simple consonant-vowel patterns in repetition (e.g. baba). Protowords are a stepping stone in their expressive language journey! And while these are not 'true words' quite yet, they represent that babies are on their way to linguistic competence. Eventually, they will more consistently pair more complex sound combinations with a variety of objects and people around them.

So what can you do to help your child during this transitional period? Here are three simple strategies:

1) Model the correct form: if your child is saying 'baba' to refer to her bottle, blanket and bear, model the correct form of these words with emphasis. It looks like this:

Child: baba

Parent: 'Yes! Thats a BEAR! Hi Mr. Bear!'

2) Infer meaning even when unsure: this helps send the message to your child that what they are saying is meaningful and helps to keep the conversation going! It looks like this:

Child: baba

Parent: Oh.. you'd like your bottle?

3) Add gestures to support comprehension. If you are unsure what your child is referring to (which is likely if they are using baba, mama and dada to refer to everything!), then you can use gestures to narrow it down and provide your child with another modality to communicate their needs. It looks like this:

Child: baba

Parent: Would you like your bottle (pointing or showing) or your bear (pointing or showing)?

Conversations with babies at this age can often feel like a guessing game, but they are so important in your child's communicative journey! Soon enough, you will start to notice 'true words' in your child's vocabulary!

-- Meg