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Phonetic variation in multisyllable babbling*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2009

Pamela R. Mitchell  and
Raymond D. Kent
Pamela R. Mitchell*
Affiliation:
Summit Center for Human Development
Raymond D. Kent
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin-Madison
*
P.O. Box 4332, Star City, West Virginia 26504, USA.
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Abstract

This investigation examined phonetic variation in multisyllable babbling of infants from 0;7 to 0;11. The basis of this investigation was to examine assumptions present in major models of infant vocal development which suggest systematic developmental increases in phonetic variation of these babbles, and posit separate stages of repetitive (multisyllables with non-varied phonetic elements) and non-repetitive (phonetically varied multisyllables) babbling. Eight infants were audiotaperecorded in their homes at ages 0;7, 0;9 and 0;11. The multisyllable vocalizations were categorized based on the presence or absence of phonetic variation, and the source of that variation (place change, manner change or both). Multisyllables were produced with phonetic variation at or near the beginning of multisyllable babbling, which failed to support the existence of distinct stages of repetitive and nonrepetitive babbling.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , June 1990 , pp. 247 - 265
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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Footnotes

*

This investigation was completed as a portion of the first author's dissertation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, under the direction of the second author. Robin Chapman, Jon Miller, Charles Reed, and Dee Vetter provided helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this manuscript.

References

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